William Shakespeare was a poet, actor and dramatist and is often seen as the best writer in the English language. He lived in the late 16th and early 17th century, but his plays are still widely performed today.
A painting of Shakespeare.
This is Othello, one of Shakespeare’s characters.
William Shakespeare’s’ plays were performed at the Globe Theatre in central London. You can still visit it today!
Watch the video to find out more about William Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare also wrote a special type of poem called a Sonnet. Sonnets usually have 14 lines with 10 syllables per line.
This is one of Shakespeare’s most famous Sonnets. It is called ‘ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’
Shakespeare uses this sonnet to praise his beloved’s beauty and describe all the ways in which their beauty is better than a summer day. Love is the overarching theme of this poem.
