What is the importance of Shakespeare in English literature?

What is the importance of Shakespeare in English literature?

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. In 1587, he went to London seeking a job. He discovered theatre there, and was much attracted to it. After being employed as an actor doing small roles, a writer and a patcher of old scripts, Shakespeare finally became the head playwright and the part-owner of the Globe Theatre in Southwark. In the 1590s, Shakespeare’s reputation grew steadily, and he wrote a number of plays and sonnets. He enjoyed royal patronage for many of his plays.


The total of 37 plays that Shakespeare wrote include comedies, tragedies, romances and histories. Shakespeare’s drama is accepted by people of all tastes. Some of his famous plays are “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar and As You Like It”. Many call his plays and their rich poetry unparalleled in history.