is an English poet and playwright (1564-1616) widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language. He wrote 38 plays, hundreds of poems and sonnets and created words and phrases still popular today. His plays range from tragedies like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet to comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night and history plays like Richard III and Henry V. Even today, Shakespeare is the most performed playwright in the United States.