Who is William Shakespeare?

He was an English playwright, poet and actor who found success in London in the late 1590s. His plays on tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth are widely regarded as some of the best works in English. Experts say no serious study of English literature and theatre is complete without reading — and understanding — Shakespeare, adding he continues to influence writers, actors and filmmakers even today.