| Peerless playwright and poet, Shakespeare occupies a singularplace in the history of English literature. Born in Stratford-on Avon, he lived there and in London, where he pursued his career inthe theatre. He not only wrote, he performed and directed, aswell. Though all of Shakespeare's known works are held in highregard, some of his most popular plays are "The Taming of theShrew", "Romeo and Juliet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "JuliusCaesar", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "Othello", "King Lear", and "TheTempest", among many others. It is generally believed thatShakespeare composed much of his poems during the period whenplague closed the theatres of London (1592-1594) and for severalyears thereafter. His sonnets are viewed as among the finest poemsin any language. After 400 years, Shakespeare's work continues tomesmerize actors and theatre-goers alike and it is unlikely that this popularity will ever diminish. |
