The Playwright: William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in England in a period of time called the Renaissance, where a lot of fantastic art was created all at once.

He was born in 1564 and died in 1616.

During his lifetime, Shakespeare saw the death of Queen Elizabeth I and the crowning of King James I.

Shakespeare was so popular with King James that his group of actors quickly became the ‘King's Men', meaning his plays were performed for the King regularly.

Shakespeare is generally regarded as one of the best playwrights of all time, and his most popular works include King Lear, Macbeth and Hamlet.

A Midsummer Nights Dream was written in 1594, in the middle of Shakespeare's writing career.