William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet and playwright born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is known for writing plays and poems that have had a significant influence on English literature. The document discusses Shakespeare's early works which were mostly histories and comedies in the 1590s. It then covers his later period after 1600 when he wrote famous tragedies such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth which explored themes of betrayal, retribution and moral failure. The document also provides brief summaries of Shakespeare's sonnets and other poetic works.