Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

Today is the observed birthday for one of the greatest playwrights in theatre history. Born to a glove-maker in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 Shakespeare became famous in his own time as an actor, playwright, poet and part owner of the London theatre company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Shakespeare’s body of work consists of approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets and various poems. Though his works were not as innovative, dramaturgically speaking, as those of contemporaries like Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare is famous for his ability to elegantly wrap all of the human experience into rhyming couplets, with a keen understanding of the inner workings of his fellow man and the intellect to weave his knowledge into a witty and engaging tale.

Whether you consider him a hack or a genius, one person or many, or don’t care at all, today is a day of remembrance for every actor. We are all in debt to those who have come before us and Shakespeare is certainly one to be kept in high esteem.

So Happy Birthday (and ironically, Deathday) to William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon.

If you’re interested in Shakespeare’s life and works, I suggest the books below that can be found at either Amazon, any major bookstore or your local library.