William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds pre-eminent dramatist. Shakespeare wrote more than thirty plays, which are usually divided into four categories: histories, comedies, tragedies, and romances. His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film, and his writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which include all of his plays, sonnets, and other poems. Some of his most famous plays include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar. Shakespeares work has made a significant and lasting impression on later theatre and literature. In particular, he expanded the dramatic potential of characterisation, plot, language, and genre.