By 1597, Shakespeare had written at least a dozen plays, including tragedies and comedies, and created characters whose tragic flaws forever immortalized them in literature.

Shakespeare ranked among the foremost dramatists of his time by his contemporaries. Shakespeare was also an acclaimed poet noted for his sonnets, which he composed between 1593 and 1601. His works include Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. In 1612, Shakespeare retired from the stage and returned to Stratford. He died four years later on April 23rd, 1616.