William Shakespeare (1564-1616), often referred to as the 'Bard of Avon' was a British poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He is called the national poet of England. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. His most popular plays include King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet, All's Well That Ends Well, A Mindsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Richard Ill, Henry V, and so on.