Shakespeare

American  

[sheyk-speer] / ˈʃeɪk spɪər /

Or Shakspere,

noun

1. William, the Bard of Avon, 1564–1616, English poet and dramatist.

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Shakespeare British  

/ ˈʃeɪkspɪə /

noun

1. William. 1564–1616, English dramatist and poet. He was born and died at Stratford-upon-Avon but spent most of his life as an actor and playwright in London. His plays with approximate dates of composition are: Henry VI, Parts I–III (1590); Richard III (1592); The Comedy of Errors (1592); Titus Andronicus (1593); The Taming of the Shrew (1593); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594); Love's Labour's Lost (1594); Romeo and Juliet (1594); Richard II (1595); A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595); King John (1596); The Merchant of Venice (1596); Henry IV, Parts I–II (1597); Much Ado about Nothing (1598); Henry V (1598); Julius Caesar (1599); As You Like It (1599); Twelfth Night (1599); Hamlet (1600); The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600); Troilus and Cressida (1601); All's Well that ends Well (1602); Measure for Measure (1604); Othello (1604); King Lear (1605); Macbeth (1605); Antony and Cleopatra (1606); Coriolanus (1607); Timon of Athens (1607); Pericles (1608); Cymbeline (1609); The Winter's Tale (1610); The Tempest (1611); and, possibly in collaboration with John Fletcher, Two Noble Kinsmen (1612) and Henry VIII (1612). His Sonnets, variously addressed to a fair young man and a dark lady, were published in 1609

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pre-Shakespeare
  adjective

Example Sentences

Oscar-nominee Madden, whose work includes Shakespeare in Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, said he was looking forward to telling Tony and Emma's story.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

The actor gives a distinguished, surprising performance as the jealous general in Simon Godwin’s superb production at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

They met the queen two years ago when Oldman performed at a Shakespeare celebration for the Queen’s Reading Room charity.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

The RSC's production of The Tempest marks Sir Kenneth's return to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for the first time in more than 30 years, and is Sir Richard's debut with the company.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

“Who can tell me what Shakespeare meant when he...,” she begins, finally getting a good look at our faces.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake