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William Shakespeare
A c. 1610 CE portrait of William Shakespeare (1564-1616 CE), the celebrated playwright of Elizabethan theatre. (Hatchlands Park, Surrey, England)

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8 Sonnets and Songs by William Shakespeare
The literary works of William Shakespeare (l. c. 1564-1616) are often regarded as some of the most important in the English language. Alongside his famous plays, he also wrote poems, including 154 sonnets. Included here are six of the best-known...

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Portrait of William Shakespeare, c. 1611
The Chandos Portrait, thought to depict William Shakespeare, oil on canvas, attributed to John Taylor, c. 1611.
National Portrait Gallery, London.

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Elizabethan Theatre, Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare
The term Elizabethan Theatre naturally refers to the style of theatre being composed and performed in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, which continued under her Stuart successors and is best known through the works of the playwright...

Definition
Titus Andronicus - Shakespeare's Bloodiest Play
Titus Andronicus is the earliest tragedy by William Shakespeare (l. c.1564-1616), probably written sometime between 1589 and 1593, and first performed in 1594. Infamous for its gratuitous violence and two-dimensional characters, Titus Andronicus...

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William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror (c. 1027-1087), also known as William, Duke of Normandy, led the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 when he defeated and killed his rival Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. Crowned King William I of England...

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William III of England
William III of England (also William II of Scotland, r. 1689-1702) became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Protestant William, Prince of Orange, was invited to rule jointly with his wife Mary II...

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Title Page of Shakespeare's Sonnets, 1609
Title page of Shakespeare's Sonnets, a quarto published by Thomas Thorpe in London, 1609.
Folger Shakespeare Library.

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William the Silent
William the Silent (l. 1533-1584, also known as William of Orange) was the leader of the Dutch Revolt (the Eighty Years' War) in the Netherlands; first politically (between 1559-1568) then militarily (between 1568-1584). He is among the most...

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William II of England
William II of England, sometimes called William 'Rufus' for his red hair and complexion, reigned as the king of England from 1087 to 1100 CE. The son of William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1087 CE), the younger William was loyal to his father...