William Shakespeare was an English playwright.
Anne Hathaway ( 1555/56 -- 6 August 1623 ) was the wife of William Shakespeare , the English poet , playwright and actor . The Royal Shakespeare Theatre ( RST ) is a 1,040 + seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare . William Shakespeare . He is often called England 's national poet , and the `` Bard of Avon '' . His extant works , including collaborations , consist of approximately 38 plays , 154 sonnets , two long narrative poems , and a few other verses , some of uncertain authorship .