Richard III is the second longest of the English playwright William Shakespeare's plays after Hamlet.
Richard III (play) . It is the second longest play in the canon after Hamlet , and is the longest of the First Folio , whose version of Hamlet is shorter than its Quarto counterpart . The plays written by English poet , playwright , and actor William Shakespeare ( 1564 -- 1616 ) have the reputation of being among the greatest in the English language and in Western literature . William Shakespeare ( [ ˈʃeɪkspɪə ] 26 April 1564 ( baptised ) -- 23 April 1616 ) was an English : poet , : playwright , and actor , widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world 's pre-eminent dramatist .