William Shakespeare was a playwright of England.
Anne Hathaway ( 1555/56 -- 6 August 1623 ) was the wife of William Shakespeare , the English poet , playwright and actor . 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 . His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright . At the age of 18 , he married Anne Hathaway , with whom he had three children : Susanna , and twins Hamnet and Judith .