William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is acknowledged as the greatest dramatist of all time. He excels in plot, poetry and wit, and his talent encompasses the great tragedies of 'Hamlet', William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is acknowledged as the greatest dramatist of all time. He excels in plot, poetry and wit, and his talent encompasses the great tragedies of 'Hamlet', 'King Lear', 'Othello' and 'Macbeth' as well as the moving history plays and the comedies such as 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'The Taming of the Shrew' and 'As You Like It' with their magical combination of humour, ribaldry and tenderness. This volume is a reprint of the Shakespeare Head Press edition, and it presents all the plays in chronological order in which they were written. It also includes Shakespeare's Sonnets, as well as his longer poems 'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece'. AUTHOR: William Shakespeare (1564-1616) needs little introduction. As we approach the four-hundredth anniversary of his death, his reputation as one of the greatest writers in the English language is undeniable - except by those who attribute his works to other writers.