According to the American Heritage Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus, William Shakespeare was a creative (characterized by originality; imaginative) actor and writer during his time (Kleinedler 178). Shakespeare is a well-known playwright and author. He influenced many and paved the way for many writers today. I intend to describe the creative and classic works of William Shakespeare and his road to success. No one knows for sure when Shakespeare was born. His date of birth is estimated based on the day he was baptized. Since the date of his baptism was 26 April 1564, it is believed that William was born on 23 April 1564. His birthplace was Stratford-upon-Avon, where he attended Holy Trinity Church (Biography of William Shakespeare). This aspiring writer attended a grammar school in Stratford, called King's New School, at the age of eleven. He studied theater and acting, also Latin literature and history (William Shakespeare). He was eighteen when he married Anne Hatheway, who was twenty-six. She was married before they got married. Their firstborn's name was Susanna, born on May 26, 1583. Subsequently, Anne gave birth to twins Hamnet and Judith on February 2, 1585. Hamnet died at the age of eleven of unknown causes. Shakespeare was not close to his family long after he began pursuing a career as an actor and writer (Biography of William Shakespeare). Early in Shakespeare's theatrical journey, he was doubted and criticized. According to London playwright Robert Greene, “There is an angry crow, decked out with our feathers, who with his tiger's heart wrapped in a player's skin, supposes he can recite a blank verse as well as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his presumption the...... middle of paper......imagine how much he himself is worth (Most Expensive Autograph). He was a respected man who did something for himself. Many see him as a positive person who did what he loved. William's creativity and class showed through his plays and novels. There are many foundations and organizations that bear his name. Shakespeare played and still plays an important role in the theatrical arts. Work CitedMerriman, CD “William Shakespeare”. March 27, 2013. January 29, 2014. www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/Pickett, John S. and Steven R. Kleinedler. The American Heritage Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus. Boston: Houghton Mufflin Co., 2005. “The Most Expensive Newspaper” Most Expensive Autograph. February 6, 2014. www.most-costy.com/autograph“William Shakespeare.” 2014. The Biography Channel website. January 26, 2014. www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323