A.William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 to what would today be considered a middle-class family. In 1568 his father, John Shakespeare, was elected mayor of Stratford. When he was 18 Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was 26 years old. The couple had three children, a daughter Susanna and the twins Hamnet, a boy and Judith, a girl. Shortly afterwards he left Stratford to seek his fortune in the theatrical world of London. In addition to his acting duties, he wrote an average of nearly two plays a year and was the most popular London playwright of this period. By the end of his career Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays in which he created characters that have meaning beyond the time and place of his plays. These characters struggle just like people do in real life, some succeed and others end in painful and tragic failure. He is commonly considered the greatest writer the world has ever known, the best poet to write in the English language, and the world's most famous author. His works helped shape the literature of all English-speaking countries, as well as countries such as Germany and Russia. Shakespeare's plays and poems are a necessary part of education and so his ideas on topics such as heroism, love and the nature of tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of people. No other writer's work has been produced so many times or read so many times. widely in so many countries. Many films have been made about his plays, and composers have written operas, musicals, and instrumental works based on his stories and characters. The world has appreciated many great writers, but only Shakespeare has generated such continuing interest and everlasting affection. Othello In Othello, Othello, a noble black Moor general in the army of Venice, Italy marries Desdemona, a beautiful Venetian girl, who is much younger than him. Almost immediately after the wedding, Othello is sent to Cyprus, joined by Desdemona and her assistant Iago, who hates him. In an attempt to destroy Othello, Iago tells him that Desdemona has made love with her lieutenant Cassio. After convincing Othello of Desdemona's infidelity, Iago plays on Othello's insecurity and his differences with Desdemona, including color, age, cultural background, and level of sophistication. The love between Othello and Desdemona is so strong that they could have overcome all these differences if it were not for Iago's insinuations.