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William Shakespeare is widely considered the greatest dramatist in history. His genius lay in his unparalleled command of the English language and his profound understanding of human psychology. He wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Shakespeare's characters—from the indecisive Hamlet to the ambitious Macbeth—are so complex and universally relatable that they continue to be studied and performed worldwide. He is credited with introducing nearly 1,700 words to the English language by turning nouns into verbs and connecting existing words. His ability to blend tragedy with comedy and explore themes of love, power, and betrayal made him the ultimate chronicler of the human soul.