Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these were followed by tragedies such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In his later period, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of his plays remain continuously popular and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. Shakespeare's works have been translated in more than one hundred languages.