William Shakespeare not only wrote many plays, he was also a professional actor
Shakespeare invented lots of phrases we still use today like 'love letter', 'puppy dog', 'wild goose chase' and 'break the ice'
Shakespeare also invented new words such as 'assassination', 'housekeeping' and 'bump'!
Women were not allowed to become actors in Elizabethan times, so young boys had to play their parts while they still had high voices
There are only two portraits of Shakespeare that still survive
Shakespeare became one of England's greatest writers even though he had never been to university
