The Fool: A Motivated Character William Shakespeare is known to be one of the greatest tragic play writers of all time. Shakespeare, the playwright, poet, and actor grew up in the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. He spent most of his professional life in London and returned to Stratford as a wealthy landowner. He was born in April 1564, and died in April 1616. Throughout his life, Shakespeare wrote numerous plays. One of his great tragic plays is King Lear. Throughout the play, Lear is in conflict with his daughters by the division of ....