Shakespeare was the most influential of all English writers and poets. He has had a significant influence in the shaping of English literature and the development of the English language. To learn more about Shakespeare’s life and works, please visit the following links.
Shakespeare in the classroom - Teaching English resources
Shakespeare’s name is recognised all over the world. His works are studied by over half of the world’s schoolchildren and have been performed more than those of any other playwright. We offer ELT materials that focus on Shakespeare’s life, the social and historical context of his works, and the plays themselves.
Shakespeare - Our Contemporary?
Watch readings and discussions from the 2014 British Council Literature Seminar in Berlin with authors Naomi Alderman, AS Byatt, Howard Jacobson, Tom McCarthy, Alice Oswald, Mark Ravenhill and Polly Stenham. The seminar celebrated the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare. Chairing the seminar was Professor John Mullan (Guardian Book Club).
The Seven Stages of Man
Read and/or listen to famous lines from Shakespeare’s play 'As You Like It' and do activities to check your vocabulary and comprehension.
Visiting Shakespeare's Birthplace
Visit Shakespeare birthplace, the childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife, Shakespeare’s final home in Stratford-upon- Avon, and the home of his daughter and granddaughter.
Discover Shakespeare's Globe
Experience another side of Shakespeare’s Globe through backstage interviews, academic papers, fact sheets and other free resources.
- Hear actors talk about their process and experiences
- Look over past productions
- Support your study of Shakespeare with our interactive microsites
Literature is GREAT
More than half of the world’s children study Shakespeare. If you like to talk about literature in class there is a lesson plan on our TeachingEnglish site.
Shakespeare Quartos Archive
The Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, together with the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, and Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities created the Shakespeare Quartos Archive. The archive is a freely-accessible digital collection of pre-1642 editions of Shakespeare’s plays.