William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright of the 16th and 17 centuries, now widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the word's pre-eminent dramatist.Randall Martin is Professor of English at the University of New Brunswick. He has edited Henry VI Part Three for The Oxford Shakespeare and Oxford World's Classics, and The Merchant of Venice, with a theatre commentary by Peter Lichtenfels, for Applause Theatre Books. He is currently writing a book about early modern English murder news, and completing an edition of Ben Jonson's Every Man Out of His Humour for the forthcoming Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson.Randall Martin is Professor of English at the University of New Brunswick. He has edited Henry VI Part Three for The Oxford Shakespeare and Oxford World's Classics, and The Merchant of Venice, with a theatre commentary by Peter Lichtenfels, for Applause Theatre Books. He is currently writing a book about early modern English murder news, and completing an edition of Ben Jonson's Every Man Out of His Humour for the forthcoming Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson.