William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Wrote his Sonnets and many of his most famous plays during the reign of Elizabeth, including Henry IV, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, A Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night and As You Like It. Shakespeare was born in the small town of Stratford, but moved to London as a young man. There he joined the Lord Chamberlain's Men, which enjoyed the patronage of Elizabeth's Lord Chamberlain, who ran the queen's household. Several of Shakespeare's plays were performed for Elizabeth at court, notably Loves Labours Lost, Merry Wives of Windsor, and possibly A Midsummer Night's Dream.