The Impact of William Shakespeare on American Culture “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” (Shakespeare). William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who is considered one of the greatest writers to ever use the English language (“William Shakespeare his life...” 2015). Known for many of his great works containing poems, plays, and sonnets dating back to 1592. “He was a man of his times, writing for his contemporaries on topics that were the hot-button issues of his day” (Tumiel, 2017). In the times during Shakespeare’s birth there were events taking place such as the age of protestant reformation and the Renaissance, contributing to his works. The protestant age consisted of Catholics beginning to question and part ways with their traditional religious beliefs. These people became known as protestants in their protest against the Catholic church. The Renaissance is the rebirth of classical architecture, ideas, and paintings from Greek and Roman culture. The protestant reformation had an effect on every person in England, and for Shakespeare it contributed to his work. The renaissances also having an effect on Shakespeare’s works by influencing his knowledge on Roman and Greek culture and updating his writing style. Stated in the Foreign Policy (2016), Shakespeare’s rise to global fame is owed in part to power politics. If the whole world now reads an English playwright and not one of the classics of Japanese or