William Shakespeare was a man who defied all things ordinary. Born in 1564 to the humblest of circumstances, this man rose above his station to lead parallel lives. In one, he was a husband, father, and land owner in the small town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. In the other, he was a bohemian London actor, a poet, and playwright. What made this man so singularly memorable wasn't his double life, it was the fact that he was able to capture, in writing, the essence of what it means to be human. Regardless of country, status, culture, or means, Shakespeare found a way to translate humanity across time and space. That is why, even now, 400 years later, we still celebrate, watch, read, and study him.