William Shakespeare born April 1564; baptized April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (as.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.) has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. His ability to capture and convey the most profound aspects of human nature is regarded by many as unequalled and the English Renaissance has often been called the age of Shakespeare". He was among the few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy and several of his plays contain songs that are among the finest lyric poems in English. He also wrote 154 sonnets, two narrative poems, and a handful of shorter poems. Shakespeare wrote his works between 1588 and 1613. Although the exact dates and chronology of the plays attributed to him are often uncertain. Shakespeare's influence on the English-speaking world shows in the widespread use of quotations from Shakespearean plays, the titles of works based on Shakespearean phrases, and the many adaptations of his plays. Other signs of his continuing influence include his appearance in the top ten of the '100 Greatest Britons" poll sponsored by the BBC, the frequent productions based on his work, such as the BBC Television Shakespeare, and the success of the fictional account of his life in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love.