Today marks 400 years since the passing of the world's most famous playwright and poet -- William Shakespeare.
Born in the month of April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's influence has shaped not only the way performing arts have developed over history, but facets of history itself.
His name is now used among historians to describe the period in which he lived, and his plays have been at the centrefold for some of the best modern tragedy and comedy in the 20th and 21st century.
For performers like Dawn Sanders, who is the founder and chief executive of the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, the playwright's work is still as vital to society now as when it was first written.
"His plays don't date because they are just so entrenched in our everyday life."
"I realise that he must have just been a very clever person. He managed to put words together in a way that kept people thinking about them and revisiting them. He's such a powerful tool -- he's very powerful."
Ms Sanders first fell in love with Shakespeare's work as a 7-year-old, because she used to help her father recite his lines.
It sparked a life-long passion for the playwright, and now her profession allows her to help other young Kiwis fall in love with Shakespeare.
"What we have discovered with the Shakespearean festivals is that there is still a huge desire for the festivals to continue. We have over half the secondary schools in the country involved in our festivals."
If you want to get involved, more details about the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand and its festivals can be found at its website.
We all know Romeo and Juliet -- the very centrepiece of Shakespeare's collection. But historians believe the master playwright wrote at least 37 plays and 154 sonnets during his time.
What is perhaps most astonishing, though, is how many of these plays are still being revisited on screen and in various theatres around the world today.
We compiled a list of some of Shakespeare's most famous work.
Another thing that is often overlooked is how many modern day words can be attributed to Shakespeare's influence.
It is widely acknowledged that 1700 English words in use today came about because of the way Shakespeare changed nouns into verbs, changed verbs into adjectives and in some cases, the way he devised new words altogether.
Here are a few examples you may or may not have known were created by Shakespeare.
Newshub.
