The complete works of William Shakespeare is so voluminous and so impressive that speculation has existed for many years regarding the true provenance of these works. It is almost too difficult to believe that any one individual could have produced what are almost-universally recognized as some of the greatest works of literature in history. If one is tasked with presenting the case for Shakespeare's genius, then one need only peruse the breadth and volume of his plays, sonnets and narrative poems. Shakespeare is credited with authorship of 37 plays so well conceived and written that, in some cases, they remain some of the most popular material pertaining to real historical individuals and events (such as the assassination of Julius Caesar). In addition to his plays, Shakespeare wrote at least the 154 sonnets credited to him.

Shakespeare can be considered a genius because of the endurance of his works as well as the range of topics and the successful employment of humor, tragedy and drama. The same playwright who authored Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Hamlet also wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Comedy of Errors, and All's Well That Ends Well. All of these plays are still widely read and produced hundreds of years after they were written. Many lines from Shakespeare's plays became permanent parts of the popular lexicon. Hamlet's soliloquy, "to be or not to be," and Richard III's plea for a means with which to reengage the battle ("A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!") are known to millions of people many of whom have never actually read either play.

Within the realm of literature, if William Shakespeare is not a genius, then nobody is a genius.