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Find out more about the greatest 16th Century Writers, including William Shakespeare, James VI and I, Niccolò Machiavelli, Walter Raleigh and John Dee

16th Century Writers

16th Century Writers
PoetsPlaywrights
Find out more about the greatest 16th Century Writers, including William Shakespeare, James VI and I, Niccolò Machiavelli, Walter Raleigh and Nostradamus.
William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
26 April 1564, British
Writer
Niccolò MachiavelliNiccolò Machiavelli
03 May 1469, Italian
Political Philosopher

KabirKabir
1440 AD, Indian
Saint and Mystic Poet

Walter RaleighWalter Raleigh
22 January 1554, British
Politician, Writer, Explorer, Aristocrat

Christopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe
26 February 1564, British
Playwright, Poet

Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes
05 April 1588, British
Philosopher
Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
30 November 1667, Irish
Novelist & Satirist

Miguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes
29 September 1547, Spanish
Novelist

MirabaiMirabai
1498 AD, Indian
Bhakti Saint
John DonneJohn Donne
22 January 1572, British
Poet, lawyer, satirist

Ben JonsonBen Jonson
11 June 1572, British
Dramatist, Poet & Actor
Edmund SpenserEdmund Spenser
1552 AD, British
Poet

Götz von BerlichingenGötz von Berlichingen
1480 AD, German
Imperial Knight, Mercenary, Poet

François RabelaisFrançois Rabelais
04 February 1494, French
Writer

George HerbertGeorge Herbert
03 April 1593, British, Welsh
Poet

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-KhanaAbdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
17 December 1556, Indian
Poet
Veronica FrancoVeronica Franco
25 March 1546, Italian
Courtesan, Poetess

Emilia LanierEmilia Lanier
31 December 1569, British
Poet

Giambattista della PortaGiambattista della Porta
01 November 1535, Italian
Scholar, Polymath

Ismail IIsmail I
17 July 1487, Iranian
sovereign, poet, writer
Anne AskewAnne Askew
1521 AD, British
poet

RavidasRavidas
1377 AD, Indian
Poet
Henry Howard, Earl of SurreyHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey
1517 AD, British
Politician

Reginald PoleReginald Pole
03 March 1500, British
Archbishop of Canterbury

Philip SidneyPhilip Sidney
30 November 1554, British
Poet
Thomas WyattThomas Wyatt
1503 AD, British
Poet & Politician

Heinrich Cornelius AgrippaHeinrich Cornelius Agrippa
14 September 1486, German
Physician
Abu'l-Fazl ibn MubarakAbu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
14 January 1556, Indian
Author

Robert BellarmineRobert Bellarmine
04 October 1542, Italian
Theologian, Writer, Librarian, University teacher,

Lope de VegaLope de Vega
25 November 1562, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer
John HaringtonJohn Harington
04 August 1561, British
English author

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EknathEknath
1533 AD, Indian
Saint
Thomas KydThomas Kyd
06 November 1558, British
playwright, writer

John LylyJohn Lyly
1553 AD, British
Writer

Pietro AretinoPietro Aretino
19 April 1492, Italian
Poet, Writer, Playwright, Journalist

Mary SidneyMary Sidney
27 October 1561, British
Countess
Izaak WaltonIzaak Walton
09 August 1593, British
Writer
Wu Cheng'enWu Cheng'en
1500 AD, Chinese
Novelist

Torquato TassoTorquato Tasso
11 March 1544, Italian
Poet

VidyapatiVidyapati
1352 AD, Indian
Poet

Baldassare CastiglioneBaldassare Castiglione
06 December 1478, Italian
Diplomat
Anne Of FranceAnne Of France
03 April 1461, French
Regent of France

Francisco de QuevedoFrancisco de Quevedo
14 September 1580, Spanish
Politician

Étienne de La BoétieÉtienne de La Boétie
01 November 1530, French
Magistrate

Thomas MiddletonThomas Middleton
18 April 1580, British
Playwright, Poet, Writer

John FoxeJohn Foxe
1516 AD, British
Historian
Thomas NasheThomas Nashe
31 October 1567, British
Playwright

Mikael AgricolaMikael Agricola
1509 AD, Finnish
linguist, priest, translator, theologian
Inca Garcilaso de la VegaInca Garcilaso de la Vega
12 April 1539, Peruvian
Chronicler

Edward WinslowEdward Winslow
18 October 1595, British
Author

John FletcherJohn Fletcher
30 November 1579, British
playwright, poet, writer
Giambattista BasileGiambattista Basile
31 January 1566, Italian
Poet

George PeeleGeorge Peele
25 July 1556, British
Translator
Izumo no OkuniIzumo no Okuni
1572 AD, Japanese
Inventor

Richard HakluytRichard Hakluyt
1553 AD, British
Writer

Margaret of Valois-AngoulemeMargaret of Valois-Angouleme
11 April 1492, French
Author

Vittoria ColonnaVittoria Colonna
31 March 1492, Italian
Poet

Tommaso CampanellaTommaso Campanella
05 September 1568, Italian
Philosopher
Catalina de ErausoCatalina de Erauso
1592 AD, Spanish
explorer, military personnel, writer

Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker
1572 AD, British
playwright, poet, writer

Dadu DayalDadu Dayal
1544 AD, Indian
Hindu saint

Pierre de RonsardPierre de Ronsard
11 September 1524, French
Poet
Gurdās, BhāīGurdās, Bhāī
1551 AD, Indian
Sikh writer

Robert BurtonRobert Burton
08 February 1577, British
Scholar
Charles de Valois, Duke of AngoulêmeCharles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême
28 April 1573, French
Nobleman

Thomas MortonThomas Morton
1579 AD, American
English clergyman

Duarte BarbosaDuarte Barbosa
Portuguese
 
Rupa GoswamiRupa Goswami
1493 AD, Bangladeshi
Scholar and author

Sir Robert FilmerSir Robert Filmer
1588 AD, British
Political scientist
Hans StadenHans Staden
1525 AD, German
explorer, writer, autobiographer

Samuel DanielSamuel Daniel
1562 AD, British
Poet

Xu GuangqiXu Guangqi
04 May 1562, Chinese
mathematician, astronomer, writer
Edmond HoyleEdmond Hoyle
1672 AD, British
Writer

Jan KochanowskiJan Kochanowski
1530 AD, Polish
poet
Alexandre de RhodesAlexandre de Rhodes
15 March 1591, French
Lexicographer, Linguist, Writer, Missionary

John SkeltonJohn Skelton
1463 AD, British
Poet

George BuchananGeorge Buchanan
01 February 1506, Scottish
linguist, poet, historian, translator

Michael DraytonMichael Drayton
1563 AD, British
Poet, Writer
Johannes ReuchlinJohannes Reuchlin
29 January 1455, German
Scholar
Joseph KaroJoseph Karo
1488 AD, Spanish
Author

Garcilaso de la VegaGarcilaso de la Vega
06 February 1501, Spanish
poet, soldier

John HeywoodJohn Heywood
1497 AD, British
Writer

Peter BinsfeldPeter Binsfeld
1545 AD, German
Theologian
FuzûlîFuzûlî
1494 AD, Iraqi
Poet

Tang YinTang Yin
06 March 1470, Chinese
Painter

Thomas OverburyThomas Overbury
18 June 1581, British
Poet

Marko MarulicMarko Marulic
18 August 1450, Croatian
Poet

William Alexander, 1st Earl of StirlingWilliam Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
1567 AD, Scottish
Courtier
John of ÁvilaJohn of Ávila
06 January 1499, Spanish
Priest

Tirso de MolinaTirso de Molina
24 March 1579, Spanish
Playwright, Poet, Writer
Ralph FitchRalph Fitch
1550 AD, British
Explorer

Bihari LalBihari Lal
1595 AD, Indian
Poet
Felipe Guaman Poma de AyalaFelipe Guaman Poma de Ayala
1535 AD, Peruvian
Chronicler
Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of DorsetThomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
1536 AD, British
Poet