What is William Shakespeares popularity?

Answer 1

Shakespeare is still by far the most famous and popular playwright in the world. Ask someone on the street to name a playwright and they will almost certainly answer "Shakespeare", not Marlowe, Moliere, Beckett, Edward Albee or any other playwright. Theatre companies everywhere are constantly performing his plays which they wouldn't be doing if nobody liked them. Not only that, but other plays, novels, television shows and movies riff off of the lines and situations in Shakespeare's plays. There are a huge number of theatrical companies the world over that specialize in performing Shakespeare's plays, and almost none which specialize in the plays of any other playwright. And these plays sell out regularly, which is why they keep putting them on.