1. William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language, Shakespeare's works are still performed and studied worldwide. His plays, like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and King Lear, are considered literary masterpieces and have had a profound impact on the development of theatre.
2. Sophocles (c. 496-406 BC): One of the three great Athenian tragedians (alongside Aeschylus and Euripides), Sophocles is renowned for his dramatic poetry and his insightful exploration of human nature. His most famous works include Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and Electra.
3. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904): A Russian playwright and short story writer, Chekhov is known for his realistic and often melancholic portrayals of everyday life. His plays, such as The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard, are celebrated for their psychological depth and poetic language.
4. Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906): A Norwegian playwright, Ibsen is considered the father of modern drama. His plays, such as A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, and Ghosts, challenged social conventions and explored themes of realism, social critique, and individual identity.
5. Tennessee Williams (1911-1983): An American playwright known for his poetic language and exploration of the human condition. His plays, including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, are often marked by their exploration of sexuality, family dynamics, and the search for love and belonging.
This list represents a diverse range of playwrights from different periods and cultural contexts. Each of them made significant contributions to the development of theatre and continues to be studied and admired today.