Who was Shakespeare

I knew before searching him that he was known as one of the greatest poet/writers ever. I knew he wrote many plays and was married to Anne Hathaway. However i did not know people were giving credit to Edward de vere for writing some of Shakespeare's works. I also find it interesting how we do not know much about when he was born or even exactly what looked like. You would think that someone of such fame with his literature would have had a picture of himself painted by a very famous artist. I think that when kids think of Shakespeare they are not thinking of him in the great writing he created, I think they just think to themselves "oh great, I have to read the most confusing piece of work." They are to mad about having to read old English and how confusing his writing is that they do not see the significance in reading his writing.