William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (baptized 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwrighter, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

The UNSC light frigate was named for the Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Harvest's agricultural operations artificial intelligence Mack made occasional, often misquoted references to Shakespeare's works, including Hamlet and later, Shakespeare's 18th Sonnet.

References outside the Halo universe

 * The Title Update 2 achievement, Alas, Poor Yorick, is a reference to a scene from Hamlet where a gravedigger exhumes the deceased court jester's skull.
 * "Perchance to Dream" the name of track 20 on the Halo: Original Soundtrack, is a phrase from the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy spoken by Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the popular imagination, the speaking of this soliloquy is often conflated with the action of Hamlet thoughtfully holding a skull (Yorick's), although the two actions occur at different moments of the play.
 * Et Tu, Brute?: Bungie ViDoc, quoted from a line from Julius Caesar.