Ben Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. He is best known for his plays, which include the comedies Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone (1606), and The Alchemist (1610). He was also a prolific writer of masques, lyric poems, epigrams, and other verse. Jonson was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and was widely regarded as one of the greatest English writers of his time. His work has been praised for its wit, its use of language, and its insight into human nature.