We do know that his final plays were probably written in about 1613 or 1614 (historians opinion’s on this and many other Shakespeare dates differ) – which is roughly coincident with the Globe burning down after an accident with a cannon that was fired during the performance of Henry VIII.Click to see full answer. Accordingly, when did Shakespeare retire from writing?After a glittering career as an actor, playwright and theatre proprietor in London, Shakespeare retired in 1611 at the age of 47 to his home town of Stratford, where his wife and family had remained during all the years in which he had lived and worked in London. what did Shakespeare write? Between about 1590 and 1613, Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays and collaborated on several more. His 17 comedies include The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing. Among his 10 history plays are Henry V and Richard III. The most famous among his tragedies are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. Also to know is, what event marked the end of Shakespeare’s writing? In 1613 Shakespeare’s own Globe Theater burned down. This Event marked the end of his writing and his time in London.How did Shakespeare start writing?It is believed by most people, that Shakespeare started writing his plays in 1590 and his poems in 1592. William Shakespeare started to write plays because he understood that he had the potential to be a brilliant playwright in 1590. He thoroughly enjoyed theater and realized that he could also act in them.