Who was the author who was said to be on equal footing with shakespeare?

He was reputed to be on equal footing with William Shakespeare. William shakespeare was the most important figure in the renaissance. His works had a profound influence on western literature and were regarded as a treasure in the world's literary treasure house. His plays, poems, essays, and other works had high artistic and literary value. They were translated into many languages and widely spread. Although his works were widely praised, he was also considered to be a complex and diverse writer whose style and depth of thought could not be compared with another great master of the Renaissance, Cervantes of Spain.