Thomas Kyd

Thomas Kyd (1558-1594) was an English playwright.
Kyd is the author of "The Spanish Tragedy". It was the most popular play of the time and many playwrights imitated it. A character in "The Spanish Tragedy" likely influenced Shakespeare when writing Hamlet. Kyd was one of the first users of blank verse in English literature.
"extraordinary dramatic (if not poetic) genius".