What marked the end of Shakespeare career?

Shakespeare's career as a playwright effectively came to an end with the closing of the theaters in 1603 due to an outbreak of the plague. Although the theaters reopened in 1604, Shakespeare wrote relatively few plays in the remaining years of his career. His last complete play is generally considered to be "The Tempest," written in 1611. After producing several collaborations with other playwrights, Shakespeare appears to have retired to Stratford-upon-Avon around 1613, where he spent the last years of his life.