Where did get his ideas for plays?

Shakespeare found much of his inspiration for plays in history and literature. He based many of his plays on real historical events and figures. For instance, his play on "Henry IV" is based on the reign of the real-life King Henry IV of England, and "Julius Caesar" recounts the story of his tragic assassination. He was also inspired by a diverse array of literature, including classical myths and legends, folk tales, and works by earlier writers. Sources like Plutarch's "Parallel Lives" provided rich stories about ancient Greek and Roman figures, while many elements in his plays seem to have been borrowed from the works of Ovid, Boccaccio, and Geoffrey Chaucer. Shakespeare's keen observation of human nature and society contributed to the complexity and depth of his plays.