To be or not to be

By Kevin McCann and Claire Watson

William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, introduced almost 300 words and phrases to the English language. His evergreen impact on the English language and the stories we hold dear are still relevant today. Shakespeare connected the characters and their problems in his stories to the hearts and minds of his audience, bringing them into the story. Between 1589 and 1613, he claimed his status as one of history's great storytellers.

Shakespeare holds a unique position in the world of literature. While Homer, Dante, Tolstoy, and Dickens are well known, no writer's reputation compares to his, whose works are studied, read, and performed to this day. Here are some of his monumental stories that still resonate with us today.

Romeo and Juliet (1597)

"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

Some cite Romeo and Juliette as the greatest love story ever told, albeit a tragic one. Shakespeare takes us to the city of Verona in northern Italy, dotted with palazzos, small churches, and the Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra. His tale of two teenagers in love unfolds against the backdrop of a bloody feud between the noble families of Capulet and Montague.

We meet Paris, related to Prince Escalalus, the ruler of Verona, seeking the hand of 14-year old Juliette Capulet's hand in marriage. Her father hosts a masquerade ball, inviting Paris to the feast. Lovelorn Romeo, son of Montague, pining for the love of Rosaline who doesn’t love him, also receives an invitation.

Romeo falls in love with Juliet at first sight, setting a train of events in motion that can only end badly. Shakespeare's intricate plot weaves emotions of love, hate, envy, revenge, despair, and tragedy throughout this first-of-a-kind story.

Julius Caesar (1599)

"Beware the Ides of March."

Born into a wealthy family, Gaius Julius Caesar grew up in dangerous times. Swelling with power, chaos dominated Roman culture. With the nobility widely discredited, military dictatorship was the only solution. Caesar allied himself against the nobility, conquering Gaul, triumphing in a civil war, and launching political and social reforms.

Shakespeare dives into the politics of power, corruption, and betrayal. Betrayed by his friend Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar is stabbed 23 times by the Roman Senate. Julius Caesar teaches us how easily people are corrupted by political ethics, evidenced by the duality of speeches by Mark Antony (Caesar's right-hand man) and Brutus. Brutus justifies the murder while Mark Antony speaks about upholding ethics.

Henry V (1599)

"Every subject's duty is the king's, but every subject's soul is his own."

Known for his drunk and unruly behavior, Henry V must set aside his past and accept the responsibilities of being the king. As he prepares for war he learns about a plan to assassinate him and must execute one of his past friends as a conspirator. As Henry invades France, he wrestles with mantle of responsibility and hangs more of his friends for looting.

The night before the Battle of Agincourt (1415), Henry disguises himself as a common soldier and mingles with his troops, later lamenting the responsibilities of being king. The English win the battle in the morning after listening to Henry's inspirational speech.

Henry V deals in the role of leadership. Henry must put aside his past to be the king he needs to be and literally, buries many of the friends he had. He notices how he gets away with actions that a common man would be executed for but must nonetheless take on the burden as a good king.

Hamlet (1599 - 1600) "

This above all: To thine own self be true . . ."

Shakespeare's most popular and puzzling play is widely acknowledged as the most influential literary work ever written. On a dark, cold winter night, an ethereal ghost resembling King Hamlet walks the ramparts of Elsinore Castle in Denmark. Hamlet's brother, Claudius, inherited the throne and married the king's widow, Queen Gertrude. The ghost declares he is the spirit of Prince Hamlet’s father murdered by Claudius. He orders the Prince to take revenge.

This tale of deceit, tragedy, heroism, betrayal, confusion, and love unfolds in a brilliant crescendo of storytelling, engaging our emotions, bringing us into the plot where we are players and not observers.

Macbeth (1606)

"Something wicked this way comes."

Three witches deliver a prophecy to Macbeth, a general of Scotland, and Banquo. Macbeth will become the thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and Banquo's descendants will rule, but Banquo will never be king. The prophecy sets the stage for his spiraling downfall.

After King Duncan beheads the current thane of Cawdor for betraying him, he gives the title to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth sows the seeds of power into his head and thus begins Macbeth's vicious descent into madness. He murders King Duncan and later Banquo and seizes the throne. He is felled by Macduff, his chief opponent in the nobility, in battle.

Macbeth is the embodiment of unrestrained ambition. He teaches us where the lines between dreams and paranoia lies and how allying with the wrong characters can push us over that edge.