What is the first thing that comes to your mind if you read the name Shakespeare?

Question

please be serious about this....no jokes :)

Answer 1

LOVE and CHALLENGE

Answer 2

One of Shakespeare's biographers (sorry I don't remember the source) pointed out that a 16th century English monk named Shakspear (no relation) had changed his name to something else to escape the ribald puns based on "Shakspear." The only English Pope was named Nicholas Breakspear. A decade or so before Shakespeare's birth, an Englishman named Reginald Pole was almost elected Pope. Marlowe wrote a play "Arden of Feversham" about a real-life murder of one of Shakespeare's distant relatives. One of the actual murderers was name "Loosebag." But Marlowe changed that to "Shakebag" (a dig at Shakespeare perhaps?). In one of Shakespeare's plays someone is ordered to "shake the bags" of monasteries to confiscate their wealth. One of Shakespeare's most popular characters was Falstaff. I am not obsessed with phallic puns, but Shakespeare was, perhaps because of his name. For more, see my essay, "Shakespeare, Breakspear, and Broken Pole," at http://academia.wikia.com/wiki/Shakespeare%2C_Breakspear%2C_and_Broken_Pole

Answer 3

Michael Paline. This sounds a bit daft I know but I visited the Globe theatre last year and they have plaques to people who sponsored the theatres rebuild. John Cleese (Monty Python fame) bought one of the concrete plaques for himself and another for Michael Palin (correct spelling) and insisted on his name being spelt Paline. Well I thought it was funny when I heard the story, I sound like a real geek for telling that, I shall exit stage right.

Answer 4

Macbeth... if you don't know it, and you don't want to read it, at least try to find the 70's Polanski film version. I could quote from anywhere in the play but one of my favorites is the porters speech about the effects of alcohol on his... um... here: (notice the word that Yahoo answers censored in parens).

MACDUFF
Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?

Porter
'Faith sir, we were carousing till the
second (male chicken): and drink, sir, is a great
provoker of three things.

MACDUFF
What three things does drink especially provoke?

Porter
Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and
urine. Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes;
it provokes the desire, but it takes
away the performance: therefore, much drink
may be said to be an equivocator with lechery:
it makes him, and it mars him; it sets
him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him,
and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and
not stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him
in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him.

Answer 5

I think of brilliance in the fact that he was both a writing, and business genius. He's plays are miraculous, however he did the same ideas over and over and over again just to make money. I also think of Much Ado About Nothing cause it's my favorite play and ultimately hilarious.

Answer 6

Macbeth. It's the only Shakespeare I've read.

Answer 7

Prince Hal of the Henry the fourth plays, Romance, drama, intriques. Beautiful art.
I truly love his writings.
I also think of Tristan and Isolde, the tragedy of Macbeth, Hamlet.....

Answer 8

Plays.

Answer 9

Tragedy

Answer 10

Romeo and Juliet

Answer 11

I think of romeo and Juliet and the balcony in Verona