Uses and abuses of Shakespeare’s phrases

I have nothing new to write about William Shakespeare, the 16th century genius who revolutionized the world of literature. Still popular and admirably known as The Bard, Shakespeare has given the world, among many gems, certain key phrases that are used almost excessively in everyday journalism, even after four centuries. The fact of the matter is that while anyone is free to use quotes from him, overuse often kills the true essence of the situation in which they were originally used. Here are three examples of those world famous phrases.

To be or not to be, that is the question

The most powerful soliloquy in “Hamlet” might have given the world of words the most used phrase adapted to various settings. In fact, the use of this sentence has become so mundane that even for very small things, like whether to cook vegetables today, people tend to use this sentence as a representation of some kind of dilemma. The phrase was originally written around the moral question of life and death, whether embracing death in order to escape the bitterness of life is the right thing to do. Therefore, it would probably be wise to reserve this quote for use in extremely critical decisions that are immensely difficult to make, rather than including it just to demonstrate your knowledge of popular quotes.

And you, Brutus?

Other variations on this famous “Julius Caesar” quote include “You too, Brutus?”, “Even you, Brutus?”, and so on. Although there are debates about the use of this statement as the work of other authors before Shakespeare, it remains the work of the Bard that made the statement so well known and widely used. The original statement represents violent betrayal and betrayal resulting in the death of a leader. However, in today’s journalism and also in day-to-day speeches, we find that this phrase is often used in scenarios that involve betrayals of the slightest importance. The strong emotion of betrayal that is evoked through this sentence does not always coincide with the trivial activities in human social life.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark

Another “Hamlet” gem, though not as widely used as statement number one above, is still very popular. A representation of the first realization of dire situations and impending doom, this statement is not suitable for use in scenarios arising from barely affected conditions, such as heavy rain one night (which does not cause much damage). Although it is apt to describe turbulent political conditions, it could also be used to predict natural catastrophes, mass upheaval in animal habitats, and other incidents on such a scale.

There are other generic statements of the bard, for example “All the world is a stage” from the captivating play “The Merchant of Venice”, which are suitable for use in a wider range of settings. Even then, it is better not to overdo it and reserve them for truly special occasions, in order to preserve the beauty of it.