Quote

“To thine own self be true,/And it must follow, as the night the day,/Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

The above quote was from Hamlet, a Shakespearean play (duh). This quote was spoken by the character Polonius. He was the father of Ophelia, the love interest of Hamlet. He means that to be trustworthy, one must be honest and straightforward. By the way, the guy in the second picture is the Polonius I'm talking about.

Some Shakespearean Expressions

Okay, so, Shakespeare was basically the father of English awesomeness, right? Well, he'd also created some expressions that we even use today. Here are some interesting ones:

“Into thin air” - Into thin air meant that something or someone had vanished without leaving any hint or clue where they have gone. (Just POOF. Gone.)
“crack of doom” - Crack of doom meant a crack of thunder signaling evil or a bad omen. (Well, duh. The expression was pretty self-explanatory.)
“heart of hearts” -Heart of hearts meant "in the depths of your heart" (Oh wow. I mean, why love?)
“mind’s eye” - Mind's eye meant a human's ability to look through someone metaphorically for visualization. (Ooh! Shakespeare has X-ray vision!)

Trivia

Which play did the characters of the Shakespearean play Midsummer Night's Dream perform? 

The characters Quince and his six "labourers" decided to perform a play called "Pyramus and Thisbe". However, due to the lack of rehearsals and preparation, they messed up BIG-TIME and failed horribly. The audience- Puck, Lysander,  Hermia, and the other characters- think that the actors were just fooling around and embarrassing themselves. They thought that the play was a comedy. After the improptu performance, they all went home. Puck manages to convince them that all of it was just a dream. (HEY! HUGE HINT HERE!) Hence the play name- Midsummer Night's Dream.

Black Death

During the 1600s, the Black Death, an epidemic, raged and coursed its way throughout England. Thousands and millions of people suffered and died from the disease. However, our dear friend Will miraculously survived the Black Death! He lived through it. If Shakespeare hadn't survived the deadly disease, he wouldn't have written that many plays, poems, and sonnets.
Ultra Disease-Surviver, Ultimate Playwright, Super Poet, and Incredible Author.
You go, William Shakespeare!

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Trivia: Quote

"O, for the muse of fire..."Which play is this line from and how does it continue?

1. Henry V

2. "O, for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,
Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,
The flat unraised spirits that have dared
On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth
So great an object: can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O the very casques
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppose within the girdle of these walls
Are now confined two mighty monarchies,
Whose high upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder:

Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
Into a thousand parts divide on man,
And make imaginary puissance;
Think when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i’ the receiving earth;
For ’tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o’er times,
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour-glass: for the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play."

BONUS: Henry the 5th was a historical play, which means that Shakespeare modified the actual story into something more interesting and exciting.

Trivia

Question: What college did William Shakespeare attend?

A: Cambridge (The classic choice...)
B: Oxford (The university for smart people)
C: Harvard (The famous and successful one...)
D: None of the above (This choice is always available for every single question)

So, what do you think?

And... the answer is... D: none of the above!

Shakespeare NEVER attended high school or university. He quit school right after grammar school, which was the old equivalent to elementary school. So, kids, you don't exactly HAVE to attend great and honorable schools. Just follow your dreams- like the genius playwright Will did!