Shakespeare: Explained by Taylor Swift

 

By Alessandra Sy, Year 12

The British School Manila’s production of the Comedy of Errors just closed, and it was a great showcase of one of Shakespeare’s amazing pieces. The storyline was fun, quirky, and quick-paced. Although, all of Shakespeare’s plays were interesting, they sometimes had complex plots. So, we’ll break it down for you-- through Taylor Swift’s lyrics.

Macbeth - “Magic, madness, heaven, sin.”
Macbeth is a play of contradiction and ambition. Driven to becoming king, Macbeth will kill all and any that get in his way. He puts his faith in the words and prophecies of three witches. Macbeth's wife eggs him on when he fears he has gone too far, and scheming of greatness.
Quote taken from Blank Space

 

King Lear - “Your saddest fear comes creeping in: that you never loved me or her or anyone or anything.”
King Lear has ruled for many years and decides to divide his kingdom amongst his children. Being a proud man, he allows vanity to cloud his judgment and ends up misjudging his children’s loyalty.
Quote taken from I Knew Your Were Trouble

 

Hamlet - “I stay up too late, got nothing in my brain-- that’s what people say.”
Hamlet, prince of Denmark, is upset by the death of his father and the hasty remarriage of his mother. Hamlet’s father’s spirit informs Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius (the man whom his mother will remarry) and demands Hamlet avenge him. Hamlet makes himself appear crazy to deflect suspicion, and rejects his sweetheart Ophelia.
Quote taken from Shake it Off

A Midsummer’s Night Dream - “It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight, to fall in love with strangers. Yeah, we’re happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time.”
Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, prefers Demetrius as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter.
Quote taken from 22

The Merchant of Venice - “Now we got problems, and I don’t think we can solve them.”
A young Venetian needs a loan of three thousand ducats so that he can woo a wealthy Venetian heiress. He approaches his friend Antonio, a merchant. Antonio is short of money because all his wealth is invested in his fleet, which is currently at sea. He goes to a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, who hates Antonio because of Antonio’s anti-semitic behaviour towards him.
Quote taken from Bad Blood

Othello - “I get drunk on jealousy.”
Iago complains to Roderigo that Othello, his Commander, has passed him over to promote the handsome young Cassio to be his Lieutenant. He vows to get revenge.
Quote taken from Blank Space

Twelfth Night - “Everybody here was someone else before, and you can want who you want. Boys and boys and girls and girls.”
Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, attempts to woo the Countess Olivia. The shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Cesario, and enters the Duke’s service. Cesario falls in love with the Duke and Olivia falls in love with Cesario.
Quote taken from Welcome to New York

Henry V - “You can tell me when it’s over if the high was worth the pain.”
The political situation in England is tense: King Henry IV has died, and his son, the young King Henry V, has just assumed the throne. Several bitter civil wars have left the people of England restless and dissatisfied.
Quote taken from Blank Space

Antony and Cleopatra - “Could end in burning flames or paradise.”
Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, spends his time in Egypt, living a life of decadence and conducting an affair with the country’s beautiful queen, Cleopatra.
Quote taken from Style

Julius Caesar - “Still got scars on my back from your knife.”
Caesar has returned in triumph from the war against Pompey. Cassius and Brutus discuss their fears that Caesar’s ambition is to become king, and agree to their cause: the elimination of Caesar.
Quote taken from Bad Blood

And obviously...

Romeo and Juliet - “See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns. See you make your way through the crowd and say ‘hello’, little did I know.. that you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles and my daddy said ‘stay away from Juliet.’”
Romeo and Juliet fall in love at a party. But they come from families which hate each other. They are sure they will not be allowed to marry.
Quote taken from Love Story

 

Who needs SparkNotes when you have Taylor Swift?

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