Article 63FS6 ‘I think the king is but a man’: why we, like King Charles, always reach for Shakespeare’s words

‘I think the king is but a man’: why we, like King Charles, always reach for Shakespeare’s words

by
Vanessa Thorpe
from World news | The Guardian on (#63FS6)

The new monarch is quick to quote the playwright, but given the bard's genius with simple language, who wouldn't?

Why is the apt phrase so often one from Shakespeare? King Charles's address to the nation has been praised for its emotional authenticity and fitting use of moving words from Hamlet. They are spoken over the dying Danish prince by his friend Horatio, who bids a fond farewell: Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Some television viewers recognised the lines not from the classic tragedy, but from an episode of Blackadder. Ben Elton, who co-wrote the TV show, adores Shakespeare, proving his devotion with the sitcom and stage play Upstart Crow and his film All is True, starring Kenneth Branagh as the Bard.

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