THINK SHAKESPEARE IS STILL SO
RESONANT TO US TODAY?
WHY IS HE STILL IMPORTANT?
>> BECAUSE HE HAS A WAY OF
SAYING THINGS THAT HAS NEVER
BEEN BETTER.
HE'S GOT A WAY OF GETTING TO THE
NUB OF WHAT IT IS TO BE A HUMAN
BEING.
AND HE SAYS IT BETTER THAN
ANYONE HAS DONE SINCE, I THINK.
>> Stephen: WELL, THERE ARE
MANY PHRASES THAT ARE-- THEY'RE
MODERN PHRASES BUT SHAKESPEARE
INVENTED THEM, THEY APPEARED IN
PLAYS.
>> WORDS, WE RECKON HE MADE BUP
1700 WORDS.
>> Stephen: JUST MADE THEM UP?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WOW.
HE MADE UP "EATING ME OUT OF
HOUSE AND HOME."
"BE ALL AND END ALL" IS FROM
"MACBETH."
KILL WITH KINDNESS FROM THE
TAMING OF THE SHREW.
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
"THE MERCHANT OF VENICE."
IF HE WAS DOING STUFF TODAY, WE
WOULD HAVE TO PAY RESIDUALS
EVERY TIME WE USED ONE OF THOSE
PHRASES.
ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO
THINKS SHAKESPEARE DIDN'T WRITE
SHAKESPEARE GIDON'T REALLY CARE.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: I'LL WRITE THAT
DOWN, NOT CARE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NOT CARE.
SOME PEOPLE DO CARE A LOT,
THOUGH?
>> I KNOW SOME PEOPLE GET VERY,
VERY EXERCISED ABOUT IT.
AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF
CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT IT WAS
THE DUKE OF SOMETHING OR THE--
YOU KNOW.
THE WIDOW OF SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT SORT OF DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT EXIST ARE THE PLAYS.
WHOEVER WROTE THEM WAS OBVIOUSLY
QUITE CLEVER.
( LAUGHTER )
AND HAS LEFT WITH US THESE
BRILLIANT--
>> Stephen: I DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY YOU WOULD HIDE THE FACT THAT
YOU'D WRITTEN THESE BEAUTIFUL
THINGS.
>> NO!
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE
MOTIVATION FOR GIVING THE CREDIT
TO SOMEBODY ELSE?
>> THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS
THAT IT WASN'T THE-- BECAUSE
BEING A PLAYWRIGHT BACK THEN WAS
NOT AN EXALTED PROFESSION.
SO THERE IS A THEORY IF YOU'RE
THE EARL OF DO-DA, OR DUKE OF
HUFF-HUFFINGTON.
>> Stephen: I HEAR THAT'S A
LOVELY PART OF ENGLAND,
HUFF-HUFFINGTON.
>> MAYBE YOU WOULD HAVE TO HIDE
BEHIND SOME SORT OF LOCALLY
ACTOR.
THERE'S SOMETHING RATHER
SNOBBISH ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
THAT A COMMON MAN COULDN'T HAVE
WRITTEN THIS STUFF.
>> DIDN'T HAVE THE BRAINPOWER.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU COMMON?
>> I'M AS COMMON AS MOCK NO, I'M
FR SCOTLAND.
>> Stephen: THEY DON'T HAVE
FANCY PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND?
>> VERY, VERY FEW.
VERY, VERY FEW.
>> Stephen: THEY KNOT THEIR
HEADS CHOPPED OFF.
>> AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE
ACCENTS LIKE MINE.
>> Stephen: YOU DID A
CELEBRATION ON THE BBC, OF THE
400th ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKE
PEER AND A BUNCH OF ACTORS GOT
TO STAGE TO DO "TO BE OR NOT TO
BE."
>> THERE WERE MANY COMPETING TO
SAY THE FAMOUS "TO BE OR NOT TO
BE."
>> Stephen: YOU HAD A SPECIAL
GUEST COME ON AT THE LAST MOMENT
TO TEACH YOU ALL HOW TO DO IT.
JIM.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> JUST, JUST A MINUTE.
JUST A MINUTE.
( LAUGHTER )
TO BE OR NOT TO BE.
THAT IS THE QUESTION.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: MISSED HIS
CALLING.
MISSED HIS CALLING.
>> THERE HE IS, THE FINEST COMIC
ACTOR OF OUR GENERATION.
>> Stephen: ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: HARDEST WORK HE'S
DONE ALL MONTH.
WELL, DAVID, THANK YOU--
>> IF I SAID THAT BACK HOME I'D
GET A TRIP TO THE TOWER.
I'M GLAWD SAID IT AND NOT ME.
