Beware the Ides of March

All right, so we’re a little past the Ides of March, but I couldn’t resist. Besides, Beware the End of March didn’t have the same ring. And, also, I do SO love to quote Shakespeare. Even better, I love to use Shakespeare when writing my books. To me, it adds a touch of refinement, fits perfectly with my Regency settings and my characters’ education level, and it can add a bit of foreshadowing or irony to my story.

There’s usually at least one Shakespearian reference in each of my books, though some are more blatant than others. For example, in my upcoming Tall, Dark, & Wolfish, my hero travels north to Scotland in search of a mystical witch. The poor fellow has images of Macbeth’s hooked-nosed, toil-and-trouble, havoc-causing witches so set in his mind the whole journey, he doesn’t have a prayer of recognizing the real witch he seeks, even when she’s looking him straight in the eye.

I also love to use Shakespeare to emphasize an ironic twist. Two gentlemen sit together in the theatre, watching a performance of Julius Caesar, and all the while, the reader knows that one of the two is about to betray the other. Or the naïve nephew who spends a night enjoying Richard III and is completely unaware that in real life, he needs to be wary of his power-hungry uncle. For me there is an underlying message when I write scenes like this. That whole know-your-history-and-learn-from-it-or-you’re-doomed-to-repeat-it thing we’ve always heard about.

For me it’s also fun using Shakespeare to help capture a specific feeling for either the book as a whole or for a certain character in particular. I once cast a hero’s actress/ex-mistress in the role of Lady Macbeth, which allowed the heroine to equate her perceived rival with that of the notoriously vicious Scottish noblewoman. And another time, I used Much Ado About Nothing as the performance a bickering couple, who shared one or two similarities with Beatrice and Benedick, had to sit through. Of course, their companions found the evening much more amusing than did the pair I was picking on.

William Shakespeare had such amazing range with his comedies, tragedies, and histories. I honestly believe there is a play out there to match anyone’s personality. For me, knowing which of his plays most suits a particular character can give me a more in depth look into the psyche of the person I’m creating. Do they prefer the whimsical comedies that leave one happy and light-hearted? Or the more serious histories that delve into larger-than-life historical figures? Or his heart-breaking tragedies which all seem to teach one life lesson or another?

So, now, I'm going to play Barbara Walters. Tell me… If you were a Shakespearian play, which play would you be? And can you guess which one fits me?