The Walking Dead: Shakespeare quotes for the apocalypse
By Susie Graham
In honor of the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, perhaps some of his famous quotes can apply to the zombie apocalypse and The Walking Dead.
Shakespeare’s plays have stood the test of time. His plays are still studied in school and performed in theaters today. Some of his language has become every day expressions such as wild goose chase, method to his madness, break the ice, wear your heart on your sleeve, and in a pickle.
Surely some of Shakespeare’s quotes would apply to the zombie apocalypse, the walkers themselves, or our favorite characters from The Walking Dead. Let’s give it a try.
When sorrows come, they come not single spies,
But in battalions
The zombies seem to come in herds. The apocalypse itself brings losses in great supply. Loss of home. Loss of identity. Loss of family. Loss of comforts. Loss of security, hope, and safety. Loss of sleep, food, and water. Loss of dignity, privacy and peace. The sorrow of fear. The pain of grief and loneliness.
Murder’s out of tune, and sweet revenge grows harsh.
Morgan and Carol are experiencing this now. Eastman said we are not designed to kill. We don’t have claws or armor or fangs. Killing is out of tune with our nature. As much as it may be necessary in the apocalypse, and the revenge may seem sweet, it weighs on us. Carol has her kill list and is conflicted now. Morgan reached a point where he cleared and begged to be killed.
One may smile, and smile, and be a villain.
The Governor was a big grinner. Negan is our newest grinner. Many villains are happy in their work. They enjoy their perceived authority and the false respect they receive from their prey. They smile in response to their power and sometimes they smile in order to deceive and gain their power.
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Especially in the zombie apocalypse, right and wrong are quite dependent upon thinking and perception. Theft from your friend next to you is quite different from theft at an abandoned store. Killing is not the same in any two situations. Killing a walker. Killing a killer. Killing a bitten family member.
We must think about good and bad. Thinking is what separates us from the walkers. The walkers themselves are neither good nor bad. Our thinking makes it so. They do not think about what they do. We think about what they do. Think about that for a second and go round and round. Would they be bad if we couldn’t think?
Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill.
This is a tough call on The Walking Dead on many occasions. We have seen quite a few times when forgiving or letting someone go has hurt us or others in the future. Mercy on Gareth cost Bob his leg. Morgan’s mercy for the wolves almost cost Rick. But it doesn’t say mercy always murders. Mercy saved Jesus. Mercy saved Axel and Oscar, Aaron, and Michonne. Mercy many times saves ourselves.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
All of our great characters fall into one of these categories. Some into all 3. Although how do we tell if one is born great? The apocalypse thrusts difficulties upon everyone. Some are meant for this difficult life and can achieve greatness in these difficult circumstances. Those who couldn’t may have achieved greatness during other times, but the greatness was not trust upon them here.
Off with his head!
Could Shakespeare have known about the rules of zombie killing?
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare. And rest in peace. William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616, 400 years ago today.