A lot of people have heard of William Shakespeare. They often use some of his quotes without even knowing they are from Shakespeare's plays or sonnets. One of the fascinating things about Shakespeare's life is that he was born on April 23, 1564, and he died on April 23, 1616 when he was 52 years old. He died on his birthday, if records are correct.
Shakespeare enthusiast
It was so amazing that on April 2, 2017, a Shakespeare enthusiast was on "Little Big Shots" hosted by Steve Harvey. A four-year-old boy stunned the audience and television viewers.
Harvey gave Jackson Drew part of a quote and the little boy finished the quote and told Harvey which play the quote was from. His final act was the recitation of Sonnet 18 in its entirety without missing a beat. After the show, Jackson was seen backstage running around and playing like the other kids.
Quotes from Shakespeare
The general consensus is that Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. Many quotes from Shakespeare are in today's language. However, a lot of people don't know they are quoting Shakespeare, and surely, they don't know which play the quotes are from.
Have you ever said you were in a pickle? “In a pickle” means “being in a difficult position.” Shakespeare was one of the first to use that expression in "The Tempest" and people continue to use the expressions centuries later.
Have you said, "Good riddance" to something or someone? If so, you were using a quote from "The Merchant of Venice" and it means it is good for an annoying thing or person to get out of your sight.
Have you ever heard someone say, "Come what, come may"? That's from the well-known play "Macbeth." The list goes on and on because there are hundreds of other phrases that keep Shakespeare's memory alive without doing so intentionally.
Perhaps you are not as well versed in Shakespeare as four-year-old Jackson Drew, but think of the English bard when you hear and recognize a quote from his plays. After all, he is considered to be one of the greatest writers of his day. Every high school student has studied at least one of his plays. "Romeo and Juliet" seems to be the most popular and the one that is easy for young students to understand.
It would have been a real treat if producers Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey had coordinated Jackson Drew's appearance on "Little Big Shots" to air on Sunday, April 23 instead of on April 2 which was three weeks ago. It would have been a special tribute to William Shakespeare and his fans.
