How now, Reader - how farest thou this day?
On his birthday - and indeed St George's Day - it seems only fit that a writer should honour William Shakespeare.
For the greatest debt the English-speaking world owes is to him.
It shocks me we don’t celebrate it more in the UK.
If Shakespeare was American, it would be a national holiday with fireworks and lots of food.
But, for us, it slips right under the radar.
(In fact, the only reason I ever remember is because it’s also my wife’s nan’s birthday).
So, I’m going to have my own little celebration.
And you’re invited.
Over the next three days, I’m going to draw on Shakespeare's genius to show how he can help you build your cult following.
Say, what?!
More specifically how he shows you how to…
… Develop your message
… Develop your stories
… Strengthen the connection you have with your followers
(I bet Shakespeare and English scholars are shaking their heads right now, at how I’m deploying his work in this way…)
Anyway, there’s two main reasons why we (English speakers) are in his debt:
1 - The Language
2 - Story
Today, I’m going to start with the language.
And show you how it helps you to develop the right cult message.
Like no other writer, Shakespeare’s phrases still litter the English language.
(For US readers, I’m speaking British English here or as it’s properly known… English).
Idiomatic phrases like…
- Seen better days
- Neither rhyme nor reason
- Not sleeping a wink
- In your heart of hearts
- Being cruel to be kind
- Your own flesh and blood
- It’s (all) Greek to me
- Made of sterner stuff
- It’s the be-all and end-all
- What’s done is done
- Wearing your heart on your sleeve
- It’s a foregone conclusion
- All that glitters is not gold
- The world is your oyster
- Going on a wild-goose chase
- Breaking the ice
- Melting into thin air
- Having a heart of gold
- Good riddance to you sir
- Killing someone with kindness
- Not for the faint-hearted
- It’s a brave new world
- Luh.. luh… luh… lava… Ch.. Ch.. Ch… chicken
(Ok, not that last one… I did tell you I can’t get the bloody song out of my head…)
And my personal favourite due to its perfect composition…
Something wicked this way comes.
(I’m certain George Lucas gave Yoda a Shakespearean style of dialogue to make him sound wiser.)
Notice anything?
Some patterns perhaps?
There is a lot of repetition and alliteration:
Be-all and end-all
What’s done is done
Heart of hearts
Rhyme nor reason
The rhythm and repetition of the language is powerful, almost hypnotic.
But mainly, there are a lot of metaphors.
Incredibly visual metaphors.
They endure because they make sense.
You can immediately connect the situation with a powerful image.
(Ah, yes, Jody… that’s what a metaphor is…)
But a well-used and carefully-chosen metaphor is perhaps the most powerful communication tool you have.
Speech writers and communicators have always leant on a powerful metaphor.
Why?
Because it can tell a story in a short phrase.
It facilitates understanding… fast.
And it’s emotional.
It can be used to shift thinking:
Martin Luther King “We’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a cheque” (I've corrected the spelling...)
And it can be used to induce fear:
Think Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of blood” speech.
When another master of the English language came to rally the nation, he was precise and particular about the metaphors he used.
Study any of Winston Churchill’s speech and you will see the debt he owes to Shakespearean prose.
As Edward R. Murrow said of Churchill:
“He mobilised the English language and sent it into battle“
Which Is, of course, a metaphor about metaphors.
Which makes it sooo meta it’s unbelievable.
The point is this still works effectively today when it is done right.
There is a reason so many Silicon Valley douchebags try to pitch their startup with either of the immortal phrases…
“It’s the Netflix of [insert industry that is so far-removed from the entertainment industry]”
Or…
“It’s the Airbnb of [insert industry that is at the opposite end of the spectrum to travel”
The reason they do this is… because it works.
Yes, they’re doing it to a bunch of investors who see everything through the eyes of a pitch.
But those investors also want to know those startup founders understand how they will sell it to their audience.
The reason we joke about it now is because there is so little thought or care given to the language used.
Metaphors work.
But they only work if you choose your language carefully.
And while ChatGPT and other AI will help you to some extent get closer to what you want to say…
… there isn’t a way of achieving that beautiful flourish turns a ‘meh’ phrase into something of which Shakespeare would be proud.
Here’s the takeaway:
Look at those Shakespearean phrases again.
They conjure up images.
Think about the outcomes you want for your readers, fans, followers, customers and clients.
What imagery can you associate with the positive outcomes or results you deliver to them?
Start there.
Because no one else does.
Look out for Part II of my Shakespearean series tomorrow when I’ll be diving into storytelling.
Laters!
Jody
P.S. What's your favourite Shakespearean phrase?