View source for William Shakespeare

{{Quote|Is this the end of zombie Shakespeare?|Zombie Shakespeare|Treehouse of Horror III}}
{{Character
|name = William Shakespeare
|image = [[File:William Shakespeare.png|200px]]
|caption = Artwork of Shakespeare from ''[[The Simpsons: Tapped Out]]''
|gender = {{Male}}
|hair = Brown
|age = 
|status = Deceased
|job = Playwright<br>Poet<br>Actor
|relatives = 
|mentioned = "[[Bart the Genius]]"
|appearance = "[[The Way We Was]]"
|voiced by = [[Dan Castellaneta]]<br>[[Maurice LaMarche]]<br>[[Chris Edgerly]]<ref name="Fears of a Clown">"[[Fears of a Clown]]"</ref>
}}

'''William Shakespeare''' was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language.

== History ==
The book ''Shakespeare I-XV'' was seen in the book case at [[Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]].<ref>"[[Bart the Genius]]"</ref>

When watching ''[[The Bloodening]]'', [[Nelson]] said that he had never liked Shakespeare before now.<ref>"[[Wild Barts Can't Be Broken]]"</ref>

When [[Homer]] was complaining about having kids, he said he could have written symphonies or been Shakespeare.<ref>"[[Mommie Beerest]]"</ref>

A picture of Shakespeare was on the wall of the bookstore [[Rock Bottom Remainders]].<ref>"[[Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em]]"</ref>

Before Homer let [[Lisa]] use his new [[Mapple Void]] he downloaded the complete works of Shakespeare as a pdf. When it was finished he threw the file in the trash and asked who the greatest writer of all time was now.<ref>"[[The D'oh-cial Network]]"</ref>

Shakespeare was also seen as a character in the film ''[[Love, Indubitably]]''. He was seen naked, with a skull over his crotch, dancing.<ref>"[[Love Is a Many-Splintered Thing]]"</ref>

After discovering that a snack provides glucose to the brain, and around 4pm people are more reckless when making choices, [[Lisa]] wished she was born on "the [[Great Britain|isle]] that gave us Shakespeare and [[Stephen Merchant]]" because the British have tea and scones at 4pm.<ref>''[[Decisions, Decisions]]''</ref>

Shakespeare was on the cover of ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]''.<ref>"[[Frink Gets Testy]]"</ref>

After the first showing of the play ''[[The Salesman's Bad Day]]'', finished, William Shakespeare's ghost appeared alongside the ghosts of [[Arthur Miller]], [[Hyman Krustofsky]] and [[Krusty the Clown]]'s humor. Shakespeare said that all's well that ends well and Arthur Miller asked Shakespeare how it ended well as Krusty was ruining his play. Shakespeare then said that Miller had other good plays, then corrected himself. Miller then said that he was America's greatest playwright, to which Shakespeare sarcastically responded "exactly".<ref name="Fears of a Clown"/>

== Non-canon ==
[[File:William Shakespeare Zombie.png|thumb|left]]
{{Noncanon}}
A [[zombie]] of Shakespeare was wandering around [[Springfield Elementary School]]. [[Homer]] killed him again by hitting him with a shotgun.<ref>"[[Treehouse of Horror III]]"</ref>

He appeared in [[Heaven]] when Homer started killing celebrities. He guarded the gate to heaven when The Simpsons family went to confront [[God]].<ref>''[[The Simpsons Game]]''</ref>

William Shakespeare was sent from [[Heaven]] to [[Hell]] as he had done {{W|blackface}} in his lifetime.<ref>"[[Homer's Adventures Through the Windshield Glass]]"</ref>

=== Comics ===
The students of Springfield Elementary performed a play for their parents based on various works of Shakespeare. However, the play was so boring all the parents fell asleep.<ref>''[[Bard Boiled]]''</ref>

=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
{{TranscludeSection|The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Heaven Won't Wait|Shakespeare}}

== Trivia ==
*Shakespeare is the mascot and namesake for [[Shakespeare's Fried Chicken]].<ref>"[[The Way We Was]]"</ref><ref>"[[A Star Is Torn]]"</ref>

== Appearances ==
{{Scroll|
{{TO}}
{{Season1A
|E2=yes
|E2n=mentioned
}}
{{Season2A
|E12=yes
|E12n=Shakespeare's Fried Chicken
|E22=yes
|E22n=Shakespeare's Fried Chicken
}}
{{Season3A
|E3=yes
|E3n=Shakespeare's Fried Chicken
|E15=yes
|E15n=Shakespeare's Fried Chicken, mentioned
}}
{{Season4A
|E5=yes
|E5n=zombie
}}
{{Season10A
|E11=yes
|E11n=mentioned
}}
{{Season16A
|E7=yes
|E7n=mentioned
|E18=yes
|E18n=Shakespeare's Fried Chicken
}}
{{Season18A
|E3=yes
|E3n=picture
}}
{{Season20A
|E20=yes
|E20n=Macbeth, mentioned
}}
{{Season23A
|E11=yes
|E11n=mentioned
}}
{{Season24A
|E12=yes
}}
{{Season26A
|E22=yes
|E22n=archive footage
}}
{{Season28A
|E19=yes
|E19n=mentioned
}}
{{Season29A
|E11=yes
|E11n=picture
|E14=yes
}}
{{Season30A
|E20=yes
|E20n=mentioned
}}
{{Season31A
|E16=yes
|E16n=mentioned
}}
{{Season34A
|E22=yes
}}
{{SimpsonsComicsA
|I240S2=yes
|I240S2n=mentioned
}}
{{I&SA
|I3S1=yes
|I3S1n=mentioned
}}
{{GamesA
|Game=yes
|TSTO=yes
}}
{{BooksA
|TBB=yes
|TBBn=mentioned
}}
{{TC}}
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Wikipedialink}}

{{Mascots|food=yes}}
{{THOH characters|III=yes|XIX=yes|canon=yes}}
{{Real-world deceased characters|playwrights=yes}}
{{Tapped Out characters|heaven=yes}}
{{Simpsons characters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shakespeare, William}}

[[Category:Adults]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Playwrights]]
[[Category:Poets]]
[[Category:Characters voiced by Dan Castellaneta]]
[[Category:Characters voiced by Maurice LaMarche]]
[[Category:Characters voiced by Chris Edgerly]]
[[Category:Recurring characters]]
[[Category:Characters introduced in season 2]]