William Shakespeare
From Muppet Wiki
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was the Elizabethan playwright and poet behind such enduring works as Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. The latter in particular has often been spoofed or referenced by the Muppets. Shakespeare himself was caricatured as one of the Schoolroom Busts in The Muppet Christmas Carol.
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References
The Muppet Show
- In the At the Dance sketch in episode 101, Miss Piggy asks her male pig dancing partner if he prefers Shakespeare to Bacon. Naturally, he prefers anything to bacon.
- The Panel Discussions for episode 107 of The Muppet Show poses the question, "Was William Shakespeare, in fact, Bacon?"
- Episode 213's Veterinarian's Hospital involves a series of puns on the writer and his famous plays. Statler is offended at the lack of respect, claiming to be a student of Shakespeare. Waldorf notes that he was a student with Shakespeare.
- In episode 219, Peter Sellers recites a soliloquy from Richard the Third for Kermit, whilst -- and at the same time -- playing tuned chickens in his dressing room.
- "In a major feat of death-defying intellectualism never seen before," Gonzo recites excerpts from Act 1, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice while suspended by his nose from a feather boa nine feet in the air in episode 222.
- A William Shakespeare appears in episode 323 at the summoning of Sam the Eagle.
- When Spike Milligan assists Sam the Eagle in episode 317, Sam gets so frustrated that he says he wishes they had gotten Lawrence Olivier instead. Milligan quotes Shakespeare to point out that Olivier, a Brit, only spoke as clearly as he did so that Americans could understand him.
- Christopher Reeve, Fozzie Bear, Link Hogthrob, and a skull named Yorick sing "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" as part of a Hamlet sketch in episode 418. After the number, Waldorf comments that he always regretted not studying Shakespeare as a boy. Statler replies that he could have at least talked to Shakespeare.
Sesame Street
- Several Monsterpiece Theater sketches parody Shakespeare plays, including "The Taming of the Shoe", "The Monsters of Venice" and "Much Ado About Nothing".
- Gladys the Cow paraphrases The Merchant of Venice in Episode 1056 after Gordon refers to her as "just a cow": "Hath not a cow eyes? Hath not a cow ears? Hath not a cow horns? If you prick us, do we not draw blood? If you milk us, do we not moo?"
- When Baby Bear can't find Alan to make him some porridge in Episode 4119, he shouts out "My kingdom for some porridge!" This is a paraphrase of the oft-quoted line from Richard III, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!"
Other
- In The Great Santa Claus Switch, Cosmo Scam says to Lothar, "Et tu, Lothar?," a reference to Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.
- In The Muppet Show Diary 1979, Link Hogthrob appears as Hamlet to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday (listed as April 23 along with his date of death, although the date is disputed).
- Kermit and Miss Piggy portray Titania and Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream in The Miss Piggy Calendar 1982.
- Garth Brooks and Miss Piggy try to perform the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet in episode 102 of Muppets Tonight, but Piggy's nephews, Andy and Randy Pig, ruin the number. Statler notes that Shakespeare would've hated the performance. Waldorf says that Statler should know about that, because he dated one of Shakespeare's sisters. Statler responds "Boy, was she ugly."
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