No holds Bard

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 1:43 PM

Posted by Arielle Reinstein, Associate Product Marketing Manager

Excuse me while my head explodes, in the good way.

That's a quote from a blog called Such Shakespeare Stuff. The experience that provoked the explosion: discovering that Shakespeare's Sonnet #18 has been set to music...by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

Four hundred years after his plays were first performed, Shakespeare continues to surprise people. But it took more than raw talent to make him one of the most quoted -- and performed -- writers in the history of the English language. The modern-day printing press brought his plays to people all around the world, unleashing countless performances and sparking astonishing creativity.

This summer we're working to make Shakespeare even more accessible with our website at www.google.com/shakespeare, where you can find and search through all of Shakespeare's plays, from familiar favorites like Hamlet to more obscure gems like Troilus and Cressida. The site launches in conjunction with our sponsorship of Shakespeare in the Park, New York's wonderful outdoor festival, which this summer will feature a production of Macbeth.

Check it out to look up famous quotes from Macbeth, discover why some people call Shakespeare the "Stephen King of his day" and find out what's rotten in the state of Denmark. (Hint: It's not your neighbor in Apt. 2B.) Browse through all the plays you know -- or follow your curiosity to discover new ones. And if the mood strikes you, feel free to create your own Shakespeare-inspired, mind-blowing work of art.

Update: Some print versions of Shakespeare's plays may not be in the public domain everywhere in the world. In cases where the copyright status is in question, we protect the publisher by showing the Snippet View. As always, we encourage you to let us know if you believe a publication should be in Full Book View, and we hope you bear with us as we confirm the status and, whenever appropriate, change the display.