William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's bust in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Miss Piggy and Kermit portray Titania and Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream, photographed for a 1982 calendar.

Gonzo recites lines from The Merchant of Venice while hanging by his nose from a feather boa.

Muppet Meeting Films, "Great Salespeople in History."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was the Elizabethan playwright and poet behind such enduring works as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Richard III, Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, 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.

References

In addition to the named plays above, which have been referenced many times, there have been assorted references to Shakespeare himself, his work as a whole, or one-shot references to other works.

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.

• Kermit paraphrases Henry IV in episode 102 when he tells the audience, "Sometimes the crown weighs rather heavy on this little froggy head."

• The Panel Discussions for episode 107 poses the question, "Was William Shakespeare, in fact, Bacon?"

• Uncle Deadly explains his Shakespearean and theatrical background in episode 121, having played Hamlet and his greatest role, Othello (although he was killed by the critics on opening night).

• Episode 213's Veterinarian's Hospital involves a series of puns on the writer and his famous plays, including Hamlet, Richard II, and Henry IV. In his ending spiel, The Announcer calls it " Veterinarian's Hospital-on-Avon" (referencing Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon). Statler is offended at the lack of respect, claiming to be a student of Shakespeare. Waldorf notes that he was a student with Shakespeare.

• A William Shakespeare appears in episode 323 at the summoning of Sam the Eagle.

• 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.

• Rowlf and Jean-Pierre Rampal accompany Miss Piggy on the aria "Lo! Hear the Gentle Lark" in episode 510. The aria was actually written for the episode by Derek Scott set to lines 853-856 of Shakespeare's poem Venus and Adonis.

Sesame Street

• Several Monsterpiece Theater sketches parody Shakespeare plays, including "The Taming of the Shoe" (by William Shoespeare), "Monsters of Venice," and "Much Ado About Nothing" (by Wilma Shakespeare).

• In Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years, Big Bird tells Telly and Prairie Dawn a quote his Granny Bird told him, "The whole world is a stage", paraphrased from Shakespeare's As You Like It: "All the world's a stage."

• In episode 3040, Sir John Feelgood states one of his many acting credits is appearing in the play, "Two Grouches of Verona", playing both Grouches.

Other

• 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.

• Baby Gonzo plays Weirdo Shakespeare in the third season Muppet Babies episode "Kermit Goes to Wahsington" (and quotes from Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet).

• Shakespeare, played by Joey Mazzarino, appears in the Muppet Meeting Film, "Great Salespeople in History" pitching Romeo and Juliet as a "West Side Story without the music." Yorick says he'd buy it.

• 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 (playing "The Two Men from Bologna"), 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."

• Bear quotes William Shakespeare in the Bear in the Big Blue House episode "Words, Words, Words" (whose title itself quotes Hamlet) and comments "I hear he was pretty good with words." The lines quoted by Bear are from Sonnet 18.

• Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona is spoofed in episode 205 of Muppets Tonight with the sketch "The Two Homies of Verona".

• In the Farscape episode "Crackers Don't Matter," after Harvey says that "revenge is a dish best served cold," John Crichton responds, "I hate it when villains quote Shakespeare." (In fact, but fitting with Crichton's pop cultural literacy, he's not quoting Shakespeare but Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, although similar proverbs in other languages date to the 18th century).

• The "Muppet Masters" profile of Uncle Deadly in the Muppets Now episode "The I.T. Factor" inevitably includes multiple Shakespeare references: posters are shown for his performances as Macbeth and Julius Caesar, and while demonstrating sword moves, he recites in iambic pentameter, "If music be the food of love, play on" (from Twelfth Night).