| William Shakespeare | |
|---|---|
 William Shakespeare in "Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story" | |
| Gender | Male |
| Animal | Aardvark |
| Hair color | Gray |
| Job | Playwright |
| Cartoon debut | "Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story" |
| Voiced by | Bruce Dinsmore (s16) |
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright. He was nicknamed the Bard "MacFrensky" Shakespeare's work has been referenced multiple times in the Arthur series:
- Catherine tries to read Shakespeare while Francine turns the lights on and off in "Francine Frensky, Superstar"
- Fern imagines seeing him several times throughout "Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story". He criticizes her work and tells her it's okay to sometimes get writer's block.
- In "Fern's Flights of Fancy", a picture of Shakespeare is seen in an ad for a young writers contest.
Hamlet[]
- In "Elwood City Turns 100!", Mr. Ratburn remembers his one-man Hamlet puppet show.
- Buster mentions that he has a yam named "Yamlet" in "Prunella the Pack Rat," a reference to Hamlet. Also, when he receives a beet from Prunella, he remarks "To beet or not to beet."
- Buster's yam Yamlet is featured again in the special "Arthur's First Day."
- A line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, "To be or not to be", is referenced in the titles of "To Beat or Not to Beat" and "To Eat or Not to Eat".
- In "Carl's Conerto", Wally suggests performing Hamlet at the BAYFAF event.
Julius Caesar[]
- In "Arthur's Knee", Arthur and Brain build a chariot for Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.
- The title of the episode "Lend Me Your Ear" is a reference to a line of Julius Caesar ("Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ear").
King Lear[]
- The episode "Never, Never, Never" has a plot line similar to King Lear. The title references a line from act 5, while D.W. has a soliloquy similar to Lear's in act 3 ("Go ahead and blow, wind!").
- In "Around the World in 11 Minutes" Pal quotes King Lear slightly inaccurately ("Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks!").
Macbeth[]
The witches from Macbeth
- In the opening of "Popular Girls", Arthur, Francine, Fern, and Sue Ellen are performing Macbeth.
- The episode "MacFrensky" has a plot line similar to Macbeth, with its title also referencing the play.
- The episode title "Sleep No More" may refer to a line from Macbeth: "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!"
The Merchant of Venice[]
- In MacFrensky, Mr. Ratburn quotes The Merchant of Venice, saying "truth will out, as the Bard says".
Romeo and Juliet[]
- In the opening of "Kiss and Tell," D.W. appears as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. D.W. waits for Romeo on the balcony, but Prince Charming shows up instead.
- Also in "Kiss and Tell", it is mentioned that Arthur's class is reading Romeo and Juliet. Arthur tells D.W. a bit about the plot, and the book and a picture in it is seen.
The book Romeo and Juliet
An image from the book Romeo and Juliet
D.W. as Juliet
The Tempest[]
- In the opening of the episode "The Secret Life of Dogs and Babies," the red Vidibooby on the TV recites several lines from The Tempest. ("And like this insubstantial pageant faded, leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff as dreams are made of and our little lives are rounded with a sleep. Stinky Pinky, I am vexed.")
- In "Carl's Concerto", Wally quotes The Tempest ("Be not afeard! The woods are full of noises, sounds and sweet airs.")
The Winter's Tale[]
- In the opening to "S.W.E.A.T.", Arthur follows Shakespeare's famous stage direction from The Winter’s Tale and exits the stage pursued by a bear.