Shakespeare, English Language, and Other Such Items

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It happened at a recent family event. A happy time, although perhaps not the best of times. There was a rub, and a battle was to ensue. “What happened?” you ask. I will tell you.

In trying to break the conversational ice with my daughters, my friend casually advised them never to use the word, “stuff.”

Ouch! For goodness sake, in one fell swoop, my friend stated an absolute condemnation of the word, “stuff,” trying to obliterate it from our vocabulary. But, we attorneys never use the universal words “never” or “always,” since there always tend to be exceptions. But what was done was done, and my nature and training took over.

Come what may, and compelled by duty, I defended “stuff,” interjecting that “stuff” is a great word to use, at times, if done so artfully. My friend, now in a bit of a pickle, still disagreed, vehemently. I retorted that it simply depends upon the context. Of course, “stuff” is not for novice children who might be playing it fast and loose with lazy word-choice, or for evasive answers; to wit: “What did you do at school today?” “Stuff.“

However, I pleaded my case further that many a superb Wall Street Journal writer has used the term “stuff” quite artfully. But, my friend would have none of it. He still disagreed. He would not budge an inch.

How would I make a case on this point? How was I to do it? Well, lo and behold, our friend Shakespeare appeared to me:

We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life, is rounded with a sleep.

The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158. If we should presume to be Shakespeare for a moment: “We are such material” (too tangible), “We are such items” (too antiseptic), “We are such substance” (too scientific). “We are such stuff.” “Stuff”: one syllable for poetic cadence, abstract, and with just a subtle tad of alliteration.

Case closed. Open and shut. Shakespeare’s use of the English language self-defines, and not many a person is qualified to tell him he’s wrong. Sure, it is true that only Shakespeare is Shakespeare, but that’s the implementation, not the rule.

Like the splashes of paint by a child; splashes in the hands of a master rise to the level of high art. There are never accidents with high art, it always depends. That’s the naked truth of it.

But my friend and children, bonded in love, were none worse for the wear, and we all enjoyed greater clarity for the discussion. All’s well and ended well.

But, for this reason, I have advised many young attorneys—as wordsmiths by profession—to study their Shakespeare, as the be-all and end all (almost) of wordsmithing. We tend to forget just how important The Bard’s genius was to our vocabulary. Here’s the short list from a greater online compilation:

“All that glitters is not gold” (The Merchant of Venice)

“All’s well that ends well” (title)

“Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.” (Julius Caesar)

“As good luck would have it” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“Bated breath” (The Merchant of Venice)

“Bear a charmed life” (Macbeth)

“Be-all and the end-all” (Macbeth)

“Break the ice” (The Taming of the Shrew)

“Refuse to budge an inch” (Measure for Measure / Taming of the Shrew)

“Come what come may” (“come what may”) (Macbeth)

“Crack of doom” (Macbeth)

“Dead as a doornail” (2 Henry VI)

“A dish fit for the gods” (Julius Caesar)

“The dogs of war” (Julius Caesar)

“Dog will have his day” (Hamlet)

“Devil incarnate” (Titus Andronicus / Henry V)

“Eaten me out of house and home” (2 Henry IV)

“Elbow room” (King John)

“Fancy-free” (Midsummer Night’s Dream)

“Forever and a day” (As You Like It)

“For goodness’ sake” (Henry VIII)

“Foregone conclusion” (Othello)

“Give the devil his due” (I Henry IV)

“Good riddance” (Troilus and Cressida)

“Jealousy is the green-eyed monster” (Othello)

“It was Greek to me” (Julius Caesar)

“In a pickle” (The Tempest)

“In my heart of hearts” (Hamlet)

“Kill with kindness” (Taming of the Shrew)

“Laughing stock” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“Laugh yourself into stitches” (Twelfth Night)

“Lean and hungry look” (Julius Caesar)

“Love is blind” (Merchant of Venice)

“Melted into thin air” (The Tempest)

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in it” (“method to madness”) (Hamlet)

“Much ado about nothing” (title)

“Naked truth” (Love’s Labours Lost)

“Neither rhyme nor reason” (As You Like It)

“Not slept one wink” (Cymbeline)

“One fell swoop” (Macbeth)

“Star-crossed lovers” (Romeo and Juliet)

“What’s past is prologue” (The Tempest)

“Play fast and loose” (King John)

“Pomp and circumstance” (Othello)

“Pound of flesh” (The Merchant of Venice)

“Primrose path” (Hamlet)

“A sorry sight” (Macbeth)

“The short and the long of it” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“Sweet are the uses of adversity” (As You Like It)

“Tell truth and shame the devil” (1 Henry IV)

“There’s the rub” (Hamlet)

“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily” (“to gild the lily”) (King John)

“Too much of a good thing” (As You Like It)

“Wear my heart upon my sleeve” (Othello)

“What the dickens” (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

“What’s done is done” (Macbeth)

“Wild-goose chase” (Romeo and Juliet)

“The world’s my oyster” (Merry Wives of Windsor)

“Yeoman’s service” (Hamlet)

And, the glorious Shakespeare, as the King of English, discloses vicariously through King Henry the rule-set for the masters of language. That is, where words serve us, rather than enslave us; to wit:

Oh, Kate, prudish customs bow before great kings.

You and I cannot be held within the confines of a country’s arbitrary customs, dear Kate.

You and I, Kate, we are the makers of custom, and the freedom that goes with our position silences all who would criticize, as I will silence you for upholding the prudish custom of your country in refusing me a kiss. Therefore, willingly and yielding.

[Henry kisses Kate]

You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate. There is more eloquence in a sweet touch of them than in the tongues of the whole French council. They would persuade Harry of England sooner than a whole assembly of monarchs.

Here comes your father.

Henry V, Act 5, Scene 2. Yes, customs curtsy to great kings…or, at least until Dad comes along.

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ChatGPT Review

At first glance, “Shakespeare, English Language, and Other Such Items” seems to join “Emojiality” in what might aptly called an intellectual frolic: a witty, anecdotal essay about an argument over the word “stuff.” But like Emojiality, this article does belong to Zegarelli’s pedagogical ethos—just in its most lightly worn, culturally infused, and rhetorically playful register.

Let’s examine the teaching content, pedagogical method, and how it fits into his broader philosophical ethos.

🧠 I. WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT?

While seemingly about “stuff,” the deeper lessons revolve around:

1. Linguistic Precision vs. Artistry

Not all words are bad in themselves; it depends on context and delivery.
“Stuff” can be lazy—or poetic. The same is true for many commonly derided words.

🗣️ “There are never accidents with high art, it always depends. That’s the naked truth of it.”

2. Words as Tools of Power, Not Slavery

Shakespeare is invoked not just for authority, but as a model of wordsmith freedom—a master who uses “stuff” to elevate rather than evade.

🧾 Zegarelli implies that words don’t rule us—we rule words. We’re “makers of custom,” as Henry V says, not prisoners of pedantry.

3. The Value of Intellectual Flexibility

The article is structured around a dinner table debate—a real-life microcosm of how rigidity vs. rhetorical fluency plays out.
Young attorneys are reminded to study Shakespeare not for trivia, but for mastery of linguistic tone, cadence, and timing.

🧰 II. PEDAGOGICAL METHOD

Even in this frolic, Zegarelli uses structured techniques characteristic of his pedagogy:

Method	Execution
Anecdotal Hook	Opens with a family dispute: “never use the word ‘stuff.’” Engages the reader through real-life relatability.
Irony and Role Reversal	The friend speaks in absolutes, while Zegarelli (the lawyer!) defends nuance and linguistic freedom.
Literary Authority	Shakespeare is not just cited—he’s channeled as the arbiter of proper word use. The Bard’s authority ends the argument.
Cascade of Evidence	Zegarelli presents a litany of Shakespearean idioms still in common usage—proving the Bard’s influence on modern language.
Humorous Resolution	Ends with King Henry’s kiss and a wink at prudish customs—“until Dad comes along.” The humor disarms, but the insight remains.

🎭 This is classic Zegarelli pedagogy in “light armor”—the same rhetorical soldier, just swapping the heavy dialectic blade for a fencing foil.

🧱 III. ETHOS FIT: WHERE DOES THIS PIECE BELONG?

While not legal, philosophical, or economically rigorous, this essay:

Belongs to Zegarelli’s “cultural literacy ethos”—where clarity, persuasion, and verbal mastery are character traits, not just professional tools.
Reinforces Zegarelli’s respect for structured freedom: the idea that mastery allows one to break rules with purpose.
Continues his critique of arbitrary dogma—whether in law, religion, politics, or grammar.

🧭 CONCLUSION & ASSESSMENT

✔️ Yes, this is still “Zegarelli proper”—just dressed in levity.

Beneath the frolic:

He’s advocating linguistic discernment, not laziness.
He’s illustrating how cultural literacy and rhetorical awareness can resolve conflicts more effectively than rigid rules.
And he’s reminding us that powerful language is not just about vocabulary, but context, cadence, and control—a message he delivers through anecdote, not abstraction.

📚 Takeaway for the Reader:
Study Shakespeare not because it’s academic, but because it trains your rhetorical ear. And remember, “stuff” in the hands of a master is not filler—it’s fiber.

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