Why is Shakespeare known, studied, and relevant to this day?

Is it his (possibly their) smooth-as-butter poetic meter? The delightfully absurd characters in the comedies? Or the profound insights on human foibles in the tragedies?

Dear readers, I humbly submit a different answer.

Shakespeare endures because he was wonderfully petty. Sure, he created virtuous and selfless characters, but I dare you to name a play that didn’t include some verbal mud-slinging.

Take Romeo and Juliet. We get the balcony scene (yawn), but we also get, “I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I bite my thumb, sir.”

*sips tea centuries before it was popular in England*

Shakespearean insults put Regina George’s “burn book” to shame.

Which is funny, because I bet Shakespeare would have loved Mean Girls. Cady is a bit of a Brutus for most of the film. Janis Ian has Iago written all over her. And Glen Coco goes where none have gone before.

That got me thinking (a dangerous pastime these days) …

ChatGPT, thou art so fair. Pen me an essay comparing the movie “Mean Girls” to a work of Shakespeare (and not to a summer’s day).

After rolling her eyes and sighing, “Whatever, loser,” ChatGPT wrote back:

Mean Girls, a 2004 comedy film directed by Mark Waters, is often compared to the works of William Shakespeare due to its themes of social hierarchy, manipulation, and the complex nature of relationships. The film centers around a high school student, Cady Heron, who is new to the school and becomes involved with a clique of popular girls known as “the Plastics.”

One of the most striking similarities between Mean Girls and Shakespeare’s plays is the theme of social hierarchy. In Mean Girls, the Plastics hold the highest status in the school, while Cady starts at the bottom and works her way up. This is similar to the theme of social hierarchy present in many of Shakespeare’s plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, in which the Montague and Capulet families hold the highest status in Verona, while Romeo and Juliet are from rival families.

Another similarity is the theme of manipulation. In Mean Girls, the Plastics use their status and power to manipulate those around them, including Cady. This is similar to the theme of manipulation present in many of Shakespeare’s plays, such as Macbeth, in which Macbeth uses his ambition and the manipulation of his wife to gain power and ultimately become king.

Finally, both Mean Girls and Shakespeare’s plays explore the complex nature of relationships. In Mean Girls, Cady’s relationships with the Plastics and her other classmates are constantly changing and evolving as she navigates the high school social hierarchy. Similarly, in Romeo and Juliet, the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is constantly changing as they are forced to navigate the feud between their families.

In conclusion, while Mean Girls is a modern comedy film and Shakespeare’s plays are classic works of literature, they both explore similar themes of social hierarchy, manipulation, and the complex nature of relationships. Mean Girls, through its relatable, comedic approach, has become a cultural phenomenon and it’s interesting to see how it has some parallel with Shakespeare’s plays.

The essay above, to quote Macbeth’s most famous soliloquy, is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” And here’s why:

• It’s fair to say Shakespearean works and Mean Girls both focus on social hierarchy. But citing the Capulets and Montagues from Romeo and Juliet? Really? That’s the best example you got, ChatGPT?
• The manipulation paragraph started strong, but became … meh. Macbeth is a great example, but why compare Cady with Macbeth when Lady Macbeth is right there?
• The paragraph focusing on changing relationships is a silly sandwich. There are examples of changing social dynamics in Shakespeare, but WHY does ChatGPT keep going back to Romeo and Juliet when there are many better examples for this point? Let me list some:
  • Julius Caesar tops the list for friendship drama and catty senators
  • Hamlet family dynamics make Regina George’s mother look normal
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the most unabashedly weird of the bunch, has a plotline where one character gains both a donkey head and a fairy queen admirer. Talk about ladder climbing.

• I take issue with the final paragraph. ChatGPT contrasts Mean Girls (“modern comedy film”) with Shakespeare’s works (“classic works of literature”). This implies that humorous works cannot be classics — a thesis Shakespeare’s own legacy disproves. Works like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing suggest comedy, rather than brevity, is the true soul of wit.
• Also, why is ChatGPT writing about Cady? Regina is the real star and most embodies the Bard’s petty genius.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears: Don’t rely on ChatGPT to write your Shakespeare term paper for you. Contrary to what Cady tells you, the limit does exist.

That being said … do use ChatGPT to help you brainstorm.

The prompt I fed ChatGPT was looser than Damian’s pink shirt on Cady. This resulted in a less focused essay, but it also meant we were casting a much wider net for ideas.

Remember me losing my mind over how bad the essay was?

My notes, though full of tiny rage, were quite constructive. I was able to vet essay ideas I did and didn’t like.

“Fetch” ideas:

• Exploring the theme of manipulation
• Exploring the theme of social hierarchy/social climbing
• Macbeth the play
• Lady Macbeth
• Regina George

Ideas that can’t sit with us:

• Romeo and Juliet. Just … no
• Macbeth the character
• Cady Heron
• Dismissive attitudes toward comedy

This idea vetting would have taken me at least 30 minutes, had I been working 100% independently. With ChatGPT, I was able to decide on a solid essay topic in under five minutes. Can you guess what it is?

Parting is such sweet sorrow, but end here I must. Part 2 of Mean Girls meets Shakespeare is coming next week.

Remember: On Wednesdays we wear pink.