Are You a Shakespearean Lover or a Villain? Take the Test, Then Talk the Talk

In honor of the birthday (and death date, we think) of the greatest writer in the English language, today, April 23rd, is Talk Like Shakespeare Day. In cities from Chicago to London “all citizens are encouraged to express themselves through the incorporation of Shakespearean language and dialect.”

Of course, before you can start speaking in rhymed couplets, you must first figure out which character you are. To that end, the online dating site OK Cupid devised a test to determine “if you are a tragic hero, a hopeless romantic, a fool, or a villain.”

Here is a sample question:

You make someone you love fall in love with you.

You make a person you don’t like fall in love with a rat.

You make two people who are always fighting fall madly in love with each other.

You use it on yourself and fall in love with someone who may not love you back.

Go ahead, take the test, and then get into character. That might involve a wardrobe change. The “official” Talk Like Shakespeare page has some helpful tips about this, such as “When wooing lads: try dressing up like a man. If that fails, throw him in the Tower, banish his friends and claim the throne.”

We also recommend you check out Big Think’s special series, How to Think Like Shakespeare, and stay tuned throughout the day for more features in honor of the Bard’s 448th birthday.