It may be 400 years since his death but William Shakespeare's influence on theatre, film and the English language remains strong. Lines from Shakespeare's famous plays have infiltrated our everyday language so expertly that we're probably not even aware that when we say, "I have not slept one wink" after a sleepless night or empathise with a friend that "the course of true love never did run smooth", we're effectively reciting Shakespeare.
The Bard died in 1616, a few years after the first edition of the King James Bible was published. Although he is not thought to have any involvement in the translation of the Bible, there is a link of sorts between the playwright and the holy book – both have had a tremendous impact on the evolution of our language.
So have a look at the list below and see if you can correctly guess whether they are Shakespeare or the Good Book.
1. Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind
2. Cast thy bread upon the waters
3. The milk of human kindness
4. Tell truth, and shame the devil
5. Two-edged sword
6. Tongue-tied
7. Land of nod
8. Every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge
9. The king's name is a tower of strength
10. A man after his own heart
11. These words are razors to my wounded heart
12. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful
13. How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child!
14. He put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid
15. Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall
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Answers: 1.Shakespeare 2.Scripture 3.Shakespeare 4.Shakespeare 5.Scripture 6.Shakespeare 7.Scripture 8.Scripture 9. Shakespeare 10.Scripture 11.Shakespeare 12.Scripture 13.Shakespeare 14.Scripture 15.Shakespeare
