Is there a cast of Shakespearian characters in your office?

A just-for-fun post that includes a few minor spoilers.

“All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.”

- William Shakespeare, As You Like It

We all know what is meant when someone is described as “a real character”: oddball. But turns of phrase aside, sometimes literary characters make appearances in our everyday lives. You may recall my Middle Earth post playing with this idea, and now I bring you workplace personalities part two, the Shakespearian edition!

Antigonus (The Winter’s Tale)

You might remember Antigonus from my earlier post, Exit, pursued by a bear. Grey-haired, reliable ol’ Antigonus is a little low-profile compared to some of the other characters on this list, but he’s certainly common in the office environment. Antigonus always wants to do the right thing, but ultimately his deference to his superiors trumps all. He swears to obey commands before knowing what the commands will be. He is not afraid to speak truth to power, yet will always back down and calmly carry out orders he knows to be unwise if his allegiance is called upon. Antigonus will innovate only so far as the rules allow him to, and ultimately gets eaten by a bear for his pains.

Hamlet (Hamlet)

Hamlet is intelligent, creative, well-educated and likable. The problem is that he is more talk than action, and he has a fatalistically external locus of control. He will commit to things but rarely delivers until he has absolutely no other alternative, and can be resentful of his peers. He is an eloquent speaker and is popular at events, but may secretly harbour dark thoughts and feelings. Hamlet has no problem pretending to be something he is not if he thinks it serves his purposes, so as much as everyone likes him, few people really know him – a fact, though of his own doing, he broods about frequently.

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Lady Macbeth is slick, ambitious and persuasive. Strategically placing herself in positions of power, she is demure and sweet on the outside but will not hesitate to throw peers under a bus if it helps her climb the ladder. She is great to have on a team because she always achieves what she sets out to do, but has questionable professional ethics at times, and isn’t big into sharing information. Considering how competent and productive she is, it can come as a bit of a shock if she abruptly has a breakdown – but this is simply an illustration of her greatest weakness: her inability to connect with and rely on other people.

Othello (Othello)

Othello is a bold and passionate leader who has overcome great difficulty to get where he is today. He never hesitates to take action and can always be relied upon. But his communication skills are severely lacking and he is a terrible judge of character. If he has doubts or a problem with one of his colleagues, he is unlikely to approach that person directly, instead choosing to believe what others tell him. As a result, many people don’t know that he is upset with them until he is lashing out. While being swift to take action is an admirable trait, Othello could benefit from thinking things through and getting a complete picture of the situation before leaping to judgement.

Cordelia (King Lear)

Cordelia is tactless and kind to everyone; these are her greatest virtues and also her greatest weaknesses. She always speaks the truth and is unwilling to sugar-coat or flatter simply to cater to social conventions or solicit cooperation. She is polite but haughty and feels that strategy is beneath her because it is just another form of deception, especially in the social sphere. As a result, she often finds herself in trouble with colleagues – especially authority figures – for what they perceive as a lack of respect. However, her sweet disposition has ensured that she has a modest support network and enables her to land on her feet most of the time. Being so tactless herself, Cordelia is ultimately most vulnerable to the machinations of others.

Puck (Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Puck is light-hearted and mischievous. He is the office prankster, and though he usually completes all of his work, he doesn’t seem too interested in whether he delivers on expectations and rarely bothers to get permission for anything. Those around him tend to underestimate Puck’s intelligence, but he can be surprisingly clever when it suits his purposes – and his purposes are usually focussed on what he finds the most engaging. Although the general sentiment is that Puck is a slacker, he can always be counted on to find a creative way to accomplish the tasks assigned to him.

Rosalind (As You Like It)

Rosalind is idealistic and adventurous. She seems not to take things too seriously, but nonetheless has high expectations of herself. But as much as she sells herself as a straight-shooter, anything she says and how she presents herself should be taken with a grain of salt – Rosalind is very mindful in how she presents herself, especially when it comes to attire. Despite being quite bright, she can also be hypocritical, in criticizing other people for things very similar to what she has done or thinking that her own personal relationships are somehow more important than those of her colleagues. At the end of the day, Rosalind has the best intentions and the smarts to get the job done, but needs to stop underestimating those around her.

The Fool (King Lear)

The Fool is not only a lot of fun to have around, he is also the ideal strategic advisor. He is fiercely loyal and perceptive, and is highly skilled in telling the truth people might not want to hear in a way that will get through – with minimal damage to self-esteem. Many people think he’s a little crazy and are not quite sure what his job description is, but in reality the Fool is very intelligent and works hard to bring out the best in people.


How about you? What characters are kicking around in your office environment?


Image via nawasaka.