Shakespeare and the Human Condition

JANET RENO: I don't think it's just American civic life, I think it is beyond our shores—the words, the beautiful power of Shakespeare. His magic with words is incredible just in and of itself. But add to that his understanding of human nature, the frailties, the challenges.

The way he deals with Lear is just a classic example. The process of aging. The process of trust. The process of understanding others and not letting their personal issues cloud over the ultimate issues that are before you.

I don't know of anybody that has so combined the power to express his thoughts as magnificently as Shakespeare, about human nature and all the challenges and the pitfalls that we face. I think he is for us all, I think he is for us all throughout the ages. I think every person can find something within the lines that Shakespeare wrote that applies to him.