Would Shakespeare be the same without some death, violence, and passion?
Apparently, that's all far too much for Brits these days.
The historic and, more recently, woke Globe Theater in London has issued trigger warnings on many Shakespeare classics.
Yes, this is the same famous Globe Theater that was originally built in 1599, of which William Shakespeare was a part-owner and where his first plays were performed. Sadly, this is also the same theater that claimed both Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I were non-binary.
Now, The Globe alerts audiences to "depictions of suicide, violence, and war" in their latest production of Antony and Cleopatra.
Shakespearesglobe.com
Theatre-goers are also now informed that the play, once starring Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film, is discriminatory to black women due to "misogynoir references" (which is a combination of misogyny and noir.)
This is just the latest in a string of Shakespeare productions slapped with trigger warnings.
Julius Caesar cautioned that the fatal stabbing of the Roman dictator includes "depictions of war, self-harm and suicide, stage blood and weapons including knives."
Imagine that?!
Going to the theater and seeing fake blood and other props! Oh, the horror!
It doesn't end there. A Midsummer Night's Dream warns viewers that the fairy-tale-like play contains "language of violence, sexual references, misogyny and racism."
Looks like audiences need to brace themselves for violence, abuse, grief, loud noises, and even smoking in Britain's most famous plays.
The Globe Theater may be caving into the woke, protect-your-feelings-at-all-costs trend, but there is a shimmer of hope in the theater world.
In recent years, several actors, directors, and producers have begun to oppose "ludicrous" trigger warnings.
When the actors are sick of political correctness, that's when you know things may have gone too far!
Director Gregory Doran has said that he "hates" audience warnings.
How do you do [content warnings] for Titus Andronicus? You just don't come. Don't come if you are worried, if you are anxious - stay away.
Double O' Seven himself, Ralph Fiennes, called today's audiences "too soft" and called for an end to trigger warnings.
We didn't used to have trigger warnings.
There are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things, but I think the impact of theatre is that you should be shocked and you should be disturbed.
I don't think you should be prepared for these things and when I was young we never had trigger warnings before a show.
Even the wise Gandalf the Grey, Sir McKellen, mocked the concept of trigger warnings, even in his own play. The theatre's website warned that the show Frank and Percy has strong language and sexual references and discusses bereavement and cancer.
Outside theatres and in the lobbies, including this one, the audience is warned 'there is a loud noise and at one point, there are flashing lights', 'there is reference to smoking', 'there is reference to bereavement.'
I think it's ludicrous, myself, yes, absolutely. I quite like to be surprised by loud noises and outrageous behaviour on stage.
Another actor, Christopher Biggins, came out against the Globe Theater, calling their trigger warnings "a joke."
Do we have to have signs for everything under the sun. It's a joke. What they are trying to do is insulting to the mentality of theatre-goers.
Even Ann Widdecombe, the former Minister of State For Employment of the UK, chimed in.
You don't go to see Romeo and Juliet if you want a light-hearted evening.
So right she is!
Seriously though, what would Shakespeare think of all this?
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