Skip the Monologue - Make it a Sonnet

Today marks the 461st birthday of William Shakespeare who was born April 23, 1564, and rather poetically, died the same day in 1616. While the world celebrates his dramatic genius, it’s his precision with language that sticks with us most, now more than ever.

Shakespeare didn’t need a 10-K to get attention, he spoke with instinct and impact. A master of distilling complexity into clarity, he delivered both insight and emotion with rhythmic passion. That was his power.

Consider these lines:

• “Brevity is the soul of wit.” (Hamlet) — Short and sharp almost always beats long and labored. It’s no coincidence we at Harbor Access prize this line so much that it’s featured on our website.

• “Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.” (King Lear) — Authentic messaging builds trust, scripted gloss does not.

• “The better part of valour is discretion.” (Henry IV) — Sometimes, the strongest statement is knowing when not to speak. So, when in doubt, put a sock in it.

In a world saturated with noise, clarity isn’t just appreciated, it’s expected if you want to be heard.

Shakespeare’s wisdom? “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Good messaging is also good risk management. Especially when the ground feels shaky, every word in your email, deck, or tweet should earn its right place.

Avoid the soliloquy and deliver the couplet: “We are liquid. We are lean. We are prepared.”

So, raise a toast to the Bard: “Let us quaff to fortune, fair company, and the morrow’s brighter sun!”