History’s most respected playwright, William Shakespeare, died 400 years ago today. To remember his amazing literary work, Twitter has launched a new campaign, #Shakespeare400 – and, with it, a special emoji in the Bard’s likeness. All the social network’s a stage…
The new emoji can now appear in any tweet made using the hashtag #Shakespeare400. Twitter is encouraging use of this hashtag in tweets suggesting what Shakespeare himself would tweet were he alive. In the words of Julia White, Twitter Media Partnership Manager, in the blog post announcing the campaign: “Because he would totally be on Twitter and probably love a GIF.”
Twitter and Periscope users are also being encouraged to recite, as they see fit, Shakespearean passages with use of the hashtag #ShakespeareLives, which will also bring up the new emoji. If you feel in need of inspiration, here are various esteemed actors and actresses showing, for The Guardian‘s Shakespeare Solos series of short videos, how it should be done.
Given his unique way with words, we can’t help but concur that the Bard would indeed have approved of Twitter, and the way it helps many people to make intelligent but concise commentary.