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I'm constantly intimidated by Shakespeare's work. Trying to decipher what he's saying and holding on to that thought - not just as an actor, but as a human being - is a rigour.

There was a time when people liked to take Shakespeare and twist him around to make whatever social or political statement they wanted to make.

It's not that Shakespeare is frivolous, but you spend your time just getting people to dress up in other people's costumes and pretending to be people that they're not, and you think, after the years go by, well, what on earth was all that about?

I do think that, for instance, we've been very lucky to have theatrical careers and be associated with Shakespeare which sometimes gives you a kind of bogus kudos.

Maybe they say they do but I don't think many actors really enjoy trying to do a Shakespearean play.

There are a lot of theories about Shakespeare.

With Shakespeare, because you invest so much time in working on material, it always sort of stays with you to some degree.

Most people, even among those who know Shakespeare well and come into real contact with his mind, are inclined to isolate and exaggerate some one aspect of the tragic fact.

It's extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.