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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#257: Shakespeare

He's the writer who requires no introduction. Probably the world's most famous playwright and poet, Shakespeare's tragedies, comedies, and sonnets have been studied and performed for the last 400 years. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't forced to read 'Sonnet 18' in English class, or to appear in a regrettable high school production of Romeo and Juliet. But he's a mainstay of our literary education for a reason. His writing is ubiquitous and seminal, and there's really no overstating the influence Shakespeare has had on art, literature, and even our day-to-day speech. 


It's almost unbelievable that, in the hundreds of short story contests we've hosted, we've never dedicated one to the Bard himself — and so, this week is the week...

This week's prompts

Write a story named after, and inspired by, one of Shakespeare's plays. Think modern retellings, metanarratives, subversions, etc.

Narrative – 72 stories

Write your story in the form of a script, complete with stage directions.

Narrative – 33 stories

Write a story in which a case of mistaken identity plays a pivotal role.

Funny – 24 stories

Write a story about a tragic hero.

Dramatic – 57 stories

Set your story during rehearsals for a production of a Shakespeare play.

High School – 29 stories

Stories

“A Princess By Any Other Name” by Anna Emm

Submitted to Contest #257

Inside the damp cave she can hear the dragon move. She holds her breath and closes her eyes against the tears. Her skin is sweaty from fear. She has never been this close to anything so big and deadly, and her body reacts instinctively. Please don’t let the dragon smell the fear, she prays as she slowly changes her position against the cold stone wall.Why did she ever agree to this? Maybe because it wouldn't have made much difference either way. She is a commoner, a working girl. And what is the life of a poor girl compared to the life of a ...

12 comments 12
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“The Costume Rebellion” by Sue Switzer

Submitted to Contest #257

"Okay, folks, I have heard more than enough. You are really getting on my last nerve. Meet me in the Green Room in five." I was beginning to seriously regret agreeing to serve as the costumer for the local high school's spring Drama Club production. In an abrupt departure from traditional comedies and musicals, the faculty advisor, Jeff Martin, had chosen Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet based on the extraordinary level of talent that he had observed throughout the school year. There was some serious push-back from the school's administration ...

3 comments 3
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“The Couch of Timeless Love” by Giuliana Sica

Submitted to Contest #257

The Couch of Timeless LoveMount Bald Eagle High, known for its mediocre sports teams, cafeteria food that tasted like barf, and surprisingly excellent drama program, was in the midst of a cataclysmic uproar. Mr. Bard, with his uncanny resemblance to the aforementioned bald eagle, and his eccentric but passionate teaching, was determined to bring the magic of Shakespeare to the lives of his perennially dormant students.One of those students was a young teenager named Max. Max loved caterpillars, and the idea of hiding inside a cocoon for eter...

7 comments 7
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“Misnamed Identity” by B. D. Bradshaw

Submitted to Contest #257

(Content warning: Theme of death, mentions of gore.)I was dead, that's all I knew.I simply continued to sit quietly, stilly, waiting for something to change, for memory to return. I feel I can no longer use my eyes, and yet it is as if their range has improved. I can see either wall of the chamber - a slick, misted stone cloaked in the shadows, lit briefly in the dim glow from a crack in the ceiling overhead. And forward, there is an entrance, though the path beyond is unknown to me, fully shrouded and dimmed. The air is cold, damp, and sour...

6 comments 6
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“Some Poor Player” by Frances Gaudiano

Submitted to Contest #257

Some Poor PlayerKerry hated making blood. It was next to impossible to get the right consistency. Too much corn syrup and the stuff turned into taffy, too much red food colouring and it would drip all over the stage. And it was a total pain in the ass getting if off the costumes. Why had she got stuck with Macbeth of all plays? Why couldn’t it have been As You Like It, Twelfth Night or Comedy of Errors. No, not Comedy, too many quick changes. At least Macbeth was a short play. It was no Hamlet. She gave a final stir to the congealing mess in...

4 comments 4
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“The Wrong Cake” by Alexandra Caulway

Submitted to Contest #257

“I’m picking up an order for Alex,” I said to the bright-eyed woman with light brown, curly hair standing behind the glass case. She was wearing candy-pink lip gloss and a fresh white t-shirt underneath a black-and-white striped apron. In the case were rows and rows of pastel buttercream cupcakes, frosted cookies, and chocolate truffles painted with colorful lines of icing.  Carrie’s Cafe and Confections was a happy sugarfest, and I was not in the mood for happiness or sugar at the moment. I just wanted to pick up this cake, put it in t...

11 comments 11
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“Mike and Lisa” by Cassin Villa-Lobos

Submitted to Contest #257

"To be, or not to be, that is the question." "That is really the question now, isn't it?" I sigh despondently. Currently questioning my entire life. "Oh God, Mags, not this again." My buddy Jeff hangs his head in his hands. "We had your existential crisis last night. All night, when we were supposed to be rehearsing lines." We are playing Ophelia and Laertes in our community theatre's production of Hamlet. He turns back to the stage to watch Patrick deliver his lines perfectly. "Or to take arms agains a sea of troubles, and by opposing e...

4 comments 4
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“The Pawn becomes a Knight.” by Hannah Foust

Submitted to Contest #257

For Hundreds of years, the White Kingdom, and the Red Realm have been locked in battle. The White Royals, have fought to keep their land, and on several occasions had nearly been wiped out. It was for this cause, three generations ago, the White King made a decree for all his people, every man woman and child would be trained for battle, and were divided by rank. The highest rank of course being the royal family, then there were the defenders, an elite force that closely guarded the royals, and kept the walls heavily fortified, next the...

15 comments 15
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“LEAR 2035” by Neil Burlington

Submitted to Contest #257

Lear 2035 Goneril and Regan processed at their greatest speed as Lear entered the final keystrokes- ceding them command.  The sister super-computers accepted his final permission with sighs of relief and ecstasy.  Toned and bright-eyed, Cordelia watched from her place beside the king’s throne. Once more she spoke aloud her uncertainty. “You have left yourself no recourse whatsoever my beloved king?” Lear turned to face his daughter. His eyes glowed with light reflected from her inhuman sisters. Lear’s lips parted and he smiled. ...

1 comment 1
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“For what?” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #257

The sound of gunfire echoed across the battlefield, as Gavin led the charge to the next point of cover.‘Forward, forward! To me!’ He cried, rushing past the wall where his unit was taking shelter. The rest of the motley crew of armed students and other men ran with him, some not fated to last the day, as they fell screaming, riddled with bullets. Beyond them, the imposing building of parliament house stood preceding over the events. Before them, the military were holed up behind a wall in front of the house, the last...

2 comments 2
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“SIR” by Sierra Kingen

Submitted to Contest #257

SIR Act 1 Scene 1 EmmaSir          EMMA and SIR are sitting at the kitchen table. Coffee is being made. Sir is reading a newspaper while Emma is staring at her thumbs. SIR:         (Sighs and sets down his paper, staring at Emma)Are you going to school today? EMMA:         (Looks up at him)No. SIR:Why not? EMMA:         (Looks down)I am not smart enough. SIR:    &n...

4 comments 4
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“Sunday in the Park with Will” by Ed Friedman

Submitted to Contest #257

(Garret, 47 is sitting on a park bench. There is an elaborate notebook/journal at his side. He is looking at something of interest. After a few moments, Gina, 19 approaches. She watches him for a few beats then he notices her.)           GarrettSo, here I am.                                       ...

1 comment 1
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“Othello” by Amany Sayed

Submitted to Contest #257

I wasn’t jealous of Des. Not really.I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard not to be though. It wasn’t just that she was gorgeous or lovable-- she was genuine. If there was a kinder soul somewhere out there, I hadn’t met them. She was the type of girl other girls wanted to hate, but you took one look at her smile and bright eyes-- and you couldn’t, even if you’d tried. She’d respond to insults with a laugh and sharp jabs with a hug. Des could’ve had any boy she wanted. In a way, she had them all wrapped around the tip of her pinky f...

6 comments 6
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“Seraphina: The Knight of Alaric” by Eve M

Submitted to Contest #257

In a realm where magic flowed like rivers through the ancient forests and dragons soared across the skies, a young knight named Seraphina lived. She was known throughout the kingdom for her courage and unwavering sense of justice. Seraphina had been trained since childhood in the arts of combat and magic, a rare combination that marked her as a prodigy among her peers. But Seraphina carried a burden that weighed heavily on her heart. Long ago, her father, Sir Alaric, had ventured into the cursed depths of the Blackwood Forest to confront a d...

2 comments 2
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“Kyoto Sunset” by Colin Barry

Submitted to Contest #257

Sharon Stanton is exhausted. And this time, it wasn't just the jetlag. Being a location scout for Athena Pictures had its perks: traveling, mingling with movie stars, and attending red-carpet premiers dressed to the nines. At least, that is what she thought when she applied for the job.Over the last two years, Sharon was flying all over the world for romcoms, action-packed blockbusters, and the occasional period drama. Living out of two duffel bags and drug store brand toiletries differed from what Sharon had in mind. Of course, there was...

1 comment 1
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$250

Prize money

215

Contest entries

79

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 05, 2024 EST

Won by Keba Ghardt 🏆

Title: Your Animal Side

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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