Shakespeare 2016: How Might The Bard Cast America's Presidential Hopefuls?

Political intrigue has always been one of the more fascinating themes in the plays of William Shakespeare, although his brand of politics usually involved a bloody battle or the assassination of a royal or two.

Here at home, the candidates vying for the role of 45th President of The United States have been putting on quite a show for the American people. Thankfully the nationally televised debates have featured no bloodshed, but some speeches haven't exactly been delivered trippingly on the tongue.

In a clever essay for Signature, Tom Blunt imagines how The Bard might cast some of major players of the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Ben Carson as Polonius in HAMLET: "One of the relatively benign characters in this nest of vipers, Polonius is the kind of court figure whose fatherly rambles seem to contain a lot of wisdom and sincerity, and yet he still manages to unwisely blunder into a particularly ignoble ending."

John Kasich as Banquo in MACBETH: "Kasich's hopes of actually securing the nomination must have been killed off pretty early, but just like Macbeth's unjustly dispatched friend and fellow warlord, he continually resurfaces to haunt the other competitors."

Ted Cruz as Brutus in JULIUS CAESAR: "Has there ever been a more morally conflicted statesman than Shakespeare's Brutus? Cruz has started oozing the same unwholesome "heroism," having been forced for months to play bottom banana to Trump's top, while obviously viewing him as 'a serpents egg/ which hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous.'"

Martin O'Malley as Laertes in HAMLET: "There's nothing wrong with Laertes, and that's sort of the problem. In a lesser drama (working title: "Laertes") he'd be the hero, but his lack of inner conflict wouldn't give the Laurence Oliviers of the world much to chew on."

Donald Trump as Nick Bottom in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: "Even assigning him a role as one of Shakespeare's more treacherous rulers would seem to give Trump too much credit. Instead, we're willing to offer him this memorable part as a mere tradesman-cum-showman who's conceited enough to consider himself a worthy consort for the Queen of the Fairies."

Hillary Clinton as Prince Hal in HENRY IV, PART 2: "Young Henry V is so close to the crown he can practically taste the rubies, but his association with criminals and other dubious characters casts a long shadow over his credibility as a monarch. Meanwhile, defenders such as the Earl of Warwick insist Hal's elbow-rubbing with lowlifes is simply part of playing the game."

Bernie Sanders as Prospero in THE TEMPEST: "It's hardly a stretch to imagine Sanders in the role of a cantankerous wizard from a remote desert island (Vermont's perpetually just one local election away from changing its state motto to "No Solicitors"), let alone one whose "pie in the sky" leadership strategies are the product of literal magical thinking. Nor can we rule out the possibility of outright witchcraft as a key component of the real life Sanders campaign."

Click here for more casting suggestions in the full article.