Taylor Swift and Shakespeare: A Love Story

Taylor Swift and Shakespeare 

Any Swiftie will know that Taylor loves a bit of The Bard (“Love Story,” anyone?). With the release of her new album Life of a Show Girl, Taylor has once again reminded the world that there’s no drama like a Shakespeare drama. Her song, “The Fate Ophelia,” is her take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved tragic heroines, who stands at the crossroads of love, loss, and madness. Where Shakespeare’s heroine is driven to her untimely death by Hamlet’s extensive gaslighting and cruelty, Swift adds a new, unnamed hero to the story who saves Ophelia from her watery doom (with a gorgeous 7-13 carat bezel-set ring).

In her interview with Capital FM, Swift explained that the song is “a play on Ophelia from Hamlet, who was driven mad by love and, because of that, she ends up being driven mad and drowning. The play on it is, like, you saved me from that fate, right? You rescued me. Meeting someone and finding someone who took you away from the way that your life could have gone. So it’s all very dramatic, obviously, because it’s me.”

This isn’t Taylor’s first rescue mission for Shakespeare’s leading ladies. Her 2008 hit “Love Story” gives Romeo and Juliet’s tragic tale a happy ending. Where Shakespeare’s lovers die, Swift’s get married. As Interesting Literature notes, Taylor’s version “offers Juliet her own agency, and a new fate.” It’s as if these two great masters of love, betrayal, and lyrical storytelling are having a conversation across time.

 

See the Stories Behind the Songs 

Taylor Swift might be giving Ophelia her pop-culture moment, but there’s nothing quite like the original. We’re not the only ones who think so, as Taylor explained in The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, “I love Shakespeare.. It holds up! It’s actually not overhyped. And I just love those tragedies so much, I fall in love with those characters so much, that it hurts me that they die.” 

There’s no better way to dive deeper into Taylor’s notorious easter eggs than watching the plays that started it all.  You can see Mirren Mack ( Miss Austin, The Doll Factory) as the ill-fated Ophelia in Bristol Old Vic’s production of Hamlet,  Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones) as Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe, or fall in love with some of Shakespeare’s other heroines like Lady Macbeth, Desdemona, and more, all on Marquee TV. 

Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroines 

Who knows which of Shakespeare’s doomed heroines Taylor might rescue next? Fierce, flawed, and unforgettable, here are some of Shakespeare’s most memorable tragic heroines who have inspired centuries of art, music, theatre, and more than one Taylor Swift song. 

Ophelia – Hamlet 

The original “sad girl.” Ophelia’s tragic descent into madness after Hamlet’s rejection has inspired countless songs, stories, and paintings, including John Everett Millais’s painting that inspired Taylor’s album cover and “The Fate of Ophelia” music video. Torn between her duty and her emotions, Ophelia’s story is one of innocence, love, and heartbreak, a shining light drowned by expectation. 

Juliet – Romeo and Juliet 

A teenager who, literally, gives her life for love, defying her family and rewriting the rules of expectation. She didn’t just inspire Taylor Swift; Juliet makes an appearance in pop culture classics like West Side Story and Madonna’s “Cherish.”

Lady Macbeth – Macbeth 

The original “girl bossed too close to the sun.” Ambitious, commanding, and ultimately consumed by guilt, Lady Macbeth embodies the true cost of power. For centuries, she’s been painted as a villain who will stop at nothing for power, but look closer, and you’ll see a woman trapped in a man’s world. 

Desdemona – Othello 

Loving, loyal, and unjustly accused, Desdemona’s story is one of innocence destroyed by jealousy.  Despite being dragged through the fires for a crime she never committed, she stands in quiet dignity as chaos unfolds around her, a calm eye in a storm she never created.

Cleopatra – Antony and Cleopatra 

A queen who knows the performance of power as well as its price. Regal, magnetic, and self-aware, Cleopatra lives and dies on her own terms.  She’s Shakespeare’s ultimate diva, centuries before the word existed. 

Cordelia – King Lear 

The youngest and most honest of King Lear’s daughters, Cordelia’s quiet integrity costs her everything. Where the people around her rely on lies and deceit to get by, she stands steadfast in her love and moral clarity, proving kindness can be its own kind of strength. 

Imogen – Cymbeline 

One of Shakespeare’s most underrated heroines. Wronged by her husband, betrayed by her family, exiled, and forced to disguise herself as a man, Imogen never loses her empathy, even for those who have wronged her. She endures betrayal and hardship with a powerful resilience, holding her head high.

See the stories behind the famous Shakespearean women who defined the tropes, set the standard for leading ladies, and inspired pop culture charts on Marquee TV.