Shakespeare and Large Language Models

I have, from time to time, joked that I stopped enjoying Shakespeare when asked to compare characters from disparate works and brocolli. My most recent was in September, when I made the joke in Shakespeare in Planning.

In the meantime, a coworker gave a presentation on Google’s NotebookLM. I decided to test it out for helping me study for a professional certification by uploading my study materials to it. Yesterday, I noticed that Google had added some additional public Notebooks, including one on the Complete Works of Shakespeare.

Taking the bait, I asked it my oft-repeated question from September: “Compare and contrast Mercutio, Rosencrantz, and boiled broccoli.” What follows is its answer. What have I learned from this? Nothing. The question is more about the journey of discovery in how I come up with the answer than the answer itself. This was no journey, but a teleportation to a spot that resembles an answer.

The comparison and contrast between Mercutio, Rosencrantz, and boiled broccoli, based on the provided texts, rests primarily on their thematic associations with language, loyalty, and nature’s products.

Mercutio and Rosencrantz (Contrast and Comparison)

The contrast between Mercutio and Rosencrantz highlights a difference in vitality, social function, and motivation:

Mercutio (The Wit and Warrior)

Mercutio is characterized by his intense vitality, highly developed intellect, and physical action:

Verbal Intensity and Temperament: Mercutio possesses quick, inventive wordplay and sharp wit, earning him the title of “courageous captain of compliments”. He is volatile, capable of having “mad blood stirring”, and his language is sometimes described as having a “most sharp sauce”.

Death: He dies as a result of being drawn into a physical conflict, engaging with “fiery” intensity.

Rosencrantz (The Loyal Agent and Sponge)

Rosencrantz is largely defined by his proximity to power and his role as an obedient, yet ultimately unfortunate, servant:

Subservience and Reward: He is one of the “schoolfellows” dispatched by the King and, along with Guildenstern, is characterized as an officer who “soaks up the King’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities”. He is willing to do the King’s bidding, leading Hamlet to refer to him as a “sponge”.

Involvement in Treachery: He is considered disloyal by Hamlet, who views him as an “adder”. Rosencrantz readily accepts the commission (which turns out to be fatal), confirming Hamlet’s distrust,. His end, alongside Guildenstern, serves as a direct result of their employment by the King.

Comparison in Context: Both men engage in volatile social spheres, but Mercutio’s passion and conflict are driven by internal “spleen”, while Rosencrantz’s actions are dictated by political reward, becoming a tool in a greater conspiracy,.

Contrasting Both to Boiled Broccoli (The Natural/Consumable Element)

Since the sources do not specifically define “boiled broccoli,” we contrast both characters with the common literary roles ascribed to natural, mutable, or edible elements:

Category Mercutio / Rosencrantz (Human Agency) Boiled Broccoli (Natural/Consumable Analogue)
State/Nature Defined by complex human emotion (wit, rage, ambition, flattery),. Associated with passive growth and simplicity; plants are often symbolic of greenness or inexperience, lacking true wisdom,,.
Action Active, conscious agents; they perform roles, strike blows, engage in plotting, and deliver speeches,. Defined by their consumption or physical state; food is often merely a debt or a source of sustenance, or is violently altered (like the slain deer consumed by ladies).
Longevity/Impact Their influence is tied to social standing or sudden violent action,. They are figures of temporary high pitch. Associated with earthy, base, or fading existence. Plants are often linked to mortality (e.g., flowers that “wither” or are consumed quickly),.
Temperature Mercutio is characterized by “hot” blood and fire (“hot a Jack in thy mood”); Rosencrantz pursues the “heat” of royal rewards. Boiled broccoli, by contrast, suggests “cold” or prepared food, unlike the spontaneous “sharp sauce” of wit, or often contrasted with hot, desirable things (like “hot and rebellious liquors”).

Ultimately, both Mercutio and Rosencrantz demonstrate the human experience of being “made” by the world—Mercutio is “made” by passion, and Rosencrantz is “made” by patronage—while broccoli, representing the natural sphere, is merely a product waiting to be consumed or judged.

Category	Mercutio / Rosencrantz (Human Agency)	Boiled Broccoli (Natural/Consumable Analogue)
State/Nature	Defined by complex human emotion (wit, rage, ambition, flattery),.	Associated with passive growth and simplicity; plants are often symbolic of greenness or inexperience, lacking true wisdom,,.
Action	Active, conscious agents; they perform roles, strike blows, engage in plotting, and deliver speeches,.	Defined by their consumption or physical state; food is often merely a debt or a source of sustenance, or is violently altered (like the slain deer consumed by ladies).
Longevity/Impact	Their influence is tied to social standing or sudden violent action,. They are figures of temporary high pitch.	Associated with earthy, base, or fading existence. Plants are often linked to mortality (e.g., flowers that “wither” or are consumed quickly),.
Temperature	Mercutio is characterized by “hot” blood and fire (“hot a Jack in thy mood”); Rosencrantz pursues the “heat” of royal rewards.	Boiled broccoli, by contrast, suggests “cold” or prepared food, unlike the spontaneous “sharp sauce” of wit, or often contrasted with hot, desirable things (like “hot and rebellious liquors”).

One thing that makes me wary about this technology is that it misquotes and misattributes. The first item I tried to verify from this response about Mercutio is “earning him the title of ‘courageous captain of compliments’” — which comes from Romeo and Juliet 2.4.20-21, as Mercutio is describing Tybalt. Even though NotebookLM is much less likely to hallucinate since it contains all of its source material, it still misses basics like a poor student.