Radio-Beth?

We can all agree on two things: William Shakespeare is one of, if not the greatest english writer of all time, and that Radiohead are almost as equally sonically and lyrically talented.

While Radiohead aren't as apparent today as they were in the mid-2000s, their influence is still felt. "OK Computer," their greatest album, redefined rock music, and their incorporation of synthetic music in "Kid A" introduced many to the power of synthesizers. Shakespeare's influence is far greater, however. He created hundreds of words we still use today, and his plays are some of the most well known and influential works of literature throughout all of history. With such a difference, one might think that the talents of the two parties are leagues different. But they overlap more than one might expect.

Take, for example, the song "Paranoid Android" off "OK Computer."

Not only do these lyrics paint a haunting image of power and free will, the music sends chills through your spine. Shakespeare creates emotion through complex, well defined characters, and a deep understanding of human interaction and thought. Radiohead accomplishes this same feat through visceral, complex music. They appeal to our primal nature, understanding the effect of sound on the human brain. Shakespeare terrifies us through realistic, potential people and events, yet Radiohead scares us through auditory tricks. However, that isn't to put down the lyrics of Thom Yorke- in fact, they provide a deeper insight into his songs, and allow us to find even more parallels between Radiohead and Macbeth.

Throughout "Macbeth," Macbeth himself becomes a cocky, power-hungry king, ordering murder of anyone he fears. Once he hears the prophecy of the witches, claiming that eh can only be killed by a man not born of a woman, he shouts, “Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? / But yet I’ll make assurance double sure / And take a bond of fate. Thou shalt not live” (4.1). Even with nothing to worry about, Macbeths's arrogance overtakes him, causing a fervorous bloodlust, one also found in "Paranoid Android." When Thom Yorke exclaims "You don't remember / You don't remember / Why don't you remember my name? / Off with his head, man / Off with his head, man / Why don't you remember my name?" ("Paranoid Android"), it shows this same level of aggression and arrogance. Yorke orders murder just because someone doesn't know his name! Karma also seems to be present in both, as Macbeth and Yorke's character reach their respective ends with a death, Macbeth's more clearly as Macduff enters the room with his head on a stick, but Yorke through a repetition of the phrase "Rain down, rain down / come on, rain down on me" ('Paranoid Android") and other cryptic lines that feel almost like last words.

Which scared you more, the haunting tones of Radiohead, or the chilling actions of Macbeth? Let me know by voting in this this strawpoll.