Shakespeares tomb in his hometown of Stratford-on-Avon is inscribed with a poem cursing anyone who exhumes his body: Good frend for Jesus sake forebeare,/To dig the dust encloased heare;/Blest be the man that spares thes stones,/And curst be he that moves my bones. Its the last line which stands out. Its not exactly common practice for literary figures to curse people from beyond the grave, apart from Edgar Allan Poe, who haunts everyones dreams. However, it was relatively common in Shakespeares time for people to rob skeletons, and Shakespeare had a particular fear of exhumation. While the curse isnt very friendly, its nice of him to bless everyone who doesnt disturb him. You can now honestly say youve been blessed by Shakespeare.
