Doctor Who: 9 Things You Never Knew The Ninth Doctor Did
6. He Saved Shakespeare
WHAT: A man who needs no introduction, the Doctor has been continuously popping up in the life of Shakespeare, from the Second Doctor interfering in the events of Macbeth to the Eleventh interfering in the events of Romeo & Juliet, to the Tenth saving Will's life against the Carrionites to inspiring Shakespeare in his first incarnation for A Midsummer Night's Dream by ruining a Sontaran re-enactment of the events of the Fourth Doctor episode Horror of Fang Rock... Seriously. They even made a character called 'Lighthouse'. Ultimately, the Doctor has been a staple in William Shakespeare's life, appearing time and time again to save him from threats magical and extraterrestrial - the Daleks, a Weeping Angel (which turned out to be a harmless statue), and even bad writing by using the 'Sally Sparrow' method of using the completed manuscript to write his parts of the completed manuscript. So, it too makes sense that the Ninth Doctor would take the opportunity to pop in and save the life of Shakespeare during his run and he did just that in the comic 'A Groatsworth of Wit'. HOW: The main supporting character, though, is not old Boney, but Robert Greene, a rival to Shakespeare who is insanely jealous of his success. Extra-dimensional entities called Shadeys begun influencing him (like the Carrionites did Shakespeare), preying upon Greene on his deathbed and transporting him to the future so as to feed off his negative emotion (read: hatred and jealousy) and break through to our dimension. After Greene saw Shakespeare's success and his obscurity in the future, he was returned to 1592 in a murderous rage and intent to kill Shakespeare. The Doctor and Rose followed him and stopped him just in time, yelling to Greene to see the error of his ways and preventing the destruction of the universe, and also promising that they will remember him and how he saved the Earth. Content in the knowledge that this feat will be bigger than Shakespeare's own, Greene channelled the collected emotions into a burst of power that cast the Shadeys back to whence they came. History and Shakespeare was saved but Greene returned to his deathbed, no longer filled with envy and hatred, but contentment. SO: While also similar to the Tenth Doctor's story of Shakespeare and the Carrionites, this story does have some redeeming qualities. Rose in Elizabethan dress, Shakespeare hitting on Rose, the Doctor reciting Richard III from memory onstage - and some quality dialogue as well. Mainly, though, it focuses upon the themes of jealously and the lengths one may go for revenge, plus the human desire not to be forgotten. Even the Doctor was struck with that same melancholy, saying (and unconsciously echoing the Eleventh Doctor's words) "Everybody gets forgotten in the end, Rose. Best to make the most of life while you're still around". It is even more striking when contrasted with his own preference to be remembered as a coward than a killer at the end of his run. In the end, Rose gave the only reply possible, saying that no one was ever going to forget him - the Doctor.
