The episode "Star Trek: The Next Generation" "The Dectector" (January 1, 1990) begins with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) watching data (Brent Spainer), bringing a scene from "Henry V" by William Shakespeare. For those who missed to read "Henry V" in high school, the story follows the young, recently crowned King Henry as he prepares to attack France. The young Hull struggles to take him seriously, as his youth has passed by waving drunkards and low lifes (as seen in the Henry IV I and II parts). However, Hull proves that it is an inspiring presence on the battlefield, giving his colleagues an encouraging speeches they need to charge them in battle. The play culminates in the battle of Agincur, which occurred in 1415.

At "Star Trek", the scene executed by the data comes from Act IV, Scene I, when King Henry masked as one of his soldiers. He aims to infiltrate his people and get a line for what they might think of him as a commander. The scene is, as in many Shakespeare productions, very short of the text of the true play, but the spirit remains the same. In the play, Henry speaks with three guards named Bates, Williams and Court. At Star Trek, Williams and the court are merged into one character.

The character of Williams/Court has long hair and a cunning face, seemingly scars from previous battles. He does not have many dialogues and does not play a major role in the play, but he is important for Henry. He is an average British citizen who speaks his mind. And because Henry V is in masking, he feels free to do so.

He sees closely, and you'll notice that Williams/Court plays Stewart, under heavy makeup. It was the only character Stuart played at Star Trek, except for captain Picard (well, holographic recreations and despite the others Dopelingers).

The data performs their scene in a full suit of Shakespeare, while Picard, watching it, compliments its performance. The data says he is studying the acting techniques of Olivier, Branag, Shapiro and Cullark. How flattered that film on Kenneth Branag - whose film "Henry V" in 1989 was still in theaters when this episode was broadcast - it should already be named one of the Great, marked by historians in the 24th century. Picard and data note that data performance should have explored the human condition and, as Picard points out, there is no better way to do so than Shakespeare.

The fun part is that the camera is cut from Stuart's footage like Williams to Stuart's footage like Captain Picard. Not only did Stuart make him play two characters on Star Trek, but he had to make them in the same scene. Usually, such a thing is reserved for Brent Spine.

Stuart's involvement in Henry V scene is not surprising, given the long history of the actor with Bard. Before "Star Trek", Stewart was a widely celebrated actor and actor on the screen, which was part of Royal Shakespeare, who returned in 1966. He made his Shakespeare debut the previous year, playing Shilock in the "Venice merchant" of the old Vick, and began his royal Shakespeare in '66, playing the player in Hamlet. He will continue to play Daufin in Henry B, Grumio in "Taming of Rutt", Cornwall in "King Lear", a fun necklace in the "Both of the Lord of Verona", and Oberon and the muzzle in Two different tours of "Summer Night Dream".

So, yes, Stewart was not Shakespeare's unwormed when he was asked to read a few rows of "Henry V" on Star Trek. You can almost see Stuart's facilitation, slipping into the territory with which he was very familiar with.

Shakespeare's loans to Stewart have also spread to the screen. He played Claudius in the Bi -Hamlet stage in 1980, starring Derek Jacecobi as Hamlet. Here's Som Fun Trivia: Stewart would play Claudius again in production of Hamlet in 2009, opposite David Tennant. In that production, he also played the spirit of Hamlet's father, which means that Claudius and Old Hamlet were identical twins. Meanwhile, Derek Jacecobi will continue to play Claudius opposite Kenneth Branag in the 1996 Hamlet.

Strangely, Stewart was not offered the lead roles in Shakespeare's performances, until he finished his small screen on "Star Trek: the next generation" in 1994. In 1995, he finally played Prospero at "The Tempest" at the New York Shakespeare Festival. Two years later, he controversially played Othello in the racing version of that character's performance. In 2006, he will return to the royal company to play Prospero again, as well as Mark Anthony in Anthony and Cleopatra. He would also have played Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" and McBet.

Accordingly, the latest exit of Stewart's Royal Shakespeare again played Shilock in 2011. 45 years later, he had a chance to rethink the same role. This, after returning to the role of Jeanan-Luc Picard in the 2020 Star Trek series. Stewart also starred in the superhero character Professor H in many films "X-Men", and he will raise that role in The upcoming film in 2026 "Avengers: Doomsday". Stuart is a capable of high -range actor, but he also knows when he is safe to stay in a particular comfort zone.