NationStates Jolt Archive

Through some contrived series of events, you are stuck in a burning building that's about to collapse. At one end of the building is a random stranger trapped under some rubble who cannot get out under their own power and need you to carry them out. At the other end of the building is the very last copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in all of existance; there is no other copy left on Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and when the burning building collapses it'll be destroyed and Shakespeare's works will be lost forever. You only have time to rescue one or the other; if you try to get both you'll die, and there's no one else around to help you. So, who do you save?

Random stranger. I don't care much for shakespere.

Very tough decision. Unfortunatly, knowing me, I'd stand there, thinking about what to save...and then get crushed by the building anyway. I'm so indecisive.

What happened to all the other copys of the complete works of Shakespeare?
Anyway, I'd save the random stranger, life is more important than paper

I'm an asshole... damnit! Stranger bit it.

Bye bye Mr. Stranger.

Bob the Builder stole them all :p

I knew he was a commie.

Moldy old books that are frankly overrated, or some random putz.

I hate people, but were situations reversed I wouldn't want to be left, so the books get the torch. Can I shove the stranger back in if he turns out to be a complete moron?

As I'm probably not strong enough to lift heavy building-related rubble off of a trapped guy in time, and because I love Shakespere, I'd have to take the books.

But what if the random stranger is, in fact, William Shakespeare?

Bullets over Broadway.

I'd save the stranger. But I'd hate myself a little tiny bit for it.

Stranger. So long as he doesn't offer me sweeties.

But what if the random stranger is, in fact, William Shakespeare?

If he was then I'd turna and run out the building. If he isn't then save the random guy due to having to study Shakespeare for the past 6 years at school!!

Stranger, I know people that can recite entire shakespeare plays from memory so it'd be cool.

Shakespeare would live on. The stranger would die sooner or later anyway while the Shakespeare could be truly saved. Also saved strangers are too often thankless and often enough deserving of the conditions and situations they get saved from.

Shakespeare would live on. The stranger would die sooner or later anyway while the Shakespeare could be truly saved. Also saved strangers are too often thankless and often enough deserving of the conditions and situations they get saved from.

If your ever in trouble I hope noone comes to help

But what if the random stranger is, in fact, William Shakespeare?

He'd probably be pretty pissed off. someone must really hate him to destroy every last copy of his works, and trap him in a burning building with the very last one. whichever I save, the diabolical criminal mastermind will probably just kill shakespeare and destroy the book, and kill me for trying to save either of them.

in reality id probably save the person. the plays are just plays after all, and one must assume shakespeare fans still know them even if they are destroyed.

If it was a stranger or the only copy of the formula for the cure for cancer or something like that, I really dont know what id do.

I may sound extremely cold and callous, but I would only save His Holiness over Shakespeare.

Save the man and also be a hero to millions of school kids!

Imagine how much easier school would have been without all those Shakespeare books, written in English that is barely negligible?

I'll save the stranger, assuming it's a stranger. if it's a family member or friend, I save them too. If I hate the person, sorry, but I go for the books. Also, that person may prove to be a greater author than Shakespeare, so the net gain may be felt the world over.

That said, if there's a way to MacGyver the guy out, possibly by tossing him a life preserver or something and towing him in with enough time for us both to get the books, then I'd do it, but I assume that wasn't the point of the exercise.

Bah. Written works can always be written again. Life can never be recovered once it is lost. Save the random stranger. No question about it.

To be or not to be, huh, Mr. Stranger?

Shakespeare it is. But I'd have a very bad conscience about it, probably leading me to a troubled live worthy of another Shakespearean work of tragedy.

Besides, why in the world can't I grab the copy, throw it out the door, and then go help the stranger?

I'll probably gonna die trying to help the stranger after I've saved the works. :rolleyes:

If your ever in trouble I hope noone comes to help

Me too. I find meddlers distracting and dangerous.
For my part I now hope that you someday are in a situation in which you can attempt to rescue someone you dont know who is in trouble. Always try to remember that person might be me.

if there is only one copy of the works of shakespeare left in the universe and it is being stored in some crumbly old building, its already lost.

id save the stranger

Random stranger, of course. Besides the fact that human life is worth more than material things, I think that Shakespire is shit.

On the other hand if you would ask about all world's literature and random stranger, I may choose the literature.

Me too. I find meddlers distracting and dangerous.
For my part I now hope that you someday are in a situation in which you can attempt to rescue someone you dont know who is in trouble. Always try to remember that person might be me.

I seriously doubt that, the chances of us ever meeting are tiny.

For all you know, that random stranger might be a creative genius whose work might leave an imprint on human society equal to or greater than that of the works of Shakespeare. Plus, if old Bill's works are stored in some abandoned building then he obviously won't be missed if they're destroyed; either way, I'd save the stranger.

Random stranger, heart-wrenchingly. Human life has much more value than Shakespeare's plays, but he was one brilliant man.

Through some contrived series of events, you are stuck in a burning building that's about to collapse. At one end of the building is a random stranger trapped under some rubble who cannot get out under their own power and need you to carry them out. At the other end of the building is the very last copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in all of existance; there is no other copy left on Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and when the burning building collapses it'll be destroyed and Shakespeare's works will be lost forever. You only have time to rescue one or the other; if you try to get both you'll die, and there's no one else around to help you. So, who do you save?

Fuck Shakespeare. I've always hated his work. I'd save the stranger

I would get out of the burning building that's about to collapse on me. Duh.

easy, shakespeare,

alsos what happens if the stranger turns out to be a serial killer

shakespeare yuh!

Through some contrived series of events, you are stuck in a burning building that's about to collapse. At one end of the building is a random stranger trapped under some rubble who cannot get out under their own power and need you to carry them out. At the other end of the building is the very last copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in all of existance; there is no other copy left on Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and when the burning building collapses it'll be destroyed and Shakespeare's works will be lost forever. You only have time to rescue one or the other; if you try to get both you'll die, and there's no one else around to help you. So, who do you save?
Random Stranger, someone can always recreate the Complete Works of Shakespear, but you cannot Recreate a person.

I would save the books, then sell them for millions of dollars! :D

I'd save the person regardless of who it was. Whether it be my Dad, my friend, that kid who picked on me at school, some randomer I've never met before, even Dubya or Saddam.

The books live on in story, and their main narratives will always be vaguely reproducable. Life, on the other hand, is precious to me, even when I dislike its owner, and I refuse to be the cause of its destruction.

I'd save the person regardless of who it was. Whether it be my Dad, my friend, that kid who picked on me at school, some randomer I've never met before, even Dubya or Saddam.

The books live on in story, and their main narratives will always be vaguely reproducable. Life, on the other hand, is precious to me, even when I dislike its owner, and I refuse to be the cause of its destruction.

Noble sentiments, I entirely agree.

I don't really see any intrinsic value to Shakespears work. I like the stories mostly, but other people have and will write great stories and plays.

Save the man and also be a hero to millions of school kids!

Imagine how much easier school would have been without all those Shakespeare books, written in English that is barely negligible?
Negligible?

Shakespeare is fun!

Shakespeare is fun!

...you're serious, arn't you? :p :D

The random stranger might write better stories, anyway. Burn, Willie, burn!

easy, shakespeare,

alsos what happens if the stranger turns out to be a serial killer

shakespeare yuh!

What happens if the stranger turns out to be the next Shakespeare? :D

Through some contrived series of events, you are stuck in a burning building that's about to collapse. At one end of the building is a random stranger trapped under some rubble who cannot get out under their own power and need you to carry them out. At the other end of the building is the very last copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in all of existance; there is no other copy left on Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and when the burning building collapses it'll be destroyed and Shakespeare's works will be lost forever. You only have time to rescue one or the other; if you try to get both you'll die, and there's no one else around to help you. So, who do you save?

Does it matter? I'd still be stuck in the building. :p

The random stranger, without a doubt.

I'm lazy, so I'd save Shakespeare's works since it weighs less than the stranger. :)

'Course, hypothetical questions always give hypothetical answers (which is why I dislike them generally). With that in mind, I'd use my super icy breath to extinguish the flames. :p

Imagine how much easier school would have been without all those Shakespeare books
You mean duller?

You mean duller?
No, he means the improvement that would occur once kids are no longer forced to read that crap.

Stranger.

I only like Shakespeare for monologues anyway, and I have those memorized.

I'd save the person regardless of who it was. Whether it be my Dad, my friend, that kid who picked on me at school, some randomer I've never met before, even Dubya or Saddam.

The books live on in story, and their main narratives will always be vaguely reproducable. Life, on the other hand, is precious to me, even when I dislike its owner, and I refuse to be the cause of its destruction.

Plus, some people use lines from Shakespeare a lot, so most people have the good ones memorized.

Stranger.

I only like Shakespeare for monologues anyway, and I have those memorized.

See? See? What did I tell you?

Through some contrived series of events, you are stuck in a burning building that's about to collapse. At one end of the building is a random stranger trapped under some rubble who cannot get out under their own power and need you to carry them out. At the other end of the building is the very last copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in all of existance; there is no other copy left on Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and when the burning building collapses it'll be destroyed and Shakespeare's works will be lost forever. You only have time to rescue one or the other; if you try to get both you'll die, and there's no one else around to help you. So, who do you save?

I spot a loophole! It's the final copy of the complete works. There therefore can be copies of all of the works, they just can't be in one volume.

I spot a loophole! It's the final copy of the complete works. There therefore can be copies of all of the works, they just can't be in one volume.
You're wrong because I say so :p :D

Were it a choice between eliminating every work of Shakespeare from existence and saving a random person, I would not hesitate to preserve the works of the bard rather than a random individual. The average person is just not that valuable – while there are some fantastic individuals, the average is pretty pathetic. The world could do without one more slack jawed mouth breather.

Those of you who complain about Shakespeare being boring or unintelligible are most likely lacking in intellectual ability or cultural understanding. Bevis and Butthead is not the pinnacle of human achievement.

I was appalled to find that the average high school student does not read anything that was not assigned. Rather than wasting your youth watching mindless drivel, open a book. Those that can understand Shakespeare tend to find most of his works quite enjoyable (though I will admit that some are not my favorite – on the whole they are quite good). However I do greatly protest schools having students read the plays – they are meant to be watched, not read.

I seriously doubt that, the chances of us ever meeting are tiny.

I am grateful for this fine bit of luck..

Random stranger. An infinite number of monkeys typing away will eventually reproduce the complete works of Shakespeare.

If I hadn't saved the plays, I wouldn't be able to study them, so I guess that's what I did :p

Stranger, I know people that can recite entire shakespeare plays from memory so it'd be cool.
That.

Random stranger.

*shrug* People come over thingies.

It's a religious principle: you either get it, or you don't.

In the latter case, you're pretty much doomed anyway.

Stranger. You can't have the complete works of Shakespeare do sexual favors for you.

Stranger. You can't have the complete works of Shakespeare do sexual favors for you.
But then, suprise! The stranger is me, and now you have big hairy mansex that neither of us really want, but I don't want to appear ungrateful. You can distract yourself by trying to remember what Twelfth Night was about...

Neither. I instead save a pretty shiny coin on the floor. Burn random stranger and Shakespeare! BURRRRRRRRRRRRRN!:p

Stranger. That fire was for every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the last 400 years.

*waits for somebody to get it*

Stranger. That fire was for every schoolboy and schoolgirl for the last 400 years.

*waits for somebody to get it*

Reference to Black Adder?

Reference to Black Adder?

*hugs*

Besides, it's a lot easier to use to time machine to save a book than a person.