Modern studies of the brain suggest that Shakespeare had an intuitive understanding of how the brain works. “Modern studies have shown the more a word is used in conversation, the less the brain responds to it. Our neurones get tired of hearing it. You can see this effect in the electrical activity of the brain’s word centres. They stop sparking so much. ‘Shakespeare knew that intuitively. Hence the rich variety of his vocabulary and his use of unexpected words or odd combinations of them – for instance, comparing mercy with rainfall to keep us on our toes and interested and involved in what he was saying. Other examples include the use of phrases such as ‘a muse of fire’ or ‘a quintessence of dust’. They are startling and unanticipated and keep us stimulated.”