Timothy McSweeney's Header Image

S H A K E S P E A R E ' S
I N T E R R O G A T O R I E S ,
O R   W H Y   H E   W A N T E D
T O   K I L L   A L L
T H E   L A W Y E R S .


BY MIKE WARNER AND MICHAEL PARDO


- - - -

RESTRAINT OF TRADE
Shylock v. Antonio
Plaintiff's First Interrogatories

Interrogatory No. 4: If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?

Answer: Defendant objects to Interrogatory No. 4 on the ground that whether pricking, tickling, poisoning, or wronging is the proximate cause of bleeding, laughing, death, or the seeking of revenge, respectively, can only be established through expert testimony. Because Plaintiff has failed to timely disclose expert(s) and submit expert reports covering these subjects pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, Plaintiff should be barred from presenting evidence on these points, and Defendant has no obligation to respond to this interrogatory. Subject to and without waiving this objection, Defendant denies that he pricked, tickled, poisoned or in any way wronged Plaintiff. Defendant further states that it has not yet determined who, if anyone, it intends to use as expert witnesses, but reserves the right to designate expert(s) in accordance with Rule 26.

- - - -

CIVIL RIGHTS/WRONGFUL DEATH
Estate of Julius Caesar v. Cassius, Casca,
Brutus, et al.

Interrogatory No. 14: Et tu, Brute?

Answer: Defendant Brutus objects to Interrogatory No. 14 on the ground that it is vague and ambiguous. Furthermore, to the extent that the interrogatory seeks to establish the actions of defendant Brutus as a proximate cause of Caesar's death, defendant asserts that the interrogatory is beyond the scope of interrogatories and is a question of fact to be determined by jury.

- - - -

SANITY TRIAL
Hamlet v. Hamlet

Interrogatory No. 1: To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?

Answer: Defendant objects to Interrogatory No. 1 on the ground that it is overly broad, unduly burdensome and not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence to the extent it seeks to answer one of life's unanswerable metaphysical questions. Defendant further objects on the ground that Int. No. 1 is too vague and ambiguous to permit a meaningful response due to the variation in the type of slings and arrows, and the unknown skill with which outrageous fortune may wield such.

- - - -

INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
Capulet v. Montague

Interrogatory No. 4: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Answer: Defendant objects. Defendant, in his Answer to Plaintiff's First Amended Complaint, has already conceded the court has in personam jurisdiction over him, and he has also availed himself of the Verona courts in filing his Counterclaim and Third-Party Counterclaim (see also interrogatories attached below). Any further information regarding Defendant's location is therefore irrelevant. What is more, Plaintiff and the court are aware that one of Defendant's allegations in his Third-Party Counterclaim lawsuit is that members of Plaintiff's family have threatened his life and intend to do him bodily harm with swords. Defendant considers efforts, such as this question, to ascertain his whereabouts to be related to the illegal purpose of causing him bodily harm, rather than for any legitimate purposes relating to this (or Defendant's) lawsuit. Accordingly, Defendant will seek sanctions against Plaintiff's attorneys for any further abuses of the discovery process.

- - - -

VARIOUS INTENTIONAL TORTS
Montague v. Capulet, et al.

Interrogatory No. 25: But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

Answer: The referred-to light is a product of Star-crossed Industries, Ltd., a division of The Capulet Co., Inc. More specifically, the no-glare, artificial light was generated by the new Star-crossed Home Artificial Kerosene Emission System(tm), patent pending; the low-energy light produced is soft on the eyes and perfect for reading or any other home activity. Defendant objects to disclosing more detailed information about the light-any other information would be relevant to neither the Counterclaim nor the Third-Party Counterclaim, and, more important, it would require the disclosure of protected trade secrets. Counterclaim Defendant directs Counterclaim Plaintiff to direct any further inquiries regarding the referred-to light to counsel for The Capulet Co., Inc.

 

 

OTHER McSWEENEY'S STORIES:
- - - -


Stalking Gordon Willis by Chris McCoy
Great Films of the Cinematic Canon: Reviewed By Pasha Malla
Reader, Hear Me Yearn: Revolving Paint Dream's "In the Afternoon" By Susan E. Thomas
McSweeney's Brain Exploder: "And Stay Tuned for St. Thomas Morgantown!" By Carlton Doby
An Immigrant's Guide to Translating American Workplace Slang By John Leary

- - - -

MAIN PAGE   |   ARCHIVES

 

Memories of Amanda Davis

 


Red dot denotes content that is new today.

Black dot denotes newish content.

McSWEENEY'S STORE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
McSWEENEY'S
THE BELIEVER
WHOLPHIN

FUTURE McSWEENEY'S BOOKS

THE AMANDA DAVIS HIGHWIRE FICTION AWARD

INVITE A McSWEENEY'S AUTHOR TO SPEAK IN YOUR TOWN OR COLLEGE

McSWEENEY'S MONTHLY MAILING LIST

McSWEENEY'S-RELATED EVENTS AND VARIOUS TOUR DATES

ORDER INQUIRIES AND ADDRESS CHANGES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
FOR BOOKS
FOR THE QUARTERLY
FOR THE WEBSITE
FOR WHOLPHIN

McSWEENEY'S INTERNSHIPS

CONTACT US

- - - -

LETTERS TO McSWEENEY'S

LISTS

McSWEENEY'S PREDICTS

McSWEENEY'S RECOMMENDS

NEW WHOLPHIN FILM

DAN LIEBERT, VERBAL CARTOONIST

JOKES BY BRIAN BEATTY

REVIEWS OF NEW FOOD

DISPATCHES FROM MOSCOW

SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?

DISPATCHES FROM THE ANACOSTIA

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE WITH ERIC FEEZELL

BEN GREENMAN'S FAKE CELEBRITY MUSICALS

DISPATCHES FROM A HUMANITARIAN JOURNALIST

DISPATCHES FROM IRAQ

SHORT IMAGINED MONOLOGUES

PHILIP GRAHAM SPENDS A YEAR IN LISBON

STAINED TEETH: A COLUMN ABOUT WINE

DISPATCHES FROM THE NAPOLEONIC WARS AT THE MET

KEVIN DOLGIN TELLS YOU ABOUT PLACES YOU SHOULD GO IN EUROPE

SONGS OF ENEMIES AND DESERTS: LIVING WITH THE SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY

LAWRENCE WESCHLER'S EVERYTHING THAT RISES: A BOOK OF CONVERGENCES

THE CONVERGENCES CONTEST

ABOUT WHAT IS THE WHAT

ABOUT BOWL OF CHERRIES

ABOUT COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS

ABOUT JOHN BRANDON'S ARKANSAS

ABOUT MICHAEL CHABON'S MAPS AND LEGENDS

LETTERS FROM AN EARTH BALL TO, OR CONCERNING, SEAN HANNITY

DISPATCHES FROM ADJUNCT FACULTY AT A LARGE STATE UNIVERSITY

ADVICE FROM A PERSON WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY

DISPATCHES FROM THE NBA ENTERTAINMENT LEAGUE

JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES

B.R. COHEN'S ANNALS OF SCIENCE

INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS

OPEN LETTERS TO PEOPLE OR ENTITIES WHO ARE UNLIKELY TO RESPOND

DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN

MICHAEL IAN BLACK IS A VERY FAMOUS CELEBRITY

DISPATCHES FROM ROY KESEY, AN AMERICAN GUY MARRIED TO
A PERUVIAN DIPLOMAT LIVING IN CHINA


STEPHEN ELLIOTT'S POKER REPORT

- - - -

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL