[camperman]

Claudius's confession of murder in Hamlet comes right after Hamlet has put on a play to prick his conscience. This girl's confession comes right after her friend reads Claudius's prayer.

Quite extraordinary that after centuries, Shakespeare's words could still prick consciences in almost exactly the same way and for the same reasons.

[emmelaich]

I find few poets and writers as affecting as Shakespeare.

You find yourself transported into the minds of the characters.

[mercer]

Doestoevki comes to mind, although I always found him to be best at describing a specific kind of mind (or at least it seems that way to me).