Actually, Palin is kind of Shakespearean

Taken comically, Palin’s use of “refudiate” is a good instance of the kind of coining Shakespeare did do with characters like Dogberry. Even though the word doesn’t exist, we get the point…

If Sarah Palin scares you, then perhaps you see her chopping and splicing the language in way that is similar to what Shakespeare makes us see in Macbeth. Or, if you find her to be a clown, then her use of words is closer to Dogberry.

One thing is for sure, though, she does indeed coin words, and in just the way Shakespeare does: She takes familiar words and twists them.

But it is up to us to decide if she is (or will be) a character in a comedy or in a tragedy.