History MoralEventHorizon / WilliamShakespeare

** For many viewers, Claudio can come pretty close to the MEH for publicly and loudly shaming Hero. Although he has been cruelly manipulated by Don John and Borachio into thinking she was sleeping around on the night before the wedding, there is no way he would have been unaware of the consequences of calling her out in public - rather than, for instance, quietly breaking things off with her. Don Pedro also, as he takes part, knowing full well what an utter [[ManipulativeBastard]] his brother is (the bastard part literally).

** For many viewers, Claudio can come pretty close to the MEH for publicly and loudly shaming Hero. Although he has been cruelly manipulated by Don John and Borachio into thinking she was sleeping around on the night before the wedding, there is no way he would have been unaware of the consequences of calling her out in public - rather than, for instance, quietly breaking things off with her.

* Angelo of ''Theatre/MeasureForMeasure'' crosses when he coerces Isabella into sleeping with him [[ScarpiaUltimatum under the promise of saving Claudio]], then goes back on his word and orders Claudio's execution anyway. Thank goodness this didn't go quite as he planned.

* [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending on the production]], Tybalt from ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' may cross the line by stabbing Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Some adaptations avert this, such as the Zeffirelli version, in which Tybalt is characterized as a jovial troublemaker who duels with Mercutio all in good fun and kills him [[AccidentalMurder by mistake]], after which he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone visibly horrified]].

** Goneril and Regan possibly also cross at this point for fully supporting this action, if they haven't already with their treatment of their father. Plus, at this point, Regan stabs a servant in the back while he is duelling with her husband.

* Bolingbroke in ''Theatre/RichardII'' crosses by his deposition and humiliation of Richard, due to the fact that this ends up triggering a struggle for the crown that we now know as The Wars Of The Roses.

* ''Theatre/RichardII'' crosses by taking Gaunt's land and money away from Bolingbroke, the rightful heir to them, and Richard is explicitly warned that once he does it there's no going back. He doesn't care.
** For those who know what is to come, Bolingbroke crosses by his deposition and humiliation of Richard, due to the fact that this ends up triggering a struggle for the crown that we now know as The Wars Of The Roses.

* [[DependingOnTheWriterDepending on the production]], Tybalt from ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' may cross the line by stabbing Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Some adaptations avert this, such as the Zeffirelli version, in which Tybalt is characterized as a jovial troublemaker who duels with Mercutio all in good fun and kills him [[AccidentalMurder by mistake]], after which he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone visibly horrified]].

* Depending on the production, Tybalt from ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'' may cross the line by stabbing Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Some adaptations avert this, such as the Zeffirelli version, in which Tybalt is characterized as a jovial troublemaker who duels with Mercutio all in good fun and kills him [[AccidentalMurder by mistake]], after which he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone visibly horrified]].

* In the last scene of ''Theatre/TwoGentlemenOfVerona'', Proteus tries to rape Silvia (before being talked down by Valentine) and his being [[EasilyForgiven rather suddenly forgiven by both Valentine and Julia]] does not ring true for many modern viewers.

* In ''Theatre/HenryV'', we are expected to root for the English over the French, despite the fact that the English have a very flimsy justification for going to war and the play admits this. So to make sure the audience knows the French are nasty customers, Shakespeare has the French soldiers, [[SoreLoser when they realize they're going to lose]], massacre the teenage boys who carry the english army's supplies, one of the highest war crimes possible in those days.

** For many viewers, Claudio can come pretty close to the MEH for publicly and loudly shaming Hero. Although he has been cruelly manipulated by Don John and Borachio into thinking she was sleeping around on the night before the wedding, there is no way he would have been unaware of the consequences of calling her out loudly and publicly - rather than, for instance, quietly breaking things off with her.

* Lady Macbeth crosses the line by manipulating Macbeth into the murder of Duncan, triggering his StartOfDarkness.

* ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' reaches this point when [[spoiler:he has Macduff's family, including the kids, murdered,]] if he hadn't already done so with the murders of Duncan and Banquo (less likely with the former, as he was essentially manipulated into it by Lady Macbeth, who herself crosses it in doing so, as the act was his StartOfDarkness).

* ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' reaches this point when [[spoiler:he has Macduff's family, including the kids, murdered,]] if he hadn't already done so with the murders of Duncan and Banquo.

** Antiochus, who is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter, falsely offering her to any man who cracks a riddle, then killing them regardless of whether or not they can do so.