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John Wilkes Booth

Consider how an actor that played in such psychological learning works of Shakespeare and yet motivated by hate could become a killer. Perhaps he 'lived' his work?

John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth, born May 10, 1838, was an actor who performed throughout the country in many plays. He was the lead in some of William Shakespeare's most famous works. Additionally, he was a racist and Southern sympathizer during the Civil War. He hated Abraham Lincoln who represented everything Booth was against. Booth blamed Lincoln for all the South's ills. He wanted revenge.
Ref. https://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln75.html

Booth Wilkes John

What is interesting about this history is that Booth originally thought about kidnapping the President instead, but I guess constant failures made him frustrated enough to want to murder him instead. Another interesting thing is this happened after the South had already surrendered. Lastly, I thought it interesting that the attempt on the Vice President was forgotten and the person who helped Booth get away for killing the President of an entire nation only got a few years in prison.