The Shakespearean principle revisited.

Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent. That line is from William Shakespeare's To me, it is a fundamental doctrine of patient care, and I have named it the Shakespearean Principle. It stimulates skepticism, promotes doubt, improves communication, fosters proper decision-making, and protects against a malady that currently plagues our profession—herd mentality. This editorial shows what can happen when doctors violate the Shakespearean Principle. The story is real and tells of a woman whose doctor unintentionally killed her. To ensure anonymity, the time and place of the tragedy, as well as the players involved, have been changed.