“And Repeat.”

Blog Post #3
Teddi Driver
9th period
                                                  “And Repeat.”

        

Noticing repetition in literature is very important, and even more so when almost every story shares certain parts. When we think of the most well known write, whom do we think of? Well, most would say William Shakespeare, and the others are all liars. Shakespeare’s stories are the essence of repetition in literature. They are the basis from which we “copy”.

Now considering that he is the best, or at least the most well know, wouldn’t one expect that he had a huge impact in the literary world? However, many are surprised to find out that many of his stories, that many they claimed to “hate”, not only because misinterpretation, but also the old English used in the dialogue, make up some of their favorite stories. So many of our favorite movies, lines, art, music, etc. are actually things taken from Shakespeare.

One example of a piece of Shakespeare used in the film world is She’s the Man. An adaptation of Twelfth Night, this movie came to theaters in 2006, starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, and it did quite well. Now what did you say about hating Shakespeare?

However, this isn’t the only movie made out of a Shakespeare tale. In fact, one of the greatest musicals of all time, West Side Story, is a musical adaptation of the time-honored, Romeo and Juliet.

 

Although there have been allegations that he did not write many of his stories, I think of Shakespeare as being the smart kid in the class that everyone cheats off of, because, honestly, that’s what he is. He’s the guy that everyone “steals” bits and pieces of his plots, and why not? His works, whether you like old Engligh or not, are some of the most eloquently written stories ever to brace the literary world. He sets up many of his stories in ways writers could only wish of having. He knew the key to literary success, and that is …..the potential for struggle.

However, its not just the plot that is used to their extremes, but the dialogue too. Whether we know it or not, we hear lines from Shakespeare everyday such as, “all the world’s a stage”, “to beor not to be”, and even, “Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo.”

His plays are truly works of genius, valuable pieces of history and literature, that without, the stories we love and hold dear to our hearts, may never have come into being. And that’s ALL thanks to William Shakespeare. IF one is able to look deeper and truly try to learn and understand what is being said and conveyed, they COULD learn to love it. Personally, I hated Shakespeare, but when we started reading As You Like It  in play righting class I learned to enjoy the works of Shakespeare. Something that I very much admire about this man is not just his talent with plots or dialogue, but the way his stories still hold truth. They still have meaning and enough relevance to incorporate them into our daily lives. AND THAT IS WHY I LOVE SHAKESPEARE.