“..William Shakespeare wrote plays using stories he ripped off of other playwrights. He focused on common themes such as murder, sex, and political power. The Taming of the Shrew is about psychologically torturing a woman into obedience. MacBeth is about murdering for personal gain. Romeo and Juliet, as we all know, is about two kids who defy their families to have a bunch of sex and then kill themselves because they are sixteen and stupid…”
This is an excerpt from a friend’s blog : Three Sad Tigers
Taken from an interesting debate on Modern Art and Shock Value, I thought this particular quote held the most interest for me. Writing is an art form, and like any art form, there are no new ideas. There is only new placement and interpretation. Everything is already out there, it’s just a matter of pulling it together in a personally cohesive manner that appeals to you and expresses your own self-interest and take within the medium. Shakespeare ripped off the classics because that is what people do. Study things they love and rip them off. Think about music…there are only 12 notes, how many progressions are there? It’s called inspiration, and if you are afraid to make mistakes, use old ideas, and re-envision, then every creative medium just ceases. Thanks, Elvis…
Here is this too…my new favorite Christmas song. Chicken skin…