My first guess is that you probably have not read most of the plays from which these quotations are taken; my second guess is that you know the phrases anyway.Foster (6-9, 11, 14) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
This is fully true. The only Shakespeare I have read is what I was forced to read in high school. Despite this fact, I have heard of many of the quotes that Foster listed. These quotes are everywhere. Unless I'm mistaken, I first heard the quote "To be, or not to be, that is the question." on Looney Toons. I later was exposed to more Hamlet thanks to the show Boy Meets World (there was an episode in the first season in which the sixth grade class put on a production of Hamlet). In terms of the famous quote "Double double, toil and trouble/Fire burn and cauldron bubble." from Macbeth, it is now commonly associated with the idea of witches (no doubt also because of Macbeth). It was the namesake for a Mary Kate and Ashley Olson movie dealing with an evil grandmother or great aunt (if I'm remembering correctly) that dabbled in witchcraft--probably just one of many examples. Some of the other quotes have even been namesakes for episodes of TV shows. The quotes are everywhere.
Comments (2)
That's why I love reading Shakespeare's plays. As you're reading, you realize you know half the lines already. There's a whole song in Hair that's based on a monologue from Hamlet, and every time I read Hamlet, I end up singing along with it!
Posted by MatthewHenderson | February 1, 2007 7:24 AM
Posted on February 1, 2007 07:24
I also have not read a lot of Shakespeare's plays, but also recognized a lot of the quotes that were stated. It is funny how a lot of the movies that we watch incorporate these famous lines from literature or poetry. I like the other comment from Matt. He said, "that as you are reading you realize you know half the lines already." I agree to that. Even though I havn't read all of Shakespeare's plays, I do recognize many of the quotes. I like how you chose this quote.
Posted by Derek Tickle | February 1, 2007 5:40 PM
Posted on February 1, 2007 17:40