When In Doubt It's From Shakespeare By Thomas Foster

333 Words2 Pages
In “When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare”, the fifth chapter of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster discusses the importance Shakespeare holds in today's literature, and how his work can be found in nearly every story. To begin, Foster states reasons for why writers frequently reference Shakespeare. Foster gives the example of Athol Fugard who is famous for his play “Master Harold” … and the Boys (1982). This intertextual play, which deals with racial problems from the 1950’s alludes to Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part II. Furthermore, Fugard mirrored the transformation of Prince Hal who must become the ridgid King Henry in his play. Hally, the playful teen protagonist in “Master Harold” … and the Boys must become