http://hogwartsprofessor.com/?p=423 A lengthy (and serious) comparison of Harry Potter and Hamlet, including the dead fathers, denial of the love interest, unwilling avenger, and so on. Some of the points are strained, but it’s not like the author just whipped something out. Obviously a good deal of thought was put into the argument. Apparently he’s working on a conference presentation on the subject. (*) Title comes from the fact that Rowling has attempted to sue people who borrow “her” ideas, which in turn caused a great number of authors (Orson Scott Card among them) to point out that, if that’s the case, she’d certainly stolen many of theirs.
Well I didn’t realise you could have a copyright on Shakespeare’s work…uh duh thats why they are so popular because anyone can put them on.
How can you own someone works that nearly anyone can put on? Shakespeare didn't have a family. It ain't like he could copyright it. It wasn't invented then,
I have only recently read an article on the topic in a Shakespeare online journal, where Harry Potter is compared to Prince Hal. The claim that Rowling used Shakespeare and especially the Lancastrian tetralogy as a source is then strengthened by some similarities between her work and Richard III and one of her quotes where she mentions Macbeth.
The article is called "Harry – Is that Potter, Percy, or Plantagenet?". It didn't really convince me but was interesting, nevertheless:
http://www.borrowers.uga.edu/cocoon/borrowers/request?id=781415
Just noticed this post – the author (me) is a she… ;-). And I’ve also written a short introduction (in German) on Shakespeare’s Time, Life and Work. Thanks for your appreciation and for mentioning it! I never did do a conference-presentation on this one… but perhaps I should?
🙂 Anja
p.s. my website is somniavero.wordpress.com – some of it even in English (I’m German)