Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the practice of referring to another text

According to postmodernism, all stories have already been told, which makes it impossible to create anything original. Every text is merely a copy. Postmodern texts express this through a device called intertextuality. 

“Inter” means “between”, and intertextuality is something that goes on between texts. When a text includes a reference to another text, it is intertextuality. This reference can be anything from just a famous quote to the borrowing of characters or even plots. For the readers to fully appreciate this, they must know the text referred to. Intertextuality is sometimes closely linked to pastiche as pastiche can be one way of expressing intertextuality. 

Another function of intertextuality is to make the readers aware that what they are reading is merely fiction. This is closely linked to metafiction.

William Shakespeare’s many plays are among texts that are often referred to via intertextuality. For instance, the movie Shakespeare in Love (1998) borrows some of its plot and characters from

 Romeo and Juliet. The tv series Upstart C...