Intertextuality is a concept that may seem complicated at first, but once you understand it, it becomes a powerful tool for analyzing texts and interpreting media in the future. Here you will understand more of what intertextuality means, you will explore how it works, and why it is important to know about.

What is Intertextuality?

Put plainly, intertextuality refers to the ways in which texts—whether written, visual, or otherwise—are interconnected and influenced by other texts. It also seems as though intertextuality is a phenomenon that new texts influence or are a product of older texts. Essentially a part of intertextuality is that nothing new truly stands on its own. Have you ever been on social media and read a comment that said something along the lines of “I’ve never had an original thought or experience in my entire life”? This is something to think about when examining intertextuality because it is highly unlikely, if not impossible that you have had a completely original thought or experience. The same goes for people who have written literature, or people who have written songs, or made movies etc. Rather than existing in isolation, a text is shaped by and often builds on the meanings of previous texts.

Examples of Intertextualities

Intertextuality can take on many forms, one of them being direct references. As students, we are asked to refer to multiple sources for different reasons and then cite that work to give the creator credit. Sometimes, we are attempting to prove a point and sound believable or because we need the reader to understand something first before we continue. Essentially, we explicitly refer to these texts and borrow its language, themes, and/or ideas to propel our writing forward. These references that we make as students all the time are a form of intertextuality because they require the reader to recognize the earlier text in order to understand the new one.

Intertextuality is also present in parody films. Parodies are one of the clearest forms of intertextuality there is because it draws directly on another works style, characters, and themes to make a point. Think of a film like Scary Movie—while it mocks and imitates movies in the horror genre to produce something funny and engaging to watch, it is reworking elements from famous horror films. Specifically, think of Scary Movie (2000). This parody relies heavily on the viewer’s familiarity with the original work to make sense of the new version. Ghost face, the killer in the Screamfranchise looks exactly the same in Scary Movie with his costume and infamous mask to conceal his identity. Ghost Face also calls his future victims to taunt them, and he does the same in Scary Movie along with many other similarities and even direct references.

Another example of intertextuality can be found in the modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”. I remember watching Hamlet, a 2000’s film starring Ethan Hawk in high school and it seems to be a great example of intertextuality. If you’re not familiar, very broadly, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” is about the ghost of the king of Denmark telling his son to avenge his murder by killing the new King, which is Hamlet’s uncle. Intertwined in the story, there is Hamlet’s love interest, Ophelia (remember that name, you’ll need it for later). While the film makes some changes to the original play by Shakespeare, it does follow closely to the plot, just in a modern setting. Hamlet even delivers his famous full monologue “To be, or not to be” inside of a Blockbuster store. Essentially, the text influenced the film and just reshaped it.

Now, back to Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest in the play and film. Her character can be further explored through the lens of the song, “Ophelia” by the Lumineers. If you haven’t heard it already, go have a listen, it’s pretty catchy. This song by The Lumineers is inspired by Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” and there are lyrics within the song that directly connect to the plot of the play like “And I don’t feel no remorse/And you can’t see past my blindness,” which is similar to Ophelia’s undying love for Hamlet. The intertextual relationship between Hamlet and the Lumineers’ song illustrates how classic literature continues to influence and resonate with contemporary art forms. Through this interplay, we can see how intertextuality enriches our understanding of both the original work and its modern adaptations, allowing for deeper exploration of characters and themes.

What is the Importance of Intertextuality

Knowing about Intertextuality is important for many reasons. For one, it enhances our understanding of texts. By recognizing the connection between different works, it helps us to understand how texts build on and respond to one another which leads to a richer interpretation of texts because we can see the deeper layers of meaning that emerge from those references.

Understanding intertextuality also shows the evolution of ideas. To reference the example I used above about the Hamlet film and Shakespeare’s original play, we can see how themes of love, death, etc. are carried out in different texts from different times. We can also see how many texts are adaptations of older texts, which can help us better examine and explore how things are passed down over time in film, literature, music, etc.

Additionally, understanding intertextuality is important because it allows us to give ourselves some grace as creators and thinkers and improves our writing. In a world that often praises originality, it can be intimidating to use others’ ideas, but intertextuality teaches us that it is not only acceptable, it is essential. Remixing, critiquing, and expanding on existing ideas is a natural part of intellectual growth. When you write a synthesis paper—which you will need to do for this class— you will have to take information from various sources and apply it to your work— which is a direct form of intertextuality by the way. This doesn’t mean that you’re stealing or copying, and it doesn’t mean that you’re taking the lazy way out; rather you’re engaging with the text. Drawing from other work can still be done creatively as long as you’re adding your own insights. So, don’t be afraid to reference other people work in your writing, just give them that credit in a works cited page, of course. So, remember the next time you write something for school, that to build an argument, you’ll have to reference earlier works and it will actually help you in building a stronger argument.

In sum, by recognizing how texts build on and influence one another, we gain a deeper understanding of texts, and we are able to engage with them in much more meaningful ways. Understanding intertextuality helps us become more confident creators and writers because we know that drawing from previous works is not a limitation or a flaw in our writing, but that it can actually help us contribute to an existing conversation or idea.