Yes, it is true that Shakespeare had taken ideas a created his plays. But most of those ideas were loosly based. Shakespeare was an amazing writer because he could take those stories and make them realate to everyone...royalty, middle class, and the lower class. There is no other person that could bring all of these levels of class into one area the way that Shakespeare did. He had timeless themes that reached everyone. Love, comedy, tragedy, magic, etc. And for Lisa that brought this topic up so long ago... might I tell you that Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Nights Dream right after Romeo and Juliet. The characters of Pyramus and THisby are a mockery of the play that HE wrote (which was a huge success). He was laughing at his own tragedy. SO yes, Shakespeare probably took a few liberty's with some of his plays...but who hasn't? How many movies and plays come out every year? There are No REAL original ideas anymore... So take Shakespeare and all other writers with stride and just enjoy!!