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Expy/Theatre

The Zeroth Law of Trope Examples

  • An Epileptic Trees theory has argued that the Antonio of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is the same as the Antonio of The Merchant of Venice. Both seem to be homosexual and it's argued that the character of the the former, who is a sea captain, was able to become a wealthy merchant thanks to help from Sebastian and Viola.
  • Speaking of Shakespeare, not only does nearly every character in Romeo and Juliet correspond to one in West Side Story, so do many of the scenes:
    • Characters: Tony=Romeo, Maria=Juliet, Jets=Montagues, Sharks=Capulets, Bernado=Tybalt, Anita=Nurse/Lady Capulet, Riff=Mercutio, Chino=Paris, etc.
    • Scenes: the opening fight, Juliet/Maria's betrothal to Paris/Chino, Juliet's debut party=Maria's first dance, the balcony scene=the fire escape scene, Romeo & Juliet's elopement (The Friar corresponds to Doc)= Tony and Maria acting out a wedding, Tybalt/Bernado killing Mercutio/Riff, Romeo/Tony killing Tybalt/Bernado, the Nurse being taunted and insulted by the Montagues and thus unable to tell Romeo that Juliet's death is faked=Anita being assaulted by the Jets and thus lying about Maria's death, leading to Romeo/Tony's suicidal response.

Everyone Else

  • Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia, Ltd. features a Sir Edward Corcoran, KGB, who can be identified with Captain Corcoran of H.M.S. Pinafore - especially given that he sings part of the younger character's entrance song. Since Corcoran and Ralph Rackstraw switch places at the end of the earlier musical, it is a matter of some debate which of the two (if either) the older character is supposed to be.
    • Also from Gilbert and Sullivan, some believe that Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore may be an older, more jaded version of Dick Dauntless in Ruddigore.
  • In Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hoffmannsthal's opera Der Rosenkavalier, the Marschallin and Octavian are versions of the Countess and Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro.

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  1. Both scenarios were inspired by Arthur Brook's poem Romeus and Juliet, but the latter was a straight adaptation.
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