CREATIVE WRITING

Name of Learner: Grade Level:

Strand & Section: Date:

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

LITERARY DEVICE: INTERTEXTUALITY

Background Information for Learners

Intertextuality is a literary device that creates an interrelationship between

texts and generates related understanding in separate works. These references
are made to influence the reader and add layers of depth to a text, based on the
readers’ prior knowledge and understanding. There are intertextual frameworks
(references) at work that are less obvious or direct. The assignment of a text to
a genre provides the audience of the text with a key intertextual framework. Each
example of a genre utilizes conventions that link it to other members of that genre.
             Intertextuality is a literary discourse strategy (Gadavanij, n.d.) utilized by
writers in novels, poetry, theatre, and even in non-written texts (such as
performances and digital media/movies). Examples of intertextuality are an
author's borrowing and transformation of a prior text, from the text (novel) to stage
performance(drama) to film/movie and a reader's referencing of one text in
reading another through elements like characters, plot, theme, symbolism, and
others. Every text (and we can insert any cultural object here: image, film, web
content, music, etc.) 
            The definition of intertextuality was created by the French semiotician Julia
Kristeva in the 1960s. She created the term from the Latin word intertexto, which
means “to intermingle while weaving.” Kristeva argued that all works of literature
being produced contemporarily are intertextual with the works that came before it.
As she stated, “[A]ny text,” she argues, “is constructed of a mosaic of quotations;
any text is the absorption and transformation of another.”
             Intertextuality can be produced in texts using a variety of functions
including allusion, quotation, and referencing. For example, the allusion (a
reference to something often without explicitly naming it; often it is what is referred
to as a "casual or passing mention.") of the events in “Beauty and the Beast” to
“Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet”. They are different texts, but one can be used
as a reference text (referencing) to the other to understand parallel themes,
situations, and events. Another example is the Simpsons - Almost every episode
of The Simpsons contains at least one film reference to a famous film scene. The
Simpsons also contain intertextual references to politics, religion – nearly every
aspect of social, political, and cultural life.
 

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            We use different examples of intertextuality frequently in common speech,
such as allusions like the following:
 He was lying so obviously; you could almost see his nose growing. (with
reference to the story of Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he
told a lie). He is asking her to the prom. It’s like a happy version of Romeo
and Juliet. (with reference to the love story of Romeo and Juliet, a
romantic but turned out into a tragic ending)
 It’s hard being an adult! Peter Pan had the right idea. (with reference to
Peter Pan as a child who doesn’t grow old and leave a childhood life--a
story originally written by J. M. Barrie and performed on stage in 1904)

Anytime that you are reminded of another piece of literature (arts, stories,
movies, poems) if you look at something that you read or watch and reminds you
to recall back to another piece of work, then it is intertextuality. Every text (and
we can insert any cultural object here: image, film, web content, music, etc.) 

Tips in identifying and analyzing intertextuality:

a. Read the passage to identify any clear intertextual references to literature,
music, art, film, or another text type.

b. Research or use your knowledge of the text you have identified and find
any themes or messages that can be linked to your current text.

c. Recognize the significance of using this reference.

- How does it compliment the author’s intended message?
- Does it deepen your current understanding and perspective of the text?

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Learning Competency

MELC: Understand intertextuality as a technique of drama (S1Q2)

CG: HUMSS_CW/MPIj-IIc-16

Directions and Instructions

Hello, learner! You are about to check your learning/s on the different topics under
the intertextuality as a technique of drama. (1-Load, 2-Engage, 3-Advance, 4-Refine,
5-Nurture). Just follow the instructions given for every task.

LEARNING CONTRACT
AGREEMENT: By signing the contract, you are hereby accepting the responsibility to finish the activity
package and submit it to your teacher (____________________) on (____________________).

LOAD

Activity 1. Directions: Arrange the jumbled letters in Colum A to form a word. Then,
match each word to its corresponding definition/description in Column B.

A B
_______ 1. A M R A D a. The shaping of a text’s
DRAMA meaning by another text

_______ 2. N E R G E b. A play for theatre, radio or

GENRE television

_______ 3. R I N T E c. A particular type of literature,

INTER painting, music or other form of
_______ 4. Y T E X T U A L I T arts
TEXTUALITY
d. The quality or use of the
_______ 5. ITERNYTEXTUALIT characteristic of the written
INTER-TEXTUALITY form

e. A prefix from Latin which

means “between” or “among”

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 ENGAGE

Activity 2. Directions: Read the following statements below. Write TRUE if the
statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

1. TRUE Intertextuality is the shaping of a text’s meaning by another text.

2. FALSE Some works of literature are intertextual, meaning they come after it.
3. TRUE Genre provides the readers of the text with a key intertextual
framework.
4. TRUE Intertextual figures include allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism,
translation and parody.
5. TRUE Intertextuality is used to understand deeper meaning concepts and
elements of the text through a reference to other texts.

ADVANCE

Activity 3. Directions: Read the texts below and identify the part/s which relate/s
text/genre to other text/genre. Write your answer in the space provided.

1: A Tempest (By Aime Cesaire)

Aime Cesaire’s play A Tempest is an adaptation of The Tempest by William

Shakespeare. The author parodies Shakespeare’s play from a post-colonial point
of view. Cesaire also changes the occupations and races of his characters. For
example, he transforms the occupation of Prospero, who was a magician, into a
slave-owner, and also changes Ariel into a Mulatto, though he was a spirit.
Cesaire, like Rhys, makes use of a famous work of literature, and put a spin on it
in order to express the themes of power, slavery, and colonialism.

Answer:___________________________________________________________
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2: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (By C. S. Lewis)

In this case, C. S. Lewis adapts the idea of Christ’s crucifixion in

his fantasy novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He, very shrewdly,
weaves together the religious and entertainment themes for a children’s book.
Lewis uses an important event from The New Testament, transforming it into a
story about redemption. In doing so, he uses Edmund, a character that betrays his
savior, Aslan. Generally, the motive of this theme is to introduce other themes,
such as evil actions, losing innocence, and redemption.

Answer:___________________________________________________________
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 _________________________________________________________________

3: For Whom the Bell Tolls (By Earnest Hemingway)

In the following example, Hemingway uses intertextuality for the title of his novel.
He takes the title of a poem, Meditation XVII, written by John Donne. The excerpt
of this poem reads:

“No man is an island … and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it
tolls for thee.”

Hemingway not only uses this excerpt for the title of his novel, he also makes use
of the idea in the novel, as he clarifies and elaborates the abstract philosophy of
Donne by using the concept of the Spanish Civil War. By the end, the novel
expands other themes, such as loyalty, love, and camaraderie.

Answer:___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

REFINE

Activity 4. Directions: Read the excerpt from Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and
answer the questions that follow.

Her only gift was knowing people almost by in-stinct, she thought, walking on.
If you put her in a room with some one, up went her back like a cat's; or she purred.
Devonshire House, Bath House, the house with the china cockatoo, she had seen
them all lit up once; and remembered Sylvia, Fred, Sally Seton-such hosts of people;
and dancing all night; and the waggons plodding past to market; and driving home
across the Park. She remembered once throwing a shilling into the Serpentine. But
every one remembered; what she loved was this, here, now, in front of her; the fat
lady in the cab. Did it matter then, she asked herself, walk-ing towards Bond Street,
did it matter that she must in-evitably cease completely; all this must go on without
her; did she resent it; or did it not become consoling to believe that death ended
absolutely? but that somehow in the streets of London, on the ebb and flow of
things, here, there, she survived, Peter survived, lived in each other, she being part,
she was positive, of the trees at home; of the house there, ugly, rambling all to bits
and pieces as it was; part of people she had never met; being laid out like a mist
between the people she knew best, who lifted her on their branches as she had
seen the trees lift the mist, but it spread ever so far, her life, her-self. But what was
she dreaming as she looked into Hatchards' shop window? What was she trying to

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re-cover? What image of white dawn in the country, as she read in the book spread
open:

Fear no more the heat o' the sun Nor the furious winter's rages.

This late age of the world's experience had bred in them all, all men and women, a
well of tears. Tears and sorrows; courage and endurance; a perfectly upright and
stoical bearing. Think, for example, of the woman she admired most, Lady
Bexborough, opening the bazaar.

1. From the excerpt above, in which lines does Woolf use intertextuality? From
what literary piece does it come from?

2. What theme/s can you infer from the excerpt which seems to be similar theme
to other text?

3. What aspect in your life or experience does the excerpt similar?

4. What film/movie do you relate to the excerpt read? Justify your answer.

5. How did you deepen your current understanding of the text?

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NURTURE
Activity 5. Directions: Do the following tasks given below that relate to
intertextuality.

Topic: INTERTEXTUALITY
Text Video/Pictures
Title: Love Story Lyrics Title: Music Video of Love Story
Author: Taylor Swift Author: Taylor Swift
We were both young when I first saw you Click and watch:
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
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I'm standin' there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie_E
On a balcony in summer air (copy of the video will be given to the
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns
See you make your way through the crowd
students)
And say, "Hello"
Little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
And I was cryin' on the staircase
Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while, oh oh
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
But you were everything to me
I was beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Romeo, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Oh, oh
I got tired of waiting
Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said
Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you, but you never come
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said, "Marry me, Juliet
You'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
'Cause we were both young when I first saw you

Task 1. Underline the lyrics of that song that relate to any text or literature from the past.

Task 2. What intertextuality concepts relate between the lyrics of the song and the
video/pictures.
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 _____________________________________________________________________________
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Task 3. What intertextuality concepts in both lyrics and Video/picture are similar to any
situation or experience in life?
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Reflection:

Reflect on what you have learned after taking up this lesson by completing the
K-W-L chart below.

What I KNOW What I WANT to know What I have LEARNED

I thought that … I want to … I learned that …

References

 "Definition of Intertextuality", "Dictionary.com", Retrieved on 15 March 2018

 Fitzsimmons, John (2013). "Romantic and contemporary poetry: readings".
moodle.cqu.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-03-15
 Jacobmeyer, Hannah. "Ever After: A study in intertextuality", Carl Hanser
Verlag, 1998. Retrieved on 15 March 2018
 Ivanić, Roz (1998). Writing and identity: The discoursal construction of
identity in academic writing. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins
Publishing Co.
 MAYER, ROLF (1990). "Abstraction, Context, and Perspectivization –
Evidentials in Discourse Semantics". Theoretical Linguistics. 16 (2–
3). doi:10.1515/thli.1990.16.2-3.101. ISSN 0301-4428
 https://thewritepractice.com/intertextuality-as-a-literary-device/
 Literary Devices: Definition and Examples of Literary Terms. Retrieved from:
https://literarydevices.net/intertextuality/
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Answer Key:

Activity 1.
b 1. DRAMA
c 2. GENRE
e 3. INTER
d 4. TEXTUALITY
a 5. INTERTEXTUALITY

Activity 2.
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. TRUE
4. TRUE
5. TRUE

Activity 3. (Answers may vary)

1. The adaptation of “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare to Aime

Cesaire’s play “ A Tempes”t . Cesaire makes parody on changing the
occupations and races of his characters. Cesaire uses the themes of power,
slavery, and colonialism like in any work of literature.

2. Adaptation of the idea of Christ’s crucifixion in C. S.

Lewis’ fantasy novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The use an
important event from The New Testament, transforming it into a story about
redemption. The use of characters to display betrayal to a savior. The
introduction of themes, such as evil actions, losing innocence, and redemption
which is similar to the themes in the new testament
3. The adaption of an excerpt of a poem “Meditation XVII” written by John Donne
as a title of a novel title. Use of idea in novel to clarify themes like
such as loyalty, love, and camaraderie which is also evident in the poem.

Activity 4.
1. From the excerpt above, Woolf uses intertextuality in these lines:
“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun
Nor the furious winter’s rages.”
This is a quote from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline.

2. Mrs. Dalloway explores notions of death, mortality, and innocence. On the

other hand, Cymbeline follows a story of false identities, poisoning, war and
deception which is seemingly alike to death that is explored in Woolf’s
masterpiece.

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 3. In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf explores the different relationships people have with
death to comment on how we need to be unafraid of death to ensure that we
live life without any boundaries. From this, we can see that her intertextual
reference directly compliments her intended message.

4. Yes. From this, we can gather that fear of death is a common experience and
it is necessary that we overcome it. Because the quote is consistently
repeated throughout the novel, it serves as a constant reminder of Woolf’s
message. This is how she highlights its importance.

Activity 5. (Answers vary)

Task 1

We were both young when I first saw you

I close my eyes and the flashback starts
I'm standin' there
On a balcony in summer air
See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns
See you make your way through the crowd
And say, "Hello"
Little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
And I was cryin' on the staircase
Beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet, 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while, oh oh
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"
But you were everything to me
I was beggin' you, "Please don't go, " and I said
Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Romeo, save me, they're tryna tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Oh, oh
I got tired of waiting
Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around
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 My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said
Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you, but you never come
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring
And said, "Marry me, Juliet
You'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
'Cause we were both young when I first saw you

Task 2

Picture 1: The song relates to Romeo and Juliet in the movie or in the novel. Taylor
Swift is Juliet waiting for Romeo at the balcony.

Picture 2: The setting of the video and in the movie is a formal dancing within the
ballroom.

Picture 3: They try to sneak out and live the people who is against them similar to the
conflict in the movie.

Picture 4: The man who acts as “ Romeo” in the movie and novel and also in the
video by Taylor Swift.

Prepared by:

DYANNA T. MABAZZA
Senior High School Teacher III
Calaoagan Dackel National High School

JACK JOCK RIGONAN, PhD

Senior High School Teacher III
Bukig National Agricultural & Technical School

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