The Anxiety of Influencs

All great artists are always working in response to a predecessor and ancestor and influence. They either carry on their work, they capitalize on it, or they do the work that their ancestor did not live long enough to do. Shakespeare's early influence was marlow, but he buried him. Tolstoy rails against shakespeare, and one feels a little bit of jealousy,. artistic, simmering jealousy, b below the surface. Because after shakespeare, tolstoy is in the ranks to be up there with him.