--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Greeks used to use the same stories…" description: "\"The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was no premium placed upon an original story, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png" --- # The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same… ![“The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was no premium placed upon an original story, and indeed, Shakespeare likewise. A lot of people wrote plays about great kings. They didn't expect a brand-new story. It was what that new author…” quote by Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png) > “The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was no premium placed upon an original story, and indeed, Shakespeare likewise. A lot of people wrote plays about great kings. They didn't expect a brand-new story. It was what that new author made of the old story. It is probably the same now. We disguise it by inventing what seem to be new stories, but they're basically the same story anyway.” [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories are retellings of timeless archetypes; originality lies in reinterpretation, not invention. **In simple terms:** All stories are variations of old myths. Key Takeaway Focus on fresh perspectives rather than novelty. Themes creativity tradition originality mythology Mood reflective analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - teaching - film adaptation - marketing - publishing Key Concepts intertextuality cultural memory Questions to Reflect On - What old story can you reinterpret today? - How do you balance homage and innovation? A Different Perspective New narratives still risk being derivative without unique insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brand new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brand-new/) [Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brands/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Disguise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguise/) [Greek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek/) [Inventing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventing/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Old Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-story-805749/) [Original Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-story-1143115/) [Originals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Premium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/premium/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-new-254083/) [Story Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-shakespeare-721333/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Wrote Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-plays-641148/) ## Related quotes > [All we ever want is a story, that's all you want. So, you give a fairly long speech to somebody to tell a story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-fricker/all-we-ever-want-is-a-story-that-s-all-you-want-so-you-give-a-fairly/) [Brenda Fricker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-fricker/) > [“but what is true in it, so it seemed to me, reviewing the story of Shakespeare’s sister as I had made it, is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-what-is-true-in-it-so-it-seemed-to-me-reviewing-the-story-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Nobody with any real sense of humor \*can\* write a love story. . . . Shakespeare is the exception that proves the rule. (90-91)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-with-any-real-sense-of-humor-can-write-a-love-story/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The World is a very old place, so you'll never be able to tell a completely original story”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/the-world-is-a-very-old-place-so-you-ll-never-be-able-to-tell-a/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [I'd like to think that if you find your audience there are still opportunities there to go and tell an original story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-verbinski/i-d-like-to-think-that-if-you-find-your-audience-there-are-still/) [Gore Verbinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-verbinski/) > [Studios, to cut through the clutter, want recognisable titles. But that does not excuse you, as a writer, from having an original story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-orci/studios-to-cut-through-the-clutter-want-recognisable-titles-but-that/) [Roberto Orci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-orci/) > [When I write an original story I write about people I know first-hand and situations I'm familiar with. I don't write stories about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satyajit-ray/when-i-write-an-original-story-i-write-about-people-i-know-first-hand/) [Satyajit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satyajit-ray/) > [I was in Siena and decided I wanted to write a story set there. Then I discovered that the original story of Romeo and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/i-was-in-siena-and-decided-i-wanted-to-write-a-story-set-there-then-i/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [In any culture, if information is to maximise in a contextual space, and new meanings be born, the original story has to have substance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-foden/in-any-culture-if-information-is-to-maximise-in-a-contextual-space/) [Giles Foden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-foden/) > ['Fanboys' was the first real screenplay that I ever wrote that was an original story with my own characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/fanboys-was-the-first-real-screenplay-that-i-ever-wrote-that-was-an/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [I do not know if Alice in Wonderland was an original story-I was, at least, no conscious imitator in writing it-but I do know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/i-do-not-know-if-alice-in-wonderland-was-an-original-story-i-was-at/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [“It is true that the original of this story is put into new words, and the style of the famous lady we here speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/it-is-true-that-the-original-of-this-story-is-put-into-new-words-and/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“Discipline yourself to boil down your story/new business/philanthropic enterprise to a single page.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/discipline-yourself-to-boil-down-your-story-new-business/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [The story was such that I couldn't make a graceful ending and then make a graceful new beginning. I could have, but I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-vance/the-story-was-such-that-i-couldn-t-make-a-graceful-ending-and-then/) [Jack Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-vance/) > [I don't read or write SF for cutting edge ideas; I read and write it for the storytelling, and every story is new. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-brown/i-don-t-read-or-write-sf-for-cutting-edge-ideas-i-read-and-write-it/) [Erica Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-brown/) ## More by Arthur Miller > [If a person measures his spiritual fulfillment in terms of cosmic visions, surpassing peace of mind, or ecstasy, then he is not likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/if-a-person-measures-his-spiritual-fulfillment-in-terms-of-cosmic/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“If you can fall in love again and again, if you can forgive your parents for the crime of bringing you into the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/if-you-can-fall-in-love-again-and-again-if-you-can-forgive-your/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The wedding of Christianity or Judaism with nationalism is lethal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-wedding-of-christianity-or-judaism-with-nationalism-is-lethal/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“I know what's wrong with me - I could never stand still for death! Which you've got to do by a certain age, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-know-what-s-wrong-with-me-i-could-never-stand-still-for-death-which/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [You cannot catch a child's spirit by running after it; you must stand still and for love it will soon itself return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/you-cannot-catch-a-child-s-spirit-by-running-after-it-you-must-stand/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [ “(Looking at the letter in his hand) Then what is this if it isn’t telling me? Sure, \[Larry\] was my son. But I think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/looking-at-the-letter-in-his-hand-then-what-is-this-if-it-isn-t/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The two greatest plays ever written were Hamlet and Oedipus Rex, and they're both about father-son relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-two-greatest-plays-ever-written-were-hamlet-and-oedipus-rex-and/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [A character is defined by the kinds of challenges he cannot walk away from. And by those he has walked away from that cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/a-character-is-defined-by-the-kinds-of-challenges-he-cannot-walk-away/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [Everybody likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/everybody-likes-a-kidder-but-nobody-lends-him-money/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The American Dream is the largely unacknowledged screen in front of which all American writing plays itself out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-american-dream-is-the-largely-unacknowledged-screen-in-front-of/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“When it is recalled that until the Christian era the underworld was never regardded as a hostile area, that all gods were useful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/when-it-is-recalled-that-until-the-christian-era-the-underworld-was/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“Elizabeth, with great fear: I will fear nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/elizabeth-with-great-fear-i-will-fear-nothing/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-know-you-re-no-worse-than-most-men-but-i-thought-you-were-better-i/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [The best of our theater is standing on tiptoe, striving to see over the shoulders of father and mother. The worst is exploiting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-best-of-our-theater-is-standing-on-tiptoe-striving-to-see-over/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [“I only ask you one thing- don't trust nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/i-only-ask-you-one-thing-don-t-trust-nobody/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) [Explore all 322 Arthur Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) ## More Brand new quotes > [You make me feel brand new today. Even my day is full of trials and pain…Thanks for everything...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lantapi/you-make-me-feel-brand-new-today-even-my-day-is-full-of-trials-and/) [Richard Lantapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lantapi/) > [I like that you can easily flip the sheets over and have a different feel or vibe in your room. You don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/i-like-that-you-can-easily-flip-the-sheets-over-and-have-a-different/) [Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/) > [I have a twelve year old sex doll. Brand new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-a-twelve-year-old-sex-doll-brand-new/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [When I went to do "Carson" that night, they wanted us to do two songs, but we were a brand new band. "Conga" hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/when-i-went-to-do-carson-that-night-they-wanted-us-to-do-two-songs/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [There is something incomparably thrilling in first opening a brand new book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/there-is-something-incomparably-thrilling-in-first-opening-a-brand/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [For all the claims one hears about the liberating impact of the data-net, the truth is that it's wished on most of us a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brunner/for-all-the-claims-one-hears-about-the-liberating-impact-of-the-data/) [John Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brunner/) > [The era I love most is the Federal period, just after the Revolution and the formation of the United States. The birth of America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/the-era-i-love-most-is-the-federal-period-just-after-the-revolution/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [I, in my brand new body, which was not a woman's yet, told the stars my questions and thought God could really see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/i-in-my-brand-new-body-which-was-not-a-woman-s-yet-told-the-stars-my/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [“A broken Heart can become a Brand new start.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-cartwright/a-broken-heart-can-become-a-brand-new-start/) [Hazel Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-cartwright/) > [ Just like there's a hole in the ozone layer, there's a hole in the musical ecological layer \[wrt lack of successful "conscious" music\]... 'Traditional'… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-reid/just-like-there-s-a-hole-in-the-ozone-layer-there-s-a-hole-in-the/) [Vernon Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-reid/) > [Retirement: a brand new beginning! How wonderful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/retirement-a-brand-new-beginning-how-wonderful/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [Don't start your day with broken pieces of the past. Yesterday ended last night. Today is a brand new day and it's yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/don-t-start-your-day-with-broken-pieces-of-the-past-yesterday-ended/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [I just do business, I don't do friends. Brand new M1s and 9 M Ms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jadakiss/i-just-do-business-i-don-t-do-friends-brand-new-m1s-and-9-m-ms/) [Jadakiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jadakiss/) > [Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/every-morning-when-we-wake-up-we-have-twenty-four-brand-new-hours-to/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [I wish had a brand-new car so far, I got this hatchback and everywhere I go, yo I gets laughed at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skeelo/i-wish-had-a-brand-new-car-so-far-i-got-this-hatchback-and-everywhere/) [Skeelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skeelo/) [Browse all 285 Brand new quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brand-new/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was no premium placed upon an original story, and indeed, Shakespeare likewise. A lot of people wrote plays about great kings. They didn't expect a brand-new story. It was what that new author made of the old story. It is probably the same now. We disguise it by inventing what seem to be new stories, but they're basically the same story anyway.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Miller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories-the-same-mythology-time-after/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brand new" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories-the-same-mythology-time-after/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ba/arthur-miller-947_brand-new_the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories_1183870.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was…” — Arthur Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Miller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Greeks used to use the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories-the-same-mythology-time-after/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories-the-same-mythology-time-after/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```