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One of the things that I liked about the book is its references to other plays in the Shakespearean canon. Ryan makes these references in two main ways. First, he has sectioned off parts of the story in which a character may read a story, for instance. North uses A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth as the two main digressions. These are offered much like a computer game might offer you a side-quest: a bit of fun but not compulsory.
The second way is in the alternative paths through the story. One of the ways North undermines the inevitability
of the tragedy, is to suggest alternative endings. In some instances the story morphs into something resembling another Shakespearean play. In one ending, Juliet even marries Orsino from Twelfth Night.