In the history of the arts, there exists a highly developed culture of remembrance. Myths, legends, and histories preserve fundamental human experiences, and artworks provide them with contemporary interpretation and form in every era. European dramatic literature is particularly rich in such reading and performance variations. The studies gathered here deal with the process of absorbing and reinterpreting such stories. Through five exemplary traditions—the ancient myth of Jupiter, Alcmene, and Amphitryon; the legend of the famous seducer and deceiver Don Juan; the bloodthirsty tale of the Shakespearean hero Titus Andronicus; as well as the histories of the Maid of Orléans and the controversial Russian Tsars Boris Godunov and Dmitri I.—this particular form of appropriation is described in detail. Thus, a panorama of significant theatrical texts from Plautus, Shakespeare, and Lope de Vega to Bertolt Brecht, Heiner Müller, and Peter Hacks is created.