Other word for 'spiel' [closed]
I am writing an English essay about Shakespeare.
The sentence(s) I am having trouble with:
We've read it, we've heard it, we've seen it. We know the Shakespeare spiel.
The difficulty I am having and what I've tried:
I don't know whether 'spiel' is an appropriate word. I've tried replacing it with the word 'deal' as well (e.g. We know the deal with teenagers in modern society), but it just doesn't seem to work. These are the two opening sentences of my essay and I need something that hooks the reader. Can you suggest any better words for 'spiel'?
As "spiel" is usually disapproving, it is probably better that you decided to avoid it. Whereas "spiel" connotes the idea of persuasive talk, "deal" connotes that of "arrangement"; we must presume that an arrangement of ideas is the concept intended and if that is the basis for persuasive talk there is not yet contained in this term the reference to persuasion, which, apparently, is an important notion to preserve. Accordingly, "deal" does not appear to be an ideal replacement. A term that has none of the defects of the two examined is the formal "rhetoric" (the skill of using language in speech or writing in a special way that influences or entertains people (Shorter OED)).
- We've read it, we've heard it, we've seen it. We know the Shakespeare rhetoric.
There is an ample use of the term "rhetoric of Shakespeare" in the literature (criticism) whereas "Shakespeare rhetoric" has no currency and therefore you might prefer, if opting for this replacement, to use the usual term.
- We've read it, we've heard it, we've seen it. We know the rhetoric of Shakespeare.
How about line? From Cambridge:
line: a way of dealing with or thinking about something or someone
Your example:
We've read it, we've heard it, we've seen it. We know the Shakespeare line.
Line here communicates the sense that educators and others follow pretty much the same line when it comes to the significance of Shakespeare and his work. It sounds to me that you might want to take issue with that in your essay. If so, you could also consider party line, where the "party" here would correspond to those who've drunk the Shakespeare Kool-Aid.
As per Lexico, a spiel is an elaborate or glib speech or story, typically one used by a salesperson (UK), or a long or fast speech or story, typically one intended as a means of persuasion or as an excuse but regarded with skepticism or contempt by those who hear it (US). Line means a way of thinking about something, in your case Shakespeare. It is not an elaborate, glib, long, or fast speech or story; is not primarily intended to persuade; and is not generally regarded with skepticism or contempt by those who hear it -- it's not a sales job. In these senses, it would seem that line works better than spiel.