Seems like Journey to the West is referenced and copied so much in Eastern cultures without any fear of it getting old or going stale.
Is there something similar for Westerners? Is there some Shakespearean story we keep re-imagining again and again without shame?
If by “western” you mean “everything west of China”, then the Shahnameh.
If you mean “European/Mediterranean”, then Homer.
If you specifically mean “western Europe”, then yeah—probably Shakespeare.
If you’re okay restricting it to Britain, someone mentioned King Arthur.