25 Hidden Literary References in Popular Culture

When Shakespeare Goes Undercover on TV

You’d be shocked to discover just how many of your favorite shows are secretly retelling Shakespeare. Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Summer has said his series, following a biker gang in the town of Charming, California, was heavily inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Using Jax Teller, the focal gang’s conflicted leader, as a stand-in for the morally compromised Prince of Denmark, the award-winning FX drama directly referenced Hamlet in numerous episode titles across its seven-season stint. The biker gang world might seem worlds apart from Danish royalty, but both deal with revenge, betrayal, and family secrets. What’s even more clever is how Sons of Anarchy has also drawn parallels between other Shakespearean works, namely Macbeth through the gang matriarch Gemma’s chilling similarities to the ruthless, scheming Lady Macbeth. It’s like watching a Shakespearean tragedy unfold in leather jackets and on motorcycles. In fact, its creator makes it clear when he uses a direct quote from this play in the Sons Of Anarchy finale: “Doubt thou the stars are fire;”

Disney’s Secret Literary DNA in The Lion King

Though originally pitched as “Bambi in Africa,” according to director Rob Minkoff, the 1994 Disney classic The Lion King slowly started resembling the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet once the creatives mapped out the film’s plot. The parallels are staggering when you think about it. Simba’s father dies at the hands of his scheming uncle Scar, who then marries into the family power structure. Just like Hamlet, Simba is visited by his father’s ghost, urging him to reclaim his rightful place. The movie even includes themes of guilt, responsibility, and the weight of living up to your father’s legacy. What makes this reference particularly brilliant is how Disney managed to take one of literature’s darkest tragedies and turn it into a beloved children’s film. They kept all the psychological complexity but wrapped it in colorful animation and catchy songs. Lion cub Simba and the melancholic Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, have much more in common than you might think.

Game of Thrones’ Hidden Shakespeare Collection

George R.R. Martin didn’t just write fantasy – he created a massive love letter to Shakespeare. Shakespearean Inspiration: Henry VI Parts 1-3, Richard III, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Hamlet. George R.R. Martin seems to have been inspired by many of Shakespeare’s works for ASoIaF. The Starks war against the Lannisters mirrors the historical conflicts between the House of York and the House of Lancaster depicted in Shakespeare’s Henry VI Parts 1-3 and Richard III. The author wasn’t shy about his influences either. The author has explicitly mentioned Richard III as an influence. Martin also drew upon the plays for character inspiration. Tyrion shares many qualities with Richard III, Robert Baratheon has roots in Falstaff, and Ned Stark could be Banquo from Macbeth. It’s like Martin took Shakespeare’s greatest hits and transplanted them into a world of dragons and ice zombies. The political intrigue, family betrayals, and moral ambiguity that made Shakespeare’s histories so compelling found new life in Westeros.

House of Cards Steals from Macbeth’s Playbook

Frank Underwood isn’t just a corrupt politician – he’s Lady Macbeth in a suit. So what does House of Cards take from Macbeth? Well, it’s more or less the same story, except that Frank Underwood is a bad man from the start, whereas Macbeth loses his mind. Underwood breaks the fourth wall, as characters do in Shakespeare, and Claire Underwood is most obviously Lady Macbeth. The ambition, the murder, the guilt, and the ultimate downfall – it’s all there. What’s particularly clever is how the show updates Macbeth’s themes for modern politics. Instead of witches’ prophecies, we get political polls and media manipulation. Some have pointed out Frank’s villainy makes him more akin to Richard III than Macbeth. The show proves that Shakespeare’s insights into power and corruption are as relevant today as they were 400 years ago.

Orwell’s 1984 Everywhere You Look

Some literary critics would even go so far as to say no other piece of literature is more relevant to politics than Orwell’s masterpiece ‘1984.’ It’s impossible to talk about authoritarianism, mass surveillance, state propaganda, and falsification of truth without referencing Orwell’s work. ‘Doublethink,’ ‘Thoughtcrime,’ ‘Newspeak,’ ‘Big Brother’ are terms inspired by his work and have entered modern parlance as signs of a dystopian future and state-sponsored totalitarianism. From Black Mirror episodes to political commentary, 1984’s fingerprints are all over modern culture. The scary part is how often real-world events seem to mirror Orwell’s fictional dystopia. While some thought 1984 was based on the Soviet Union, it still finds relevance today and for times to come as a warning against authoritarian narratives. Every time someone mentions “Big Brother” or talks about “doublethink,” they’re referencing a novel written in 1948 that feels more relevant than ever. George Orwell’s satirical allegorical classic novella follows a group of farm animals as they rebel against their farmers, in hopes of creating a society where all animals are equal. But of course, “some animals are more equal than others.” The film adaptation is set to be released on July 11, with Andy Serkis as its director.

The Matrix Takes Alice Down the Rabbit Hole

When Morpheus tells Neo to “follow the white rabbit,” he’s not just being cryptic – he’s quoting Lewis Carroll. The entire Matrix concept is built on Alice in Wonderland’s foundation. Neo’s journey from ordinary Thomas Anderson to “The One” mirrors Alice’s tumble into a world where nothing is as it seems. The red pill/blue pill choice echoes Alice’s decisions at every turn in Wonderland. Even the phrase “down the rabbit hole” has become synonymous with entering the Matrix world. The movie takes Carroll’s themes of reality versus illusion and amplifies them through a cyberpunk lens. What makes this reference particularly effective is how both stories question the nature of reality itself. Carroll’s mathematical background gave Alice in Wonderland its logical puzzles and paradoxes, while the Wachowskis used similar concepts to explore digital reality and human consciousness.

Fight Club’s Underground Philosophy Lessons

Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club contains layers of literary references that most viewers miss entirely. The most significant is its connection to Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, which explores themes of alienation, nihilism, and the modern man’s struggle against society. Both works feature unnamed narrators who reject conventional social structures and create alternate identities to cope with their existential crisis. The narrator’s split personality in Fight Club mirrors the psychological divisions explored in Russian literature. Tyler Durden represents the Nietzschean “overman” concept, rejecting societal norms and creating his own moral framework. The movie’s critique of consumer culture and masculine identity draws heavily from 19th-century existentialist philosophy. What’s brilliant is how Palahniuk took these heavy philosophical concepts and wrapped them in accessible, visceral storytelling. The underground fight clubs serve as a modern version of Dostoevsky’s underground man’s rebellion against rational society.

Blade Runner’s Poetic Soul from William Blake

Roy Batty’s famous “tears in rain” speech wasn’t just improvised emotion – it was inspired by William Blake’s poetry. The connection to Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence” with its line “To see a world in a grain of sand” gives the replicant’s final moments their profound depth. Blake’s Romantic poetry emphasized the importance of individual experience and emotion over cold rationality, which perfectly matches Roy’s desperate desire to be remembered. The movie uses Blake’s themes of innocence versus experience, with the replicants representing a new form of consciousness trying to understand mortality. What makes this reference so powerful is how it elevates a science fiction action movie into a meditation on what makes us human. Blake’s concern with spiritual vision and transcendence finds new meaning in a world where artificial beings can experience beauty and loss. The poetry transforms Roy’s death from simple villain comeuppance into something genuinely tragic and moving.

Video Games Hide Dostoyevsky and Camus

Granted, to say that Neuromancer is straightforwardly a novel about video games is wrong, but only as wrong as arguing Gibson’s famous passage here (and all those concepts and characters subsequently derived) is not contingent upon machphrasis’ ability to ground literary techno-futures. This is one example of machphrasis recovering the literary sense of the video game as it emerged from the mid-1980s in texts like Neuromancer and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game (1985), delivering insight into the potential forms and focusses these writers saw the video game possessing in the future. Modern games like Disco Elysium are packed with existential themes reminiscent of Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoevsky. The protagonist’s internal struggles with addiction, politics, and meaning echo the tortured characters found in Crime and Punishment and The Stranger. BioShock’s underwater dystopia directly critiques Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and objectivism, turning a philosophical treatise into interactive entertainment. In this episodic story-driven game that plays like a YA novel, Maxine Caulfield is a photography student who discovers that she can rewind time at any moment. “I couldn’t resist writing down all the literary references scattered through the game as I eagerly played through it.” – Eric Smith, “A Spoiler-Free, Book Lover’s Guide to Life Is Strange,” Book Riot These aren’t just surface-level references – they’re integral to the games’ storytelling and player experience.

The Simpsons’ Sneaky Literary Genius

The chalkboard gag “I will not waste chalk” in “Bart the Genius” references Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, symbolizing the futility of repetitive tasks. This isn’t just a throwaway joke – it’s a sophisticated commentary on education systems and the absurdity of modern life. The Simpsons writers consistently slip high-brow literary references into seemingly simple comedy. Homer’s various philosophical musings often echo classical literature without the audience realizing it. The show’s portrayal of Springfield as a microcosm of American society draws from satirical traditions dating back to Jonathan Swift. What makes these references brilliant is their accessibility – you don’t need to understand Camus to laugh at Bart’s punishment, but recognizing the reference adds another layer of meaning. The show proves that popular entertainment can be both deeply funny and intellectually sophisticated without alienating its audience.

Westworld’s Shakespearean Violence

The phrase “These violent delights have violent ends” from Romeo and Juliet becomes a central theme in Westworld, foreshadowing the chaos to come. Shakespeare’s line about the destructive nature of intense pleasure perfectly captures the show’s exploration of artificial consciousness and human desires. The quote serves as both a trigger phrase for the hosts and a philosophical statement about the park’s ultimate purpose. Westworld uses Shakespeare to explore themes of free will, destiny, and the nature of consciousness – all central concerns in the Bard’s work. The show’s complex narrative structure, with its multiple timelines and unreliable perspectives, mirrors the layered storytelling found in Shakespeare’s more experimental plays. What’s particularly clever is how the series uses Shakespeare’s most famous love story to examine the relationship between creators and their creations. The “violent delights” become not just romantic passion but the dangerous thrill of playing god with artificial life.

Rick and Morty’s Swift Satirical Universe

“The Ricks Must Be Crazy” episode parodies Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels with its concept of worlds within worlds, each containing civilizations unaware of their larger context. The microverse battery Rick creates mirrors Swift’s satirical technique of using scale to comment on human nature and society. Just as Gulliver encounters societies that reflect and critique his own world, Rick discovers that his power source contains entire civilizations with their own Rick-like characters. The episode uses Swift’s method of using fantastical situations to expose human folly and arrogance. Rick’s godlike attitude toward the microverse inhabitants reflects Swift’s critique of colonialism and human hubris. What makes this reference particularly effective is how it maintains Swift’s satirical edge while updating the themes for contemporary audiences concerned with technology and environmental exploitation.

Batman’s Moby Dick Obsession

Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” references Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick by casting Batman as Captain Ahab and the Joker as the white whale. This isn’t just a surface comparison – it’s a fundamental reimagining of both characters through Melville’s themes of obsession and revenge. Batman’s relentless pursuit of the Joker mirrors Ahab’s monomaniacal hunt for the whale that destroyed his leg. Both characters are consumed by their quest, unable to let go of past trauma. The Joker, like Moby Dick, represents something beyond normal understanding – a force of chaos that can’t be reasoned with or fully comprehended. Miller uses Melville’s structure of obsession leading to destruction to explore Batman’s psychology. The reference adds tragic weight to Batman’s crusade – he’s not just a hero fighting crime, he’s a broken man whose quest might ultimately destroy him and those around him.

Black Mirror’s Digital Scarlet Letter

The “Nosedive” episode presents a modern take on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, where social media ratings replace the scarlet “A.” Both stories explore how society’s judgment can become a form of imprisonment, controlling behavior through shame and exclusion. Lacie’s desperate attempts to maintain her social score mirror Hester Prynne’s struggle with public condemnation. The episode updates Hawthorne’s themes about conformity, authenticity, and the destructive power of social judgment for the digital age. What makes this reference particularly relevant is how social media has created new forms of public shaming that Hawthorne could never have imagined. The episode shows how technology amplifies the worst aspects of human nature that Hawthorne identified in Puritan society. Both works ultimately suggest that true freedom comes from rejecting society’s artificial standards and embracing authentic self-expression.

Breaking Bad’s Biblical Fall from Grace

Walter White’s transformation echoes Milton’s Paradise Lost – a man choosing evil despite knowing better, becoming the architect of his own damnation. Like Satan in Milton’s epic, Walter begins with seemingly noble intentions but gradually reveals his true pride and ambition. The show’s structure mirrors Paradise Lost’s narrative of fall and corruption, with Walter’s initial cancer diagnosis serving as his expulsion from innocent suburban life. Vince Gilligan uses Milton’s themes about the nature of evil and free will to explore how ordinary people can become monsters. Walter’s famous line “I am the danger” echoes Satan’s defiant pride in the face of divine justice. The show demonstrates how Milton’s insights into human nature remain relevant in contemporary America. What makes this reference particularly powerful is how it elevates a crime drama into a moral allegory about the corruption of the American dream.

The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Nostalgic Literature

Wes Anderson’s film structure mimics Stefan Zweig’s nostalgic, layered narratives, particularly “The World of Yesterday.” Both works use memory and storytelling as ways of preserving a vanished world. The hotel itself becomes a symbol of European civilization on the brink of destruction, much like the Austria-Hungary that Zweig mourned in his memoirs. Anderson captures Zweig’s bittersweet tone – a mixture of elegance and melancholy that recognizes beauty while acknowledging its fragility. The film’s nested narrative structure, with stories within stories, mirrors Zweig’s technique of using personal anecdotes to illuminate larger historical changes. Both artists understood that style and civilization are precious but temporary achievements that must be celebrated even as they fade. The movie serves as both homage to Zweig’s literary style and continuation of his project of preserving European culture through art.

Pulp Fiction’s Twisted Biblical Redemption

Jules’ “Ezekiel 25:17” speech is a fictionalized version of the Bible, but the theme of redemption mirrors Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Both works explore how violence and moral awakening can transform a character’s worldview. Jules’ journey from hitman to wandering philosopher parallels Raskolnikov’s path from murderer to repentant believer. Tarantino uses the structure of religious conversion narrative to give weight to Jules’ character arc. The movie’s non-linear timeline mirrors the psychological complexity found in Russian literature, where past actions continue to haunt characters in unexpected ways. What makes this reference particularly effective is how it treats popular entertainment as capable of profound moral questioning. Like Dostoevsky, Tarantino suggests that redemption is possible even for the most violent characters, but it requires genuine transformation rather than simple regret.

Music’s Hidden Literary DNA

Literary references can be found all throughout pop music and adds depth to what may appear to be just a catchy tune. Here is a list of 20 popular songs whose lyrics reference or are inspired by great works of literature David Bowie’s “1984” pays direct homage to George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, while Iron Maiden’s “Brave New World” draws from Aldous Huxley’s vision of pharmaceutical-controlled society. Lana Del Rey’s “Off to the Races” references Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial “Lolita” with the line “Light of my life, fire of my loins.” These aren’t just name-drops – they’re genuine engagements with literary themes and ideas. The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” takes inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter” from Alice Through the Looking Glass. Taylor Swift reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending in “Love Story,” proving that literary references can be both popular and commercially successful.

Video Games as Digital Literature

As a combination of the visual enterprise of film and the innovative structure of graphic novels, video games are able to do things with narrative that no other medium has done before. Read more about the transforming landscape of video game narrative in Randy Joly’s article “Video Games: Developing a New Narrative,” and check out the list below for five game recommendations based on their coordinating literary genres. The Witcher series draws from Slavic mythology and Arthurian legend, creating a rich tapestry of literary references. Dark Souls’ bleak world draws inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror and the dark fantasy manga Berserk. Developers love to hide references to other media in their video games — here are some of the funniest examples. Over the years, video game fans have been quick to notice various Easter eggs placed in the game by the developers. Many Easter eggs found in games, especially more modern ones, make reference to other popular media outside the game’s world. Many of these hidden secrets in games are references to popular movies, TV shows, historical events, or celebrities. Final Fantasy VI’s opera scene is a direct homage to Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Shakespearean tragedy, proving that games can be as culturally sophisticated as any traditional art form.

The Office’s Art of War Misquotes

Michael Scott’s butchering of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” with lines like “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘war'” represents a perfect example of how literary references can be used for comedy. The humor comes from the contrast between the ancient text’s serious strategic wisdom and Michael’s complete misunderstanding of its meaning. This type of reference works because it assumes audience familiarity with both the original text and the character’s personality