William Shakespeareis arguably the most important figure in literary history. Having written at least thirty-seven plays, his works have been enjoyed by countless people for hundreds of years. It is no surprise that many of these works have been adapted for film and TV.
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Shakespeare’s most famous plays such asRomeo and JulietandHamlethave had dozens of adaptations, and even Disney has adapted some of his plays. There are plenty of television shows that you may not know are inspired by the Bard’s writing. Many of these shows, while not necessarily direct adaptations, heavily rely on Shakespearean themes of love, power, and revenge.
‘Star-Crossed’ Is A Sci-Fi ‘Romeo And Juliet’
The CW showStar-Crossed, from 2014, tells the story of a group of aliens who crash-land on Earth as they try to adapt to human life. The plot centers around one of these aliens, Roman (Matt Lanter), and his romance with a human girl, Emery (Aimee Teegarden).
The show is greatly inspired by Shakespeare’s most famous love storyRomeo and Juliet.The title of the show is a reference to a line in the play describing the two lovers as “Star-crossed,” being opposed by fate itself. Like Romeo and Juliet, the pair fromStar-Crossedbelong to two separate sides of a conflict with their love caught in the middle.
‘Lost’ And ‘The Tempest’ Share Strange Similarities
The plot of the television seriesLostmay have become famously confusingover its six-season run, but the core premise of the show was fairly simple. The show follows a group of survivors after their plane crashes onto a mysterious island. The survivors, each with their secrets, must contend with the island itself.
This is similar to the plot of Shakespeare’sThe Tempest,which is thought to be the last play the prolific writer ever wrote. LikeLost,the play focuses on a shipwrecked group of people, each with their own ambitions, and a mystical island.
‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Was Inspired By Shakespeare’s Most Well Known Tragedy
At first glance, you may wonder how a gritty show about a motorcycle gang could be based on a Shakespearean play. ButSons of Anarchyis actually loosely based onHamlet,one of Shakespeare’s most tragic and famous stories.
The character Jax (Charlie Hunnam), the protagonist ofSons of Anarchy,bears striking similarities to that of Hamlet himself. Both characters find themselves in similar situations following the deaths of their fathers who were murdered by someone close to them. Jax and Hamlet both are, at their core, good people put in bad situations.
‘Succession’ Is A More Comedic Take On ‘King Lear’
The hit HBO seriesSuccessiontells the story of an aging media mogul and his estranged family as they figure out how to navigate their futures and the future of the company.
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This mirrors the story ofKing Lear.In Shakespeare’s play, the elderly monarch must also divide his empire between his heirs. Much like the titular king,Succession’sLogan Roy pits his family against one another. While Lear is purely a tragedy,Successiontakes a more comedic approach to the story.
‘House Of Cards’ Draws Heavily From ‘Richard III’
Netflix’sHouse of Cardscenters on Congressman Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his ambitions for power. Frank’s ruthless and Machiavellian rise to power mirrors that of Shakespeare’sRichard III.
Like Frank, Richard is cunning and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Both characters also frequently address the audience directly, though these asides are common among Shakespeare’s works. While Frank is influenced byRichard III,his wife Claire (Robin Wright) is based on Lady Macbeth and her lust for power.
‘Slings And Arrows’ Is An Homage To The Bard’s Greatest Works
Slings and Arrowsis Canadian television series set at a fictional Shakespearean festival. The title is taken from the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy fromHamlet.
While it may be obvious that the show is inspired by Shakespeare’s work, it is still worth noting. Each season focuses on the troupe staging a different play. Furthermore, the events of the particular play mirror the plot and themes explored in the season.Slings and Arrowsis, above all, a love letter to the Bard.
‘Still Star-Crossed’ Picks Up Where ‘Romeo And Juliet’ Left Off
It’s no small feat to continue a story started by William Shakespeare himself, especially when that story is the incredibly popular Romeo and Juliet. But that’s exactly what the creators ofStill Star-Crossedset out to do.
StillStar-Crossedcenters around the events that take place after Romeo and Juliet meet their violent ends. Rosaline Capulet (Lashana Lynch) and Benvolio Montague (Wade Briggs) are forced to marry, putting both families in danger. This twist on the Montague and Capulet story is a breath of fresh air.
‘Empire’ Tells the Story Of ‘King Lear’ In A Unique Setting
LikeSuccession, Fox’sEmpireattempts to take the story ofKing Learand bring it into the 21st century. The show is set in the fast-paced hip-hop industry. This provides the classic tale with a unique backdrop for familiar themes.
The titular empire is that of Lucious Lyon’s, played byTerrence Howard.Lyon is CEO of Empire Entertainment, a thriving hip-hop label. When he is diagnosed with a fatal disease he must choose an heir to his throne. Like the play, the show is filled with manipulation and deceit.
Walter White’s Rise To Power Is Reminiscent of ‘Macbeth’
One of the most prominent themes throughout Shakespeare’s works is the self-destructive pursuit of power. This theme is explored no better than in his playMacbeth. Likewise, no modern television show has portrayed this any better thanBreaking Bad.
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Though Walter White (Bryan Cranston) may have begun cooking meth to provide for his family after his cancer diagnosis, his motivations change as he becomes corrupted by power. Like Macbeth, Walter finds that he mustcontinue down an ever darker pathreaching a point of no return. Both men eventually see themselves become tyrants in their own right.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Is Filled With Shakespearean Themes
Over its eight-season run,Game of Thronesbecame one of themost popular television seriesof all time. Audiences were captivated by its plots of murder, betrayal, love, and lust.
While the HBO series may be based on George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Firebook series, it can be argued that many of the characters and themes have been influenced by much of Shakespeare’s work. Characters like Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) both obsess over power much like Macbeth, andRichard IIIhas clearly influenced characters like the scheming Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen).
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