‘Succession,’ ‘Game of Thrones’ & More TV Shows With Shakespearean Tropes
“To be, or not to be that is the question…” We all know that famous quote from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Hamlet. The stories of Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and more are so well-known by millions across the globe. But did you know just how influential these stories are, even today, in modern television, like, say on shows like Breaking Bad, Succession, and Game of Thrones?
Many of the shows you love have Shakespearian themes in them. Some shows have Shakespearian-themed plots, while others have characters that resemble those from his works. Sometimes when watching a show, it’s easy to point out the love stories that resemble that of Romeo and Juliet’s forbidden romance. We also watch shows of tragic self-destruction like the story of Prince Hamlet. Who knew those stories would continue to be so entertaining and timeless?
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some shows with Shakespearian themes that we highly recommend you watch if you enjoy his plays. Shakespeare is meant to be seen, so go and check them out!
Succession
If you haven’t watched the hit show yet, this is your sign! Succession follows the Roy family and its members’ individual struggles for power and influence. This theme can be found in Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear, which follows a group of siblings fighting with one another for their father’s power. After all, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is very much like the character of King Lear himself. Succession is basically a modern take on King Lear, and Shakespeare would love it.
Streaming Now, Max
Lost
Lost most definitely had a wild six seasons, but what would you expect from a show about people stranded on a mysterious island? The Tempest follows a group of people who are shipwrecked and stranded on an island. Lost and The Tempest basically share the same core theme of trying to survive while being stranded on a remote island. (However, the TV show might be a bit crazier.)
Streaming Now, Hulu and Freevee
Game of Thrones & House of the Dragon
It is no secret that George R.R. Martin’s popular series has a heavy influence in Medieval history. There are major themes from Richard III, which resembles the fight between the Stark and the Lannister families. Henry VI focuses on trying to win back stolen land, like Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) works to win back King’s Landing for her family. In HOTD, the Targaryen family also fights one another for power, like in King Lear. GOT and HOTD also have tropes similar to Macbeth in their stories. Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), for instance, has some pretty Macbeth-like qualities of self-destruction. Everything he did that he thought was right ended up destroying him.
Streaming Now, Max
Breaking Bad
Shakespeare loves to write about self-destruction in his tragedies. Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) character is quite similar to Shakespeare’s favorite trait in his leading characters. In both Macbeth and Breaking Bad, we see our main character go down a spiral of bad decisions, ultimately ruining any chance of redemption. While their situations are quite different, they still endure similar downfalls.
Streaming Now, Netflix
Yellowjackets
This is yet another show that reminds us of The Tempest. A group of teenage girls get stranded in the wilderness after their plane crashes, and let’s just say things get a little supernatural. The girls begin to form smaller groups, just like the characters in Shakespeare’s work do, and this causes a lot of tension within the group. Now, we don’t think the characters in The Tempest resort to cannibalism, but there are some abnormal things that take place during this play.
Streaming Now, Paramount+ and Showtime
The Great
While this show is not necessarily the most historically accurate retelling of Catherine the Great, we still find there is a little Shakespearian trope hidden in it. The iconic star-crossed lovers trope, popularized by none other than Romeo & Juliet, is found in this hilarious show. Catherine (Elle Fanning) and her childish husband Peter (Nicholas Hoult) end up falling in love with one another, even though they shouldn’t have. However, as we know, all star-crossed romances end in a tragedy, since they can never have a happy ending. Towards the end of the latest season, Peter suddenly dies by drowning, leaving Catherine heartbroken. What a star-crossed tragedy!
Streaming Now, Hulu
Sons of Anarchy
As soon as Prince Hamlet’s father tragically died, his mother married the new king, the brother of the former one. Well, the same thing sort of happens on Sons of Anarchy when Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) takes over the SAMCRO and marries Jax Teller’s (Charlie Hunnam) mother, after Jax’s father’s death. Jax and Clay don’t have a great relationship, similar to that of Hamlet and Claudius (the new king). Who would have guessed this trope would still take place hundreds of years after the original play?
Streaming Now, Hulu
