How Is Hamlet Being Referenced In Popular Culture

Betrayal and Death

The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare should be included in a Western Canon classic literature list because of its references in pop culture and themes that are still relevant today. “The term Western canon is most often used to refer to a body of literature which is considered to have had the greatest influence on Western culture.” (Garcia).

First, pop culture shows us how much of an effect Hamlet has had on Western culture. One example of Hamlet being referenced in pop culture is Disney’s The Lion King. The plot of The Lion King is very similar to the plot of Hamlet. In Hamlet, the play starts with Hamlet’s father being killed by his uncle Claudius. In The Lion King, Simba’s dad, Mufasa, is killed by his uncle Scar. Then, in both works, the son must decide what to do, and both of them get revenge or justice.

Next, not only being referenced in The Lion King, another example of Hamlet being referenced in pop culture is also Henry Selick’s Coraline. “The animated film, Coraline, released in 2009, features two secondary characters delivering the well-known ‘What a piece of work is man’ soliloquy from Hamlet while performing a trapeze act.” (MacNaughton et al.).

One example of this is “Dear Ophelia” by Abney Park. “Dear Ophelia” is sung ‘as’ Hamlet and he is portrayed as apologizing for everything he has done to wrong Ophelia. “Dear Ophelia” is about the Shakespearean Tragedy Hamlet, in which Hamlet gains information about his father's murder by pretending to be insane. During this, he distances himself from Ophelia who is his love interest. He then accidentally kills Polonius, her father. The song goes on, describing the letters that he may have sent to Ophelia telling her why he wronged her (“Abney Park - Dear Ophelia Lyrics |