FX's series Sons of Anarchy officially ended on December 9, 2014, but that doesn't mean fans can't look back and remember the show. Or maybe rewatch it three or four times. Something fans might start to notice is that Kurt Sutter loosely based Sons of Anarchy on Shakespeare's Hamlet.
It might seem crazy to think that a television show about a motorcycle gang could relate to a play written in 1609. However, these two stories have a surprising amount of themes, character types, and elements in common. Here are 10 references to Hamlet hidden in Sons of Anarchy.
10 Tragic Hero
Without a doubt, Jax is meant to represent the character of Hamlet and it's is easy to see how much they have in common. They are both good people at heart who become corrupted by the twisted environment surrounding them. They are both motivated by the deaths of their fathers and then driven completely off the deep end when their love interests die.
They also both eventually give way to evil deeds and sacrifice themselves for the good of those around them. Jax finally gets his sons away from Charming and Hamlet passes the crown of Denmark on to Fortinbras, a far less corrupt man than himself or his father.
9 Ghosts
Hamlet’s father, referred to as King Hamlet, dies mysteriously before the start of the play. Hamlet eventually finds out through his father's ghost that his uncle Claudius murdered King Hamlet to take the throne.
In S.O.A., Jax’s father John dies before the start of the series. Through reading pages and pages of writing’s left behind by John, Jax eventually realizes that Clay purposefully caused his death so that he could take over the Club. Just as King Hamlet literally haunts his son, the memory of John haunts Jax and his father’s death begs to be avenged.
8 Betrayal Of The King
Clay Morrow takes over as president of SAMCRO after John Teller's death. It is later revealed that Clay caused J.T.'s death by sabotaging his bike. Since Clay was the Vice President of SAMCRO, he knew that he would be next in line should something happen to J.T. In a similar way, Hamlet's uncle Claudius poisoned King Hamlet before the start of the play.
As the brother of the King, he was heir to the throne in the event of a tragedy. Although J.T. was not Clay's brother, both Clay and Claudius were willing to murder someone close to them to gain the power and title they always wanted.
7 The Queen And Mother
If Clay is Claudius then Gemma would have to be Gertrude. Hamlet's mother Gertrude marries King Claudius after the death of King Hamlet.
Gemma marries Clay after the death of J.T. In both Hamlet and S.O.A., there are heavy implications that extramarital affairs occurred before the deaths of King Hamlet and J.T. There are also significant mother/son issues in both stories.
6 Drowning
Drowning has significance in both Sons of Anarchy and Hamlet. Hamlet's love interest Ophelia dies by drowning, either in a state of madness or by purposeful suicide.
In S.O.A., Jax's wife Terra is killed by his mother. In one of the most brutal scenes in S.O.A., Gemma holds Terra's head underwater in the sink before stabbing her to death with a BBQ fork. Although Terra's cause of death was not technically drowning, perhaps this scene was a nod to Ophelia.
5 Most Trusted Friend
Although the previous entry may make it seem like Kurt Sutter had Tara in mind to represent Ophelia, some fans believe that Opie is a better fit. It makes sense, considering Opie is one of the few people Jax really trusts.
Opie and Ophelia's names even sound similar. Additionally, Opie's father Piney was murdered, just like Ophelia's father Polonius. Finally, Opie's death is closer to suicide than Tara's, because he chose to sacrifice himself for the Club.
4 Spies
Hamlet experiences even more betrayal when his mother and Claudius ask his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on him. Later, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are instructed to give a letter to the King of England, ordering him to execute Hamlet, and they oblige. Hamlet eventually realizes their treachery and is able to leave Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to die by switching the letters out.
In the same way, Juice was once a loyal member of SAMCRO. He later betrayed Jax and the club many times by snitching to the police. Jax eventually realizes that Juice cannot be left alive because of this. However, like Hamlet, he does not directly kill Juice, but leaves him without protection in prison.
3 Quotes
Kurt Sutter rounds out the tragic end of Sons of Anarchy with a quote from Hamlet. After Jax's death and a final flash of the S.O.A. logo, these words appear on the screen: "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love" - William Shakespeare.
These words are written by Hamlet in a letter to Ophelia and are a perfect ending to S.O.A. Many of the episode titles are also quotes from Hamlet, such as "What a Piece of Work Is Man" and "To Thine Own Self."
2 Supernatural Elements
Both Hamlet and Sons of Anarchy contain subtle references to the supernatural. Hamlet, for example, speaks with his father's ghost on multiple occasions. In S.O.A., the figure of the Homeless Woman is often seen as a supernatural character. She is speculated by some to represent religious figures such as Jesus Christ or the Angel of Death.
The Homeless Woman often appears during important crossroads in Jax's life, even turning up in Belfast when Jax tries to get Able back.
1 Impending War
The subplot of Denmark's impending war with Norway is often overshadowed by Hamlet's quest for revenge. In the initial acts of the play, Fortinbras is gathering troops to attack Denmark but is eventually convinced to send his troops elsewhere.
Likewise, The Sons of Anarchy are always facing some kind of conflict with rival motorcycle clubs, crime gangs, and law enforcement. They are often on the brink of all-out war. Similar to Denmark's relationship with Norway, The Sons and The Mayans start the series as enemies, but by the end, they have formed an allyship.
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