Shakespeare References in Omen V: The Abomination

Omen V: The Abomination, a novel by Gordon McGill, contains a couple of Shakespeare references. The book was published in 1985, but takes place in the year 2000, and the first Shakespeare reference comes during a scene where a famous writer has a word processor delivered (“the very latest model,” the technician tells him). The machine uses small cassettes to display famous texts. The technician explains: “You can get all the books of the Bible from the shop, sir. Both testaments. I’ve seen their brochure. And the complete works of Shakespeare” (p. 127).

Later, that writer meets George, the butler of Damien Thorn. George tells him: “Forget the Thorns, Mr. Mason. You know what you do.” The writer responds, “You mean, there are more things in heaven and earth –” (p. 138). That is a reference to Hamlet’s speech to Horatio, in which he says “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,/Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” George then says, “Shakespeare got it right.”

Omen V: The Abomination was published in 1985. The edition I read was the Signet paperback edition. By the way, this is not a film novelization, in case you were wondering. Omen IV and Omen V were sequels to novelizations, but not based on screenplays themselves.