Shakespeare References in Science Fiction Movies

Science Fiction Movies, written by Gregory B. Richards, contains a few references to Shakespeare. The first comes in a paragraph about Forbidden Planet, with Richards writing: “Loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the story concerns a space patrol mission in search of a lost expeditionary force on the planet Altair IV. Upon arrival, several of the crew are attacked by a mysterious invisible monster. The colony’s only survivors, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter (Anne Francis) are unable to explain anything” (p. 38). The next reference also concerns The Tempest, but is merely a mention of Brave New World, which gets its title from Miranda’s line “O brave new world,/That has such people in ‘t!” Richards is writing about Woody Allen’s Sleeper: “Allen manages to send up Brave New World, 1984, and just about every other piece of science fiction ever written” (p. 52). The book’s final Shakespeare reference comes in a paragraph on William Shatner. Richards writes, “Shatner has an extensive Shakespearean background and has played roles in several of the Stratford Shakespeare Festivals” (p. 71).

Science Fiction Movies was published in 1984.

Shakespeare References in Guardians Of The Flame: Legacy

Guardians Of The Flame: Legacy is actually two novels in Joel Rosenberg’s fantasy series. Nearly all the Shakespeare references are in the first of those two, The Heir Apparent, with just one reference in the second, The Warrior Lives.

The Heir Apparent

As with the previous books in the series, each chapter begins with a quoted passage. Chapter Three begins with this: “To me, fair friend, you never can be old,/For as you were when first your eye I eyed,/Such seems your beauty still” (p. 34). These are lines from Sonnet 104. The sonnet is not identified in the book, but its author is. The fifteenth chapter likewise begins with a line from Shakespeare: “Come not between the dragon and his wrath” (p. 140). That is a line spoken by King Lear to Kent in the first scene of the play. The twenty-fourth chapter also begins with some lines from Shakespeare: “I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,/Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows/Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,/With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine:/There sleeps Titania some time of the night,/Lulled in these flowers with dances and light,/And there the snake throws her enameled skin,/Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in” (p. 195). As with the other quoted lines, the play is not identified, only the author. These lines come from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oberon speaking them to Puck. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is referred to a few more times, because there are faeries in the fantasy realm. Karl Cullinane meets a faerie, and asks her name. She responds, “Titania might be best, all things considered” (p. 199). Karl asks, “Queen of the faeries?” (p. 199). The name is used again on the next page. Rosenberg writes: “‘I’m sorry, Karl Cullinane,’ Titania said. ‘I don’t mean to tease you” (p. 200). And then: “‘No,’ she said, in Titania’s voice” (p. 201). And: “‘It wasn’t mockery. Maybe this would be best,’ Titania said, the voice now issuing from a dark patch in a mass of mist” (p. 201). And: “‘Ahrmin,’ Titania said, ‘is there’” (p. 201). There is another reference to A Midsummer Night’s Dream a little later. Rosenberg writes: “On a night skulk, he was supposed to be unequaled, much less unsurpassed. He shook his head. Oh, what fools these mortals be, he thought, including me. He could almost have laughed; Walter was always his own best audience” (p. 234). In Act III Scene ii, Puck says, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” The final Shakespeare reference in the novel is also to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and is another mention of Titania: “‘I let myself care about him, Titania. About all of them” (p. 259).

The Warrior Lives

There is only one Shakespeare reference in The Warrior Lives, and it is to The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth. Rosenberg writes, “He thought about splinters, and about pulling on his climbing gloves, but decided that good touch was the better part of valor here” (pages 443-444). That’s a reference to Falstaff’s famous line, “The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.”

The Heir Apparent was published in 1987. The Warrior Lives was published in 1988. The collection I read was published in 2004.

Shakespeare References in The Arm Of The Starfish

Madeleine L’Engle’s novel The Arm Of The Starfish possibly contains a few Shakespeare references, and all three are to the same line from Hamlet, which itself is biblical reference. So it may be that Madeleine L’Engle is just making a biblical reference, except that the phrase is Shakespeare’s. The line she refers to is “There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow,” which Hamlet speaks to Horatio in Act V. The first time Madeleine L’Engle refers to this line occurs when Joshua is explaining to Adam the reason he must choose sides. Joshua says: “It’s the fall of the sparrow I care about, Adam. But who is the sparrow? We run into problems there too” (p. 83). The second time occurs when Adam has chosen sides. L’Engle writes: “He knew that if Kali needed him he could not reject her plea for help. Joshua had said that his side cared about the fall of the sparrow; Kali, in her frantic cry as Adam climbed out of the helicopter, had become a sparrow” (p. 153). And the last occurs on the book’s final page. L’Engle writes: “‘It was what he always said,’ Adam choked out, ‘about the sparrow. Even Kali would be a sparrow to Joshua. If you’re going to care about the fall of the sparrow you can’t pick and choose who’s going to be the sparrow. It’s everybody, and you’re stuck with it’” (p. 240).

The Arm Of The Starfish was published in 1965. My copy was from the seventh Laurel-Leaf printing, June 1983.

Shakespeare References in Evergreen

Belva Plain’s novel Evergreen contains several Shakespeare references. The first is to Shakespeare himself. Plain writes: “She read from Henley’s Invictus (what pompous nonsense!) to Kipling and Shakespeare. There was no consolation. You had to find your own courage” (p. 117). The second reference is also to Shakespeare: “Mama is always studying something. Shakespeare or a course at the Museum of Art” (p. 130). The novel also mentions Julius Caesar: “She had found one sneaker, a high school text of Julius Caesar with Maury’s name in a flourish of bright green ink and a doodle of a fat man smoking a pipe, his teacher perhaps” (p. 329). The next reference is to Macbeth. After the character Joseph says “It’ll be a hot one tomorrow,” Belva Plain writes: “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. Separate from the other unnamed billions who walk the earth, each of these little groups of three or five or twelve, brought together by the shuffle of chance, then welded by blood, sees in itself the whole of earth, or all that matters of it” (p. 441). “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” is the first line of Macbeth’s greatest speech. The book’s final reference is to Romeo And Juliet. The character Iris says: “I want… I want… something like Romeo and Juliet. I want to be loved exclusively. Do you understand?” (p. 514).

Evergreen was published in 1978. The copy I read is the Second Dell Printing, from July 1979.

Shakespeare References in Guardians Of The Flame: The Warriors

Joel Rosenberg’s Guardians Of The Flame: The Warriors is actually a collection of three fantasy novels: The Sleeping Dragon, The Sword And The Chain and The Silver Crown. And each of those three novels contains Shakespeare references.

The Sleeping Dragon

This book has only one Shakespeare reference. Each chapter begins with a quoted passage, and the sixth chapter begins with some of Jaques’ famous speech from As You Like It: “…a soldier,/Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,/Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,/Seeking the bubble reputation,/Even in the cannon’s mouth” (p. 71). The play is not identified, but the author is. After the passage, it says “William Shakespeare.”

The Sword And The Chain

This novel contains a few Shakespeare references. The first is to Macbeth. Andrea is pregnant, and Karl says he will be gone for a while. Andrea asks him when he’ll be leaving, and Joel Rosenberg writes, “T’were best done quickly” (p. 316). And yes, the apostrophe is in the wrong place. What Macbeth says is: “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well/It were done quickly.” The next reference is to Henry The Fifth, and it comes at the beginning of a chapter: “Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead!/In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man/As modest stillness and humility;/But when the blast of war blows in our ears,/Then imitate the action of the tiger;/Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,/Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage;/Then lend the eye a terrible aspect” (p. 399). Again, the play is not identified, but the author is. This novel’s final reference comes at the beginning of its final chapter, the quoted passage being from Act III Scene iv of Macbeth: “I am in blood,/Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (p. 440). And, as with the other quoted speeches, the play is not identified, but the author is.

The Silver Crown

This novel has more references than the other two. The first is to Hamlet. Andrea says, “I see a method in your madness, but there’s still too much madness in your method.” That is a reference to Polonius’ line, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.” The next reference is to The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth. Joel Rosenberg writes, “Apparently their commander had decided that discretion was the better part of valor” (p. 641). That refers to Falstaff’s famous speech in which he says, “The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.” Then we get a reference to The Merchant Of Venice. Deighton tells Karl, “And yes, if you prick yourself, you will bleed” (p. 707). That, of course, is a reference to Shylock’s famous speech from the first scene of Act III, in which he says: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Then at the beginning of the twenty-sixth chapter, there is a line from The Second Part Of King Henry The Fourth: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” (p. 711). The final reference is to Macbeth, a line referred to in The Sword And The Chain. Here Joel Rosenberg writes, “‘Tis best done quickly, eh?” The line is spoken by Ahira, and, as in the previous novel, it has to do with leaving.

Guardians Of The Flame: The Warriors was published in 1985. My copy is a hardcover book club edition.