10 Pieces of Modern Media That Are Inspired by Shakespeare

Michael Romick

Mar 11, 2025 11:30 AM EDT

So funny enough, the reason I wrote this article is because of an anime, which is called Ouran High School Host Club. It's basically a comedy where a student in a outrageously rich private school (the student themself being a "commoner") gets stuck having to help the host club of the school after he breaks a vase. Watching it I got some major Twelfth Night vibes.

Anyways, every once in a while, I like to think about how so much of modern media is Shakespearian without us even knowing it. I just think it's fun to see, and I'm not sure many people realize it's the case. Some things are officially "based on" a work of Shakespeare, but sometimes they just feel Shakespearian in their nature.

Anyways, here's a list of 10 of these, but there are tons more!

01
West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet)

via Chicago Sun Times

West Side Story is famously known for being a modern take on Romeo and Juliet, but with racial themes, with the Puerto Rican Sharks and the white Jets being the factions of this musical. It's a renowned Broadway musical that has multiple film adaptations.
02
She’s the Man (Twelfth Night)

via Amazon

She's the Man is one of those on the list that is a direct modernization of shakespeare. They even say that it's based off of Twelfth Night in the intro credits! Viola pretends to be a boy in the play and the movie, and of course there's a classic love triangle.
(Side note, I really love this movie, it is also one of the inspirations for this list)
03
The Lion King (Hamlet)

via IMDb

The Lion King is thought to be almost parallel to Hamlet. Claudius orchestrates his brother's death so that he can become king, just like Scar. Simba and Hamlet were both banished from their home land. Hamlet's college friends, Timon and Pumbaa (cough cough), I mean Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provide comic relief. There's more, but you get my point.
04
10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew)

via IMDb

10 Things I Hate About You (Taming of the Shrew)
10 Things I Hate About You was one I was surprised to find out was based on Shakespeare, even though they even said that it was officially based on "Taming of the Shrew". 10 Things I Hate About You is definitely a lot more feminist than its predecessor, however.
05
Twilight: New Moon (Romeo and Juliet)

via Letterboxd

While the original was based on Pride and Prejudice, Stephanie Meyer says that New Moon was based on Romeo and Juliet. There was even a scene where Edward had to recite lines from Romeo and Juliet!
06
Sons of Anarchy (Hamlet)

via IMDb

Another one based on Hamlet, in Sons of Anarchy Jax is supposed to inherit the throne, when his father is killed by his uncle. There is also a frequent "shadow" of Jax's father, which is a big thing in Hamlet as well, where we see Hamlet's Dad's ghost a few times. There are tons of parallels between the two.
07
Empire (King Lear)

via Rotten Tomatoes

Empire and King Lear both follow the story of a ruler pitting his 3 children against each other for who gets the throne. In Empire, there's even a quote from Jamal saying "What is this? We King Lear now?"
08
Lost (The Tempest)

via IMDb

Lost, while not being a direct adaptation, starts with a plane crash (in The Tempest it's a shipwreck). In The Tempest, a sorcerer named Prospero summons a storm that causes the shipwreck. The survivors were separated into groups, and then Prospero used magic to torment the survivors. Lost also has many mystical themes, and the island had many supernatural elements to it. There's even a reference to The Tempest in the show!
09
Scotland, PA (Macbeth)

via IMDb

The two even have the same setting, Scotland! Well… Maybe not the same Scotland. Scotland, PA is a dark comedy, and is there anything more Shakespearian than a dark comedy?
10
Get Over It (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

via IMDb

This cult classic starring Kirsten Dunst is a direct homage to A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play central to the story is called "A Midsummer Night's Rockin' Eve", which is the movie's modernized version of the play. So it's a modernized version of a play that features a modernized version of that same play. Very meta.