“Sons of Anarchy” dragged audiences into the tragic world of Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) and the titular biker gang when it started airing in 2008. Viewers fell in love with the FX show, but what they may not have known at the time is that the story of the Teller family is actually inspired by one of the most popular plays by William Shakespeare: it’s basically “Hamlet” with Harley-Davidsons.
The series charts Jax’s rise from being the heir of the gang’s founder to becoming one of the most influential organized crime bosses in California. It takes place after the death of his father, club co-founder John Teller, who died when his best friend sabotaged his motorbike. The killer then marries Jax’s mother. If you’re familiar with “Hamlet,” then this setup will no doubt feel familiar.
In the original Shakespeare play, Hamlet set out to get revenge on his uncle, Claudius, after he usurps his father as the King of Denmark and marries his mother, Queen Gertrude. That’s not unlike what Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) did to John Teller — he took over the gang and married Gemma Teller (Katey Sagal), becoming a stepfather figure to Jax in the process.
Did Sons of Anarchy end the same way as Hamlet?
After Sons of Anarchy debuted in 2008, Kurt
After “Sons of Anarchy” debuted in 2008, Kurt Sutter spoke to Metro about creating the crime drama, and he opened up about the “Hamlet” connections. He said: “I don’t want to overplay that but it’s there. It was Jax’s father who started the club, so he’s the ghost in the action. You wonder what he would have made of the way it turned out. It’s not a version of ‘Hamlet’ but it’s definitely influenced by it.”
He wasn’t the only person to discuss the “Hamlet” connection, as Ron Perlman made similar comments about the overarching storyline. When asked if Clay was basically Claudius during a 2008 interview with Fanbolt, Perlman hinted at how he thought the show would end. He said: “I’m sure they’re going to stick to the structure of ‘Hamlet’ all the way to the end, but how it happens and when it happens we’ll have to just see one episode at a time.”
Jax ultimately kills Clay in revenge for everything he did to his family, just like Hamlet did to Claudius. His own fate is a little different to Hamlet’s in that Jax takes his own life in the “Sons of Anarchy” finale, whereas Hamlet only contemplates suicide in his famous “To be or not to be…” soliloquy, but the links to Shakespeare’s classic are still very clear. The biker franchise is returning with a surprise meta-spinoff called “Legends,” which Charlie Hunnam promises isn’t “Sons of Anarchy” Season 8.
