Aldous Huxley chooses to include references to the literary works of Shakespeare many places in his novel Brave New World. The most obvious, and perhaps most significant allusion is the title itself. Shakespeare's The Tempest is the play from which the phrase originates. This quotation is used many times in the text with new connotations each time; hope, disgust, and command color John's proclamation. The quotations of Shakespeare throughout the duration of the book also emphasize the emotionless society of the World State. Huxley juxtaposes sonnets and hypnopaedic rhymes to demonstrate their infantile pleasures and trite language. Because John is able to make these references and use emotion, he is compelled to want to share his knowledge with others. What he does not understand fully is that the people of the World State have been conditioned from birth to hate all things important in Shakespeare's works; emotion, family, love and death. .
The first appearance of the title in its context is on the savage reservation where John lives. When on vacation Bernard and Lenina visit the reservation and meet John and his mother, who came from the new World State but was forced to stay behind when her lover left her there pregnant. John, who was raised on the reservation, has learned to read by the teachings of his mother and himself and read The Complete Works of William Shakespeare multiple times. When full of a strong emotion quotations from the book flood his mind and when the prospect of returning to the World State with Bernard, his mother, and especially Lenina, John is full of hope for what is yet to come; a glorious land his mother praised and longed for since his birth, one that has beautiful girls like Lenina. "O brave new world O brave new world that has such people in it ,"" (139) John cries out in excitement at the thought of leaving the reservation. His hope soon turns to disgust however upon actually going to the new land and seeing the "advancements- made by science and technology.
