Black Ops is Literally Shakespeare, 10.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

Although spoilers follow, an intensive knowledge of the plot is not required for this assessment. The elements dissected in this essay are given enough context to be understood by those who have not played the game. For those interested, a basic plot synopsis can be found here.

“It’s not Shakespeare or anything, but…..”

In the English-speaking world this phrase is a well-worn cliché for excusing deficiencies in storytelling in an otherwise enjoyable work. Many were the Call of Duty fans who defended entries like Black Ops, saying “It’s not Shakespeare or anything, but it’s fun.” Some reviews even used the phrase verbatim to describe the game. The only problem is Call of Duty: Black Ops is quite literally Shakespeare.

More specifically, the plot of the game is a loose adaptation of The Bard’s tragicomedy, The Tempest. While this may seem like an unbelievable assertion at first, consider the following clip from the mission “U.S.S.D” (at about 3:20):

In that segment, United States Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara is leading the player character Alex Mason through the “nerve center” of the Pentagon, using passwords to authorize his access deeper into the facility. What are those passcodes? The first one is clearly “Prospero,” the second one is “Ariel,” while the latter is “Sycorax.” Of course, these are characters from The Tempest, but that isn’t enough to go on. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. Intrepid cryptographers who deciphered the game’s infamous number sequence have found these same overt references hidden in the cipher. Clearly, the stage production is at least a motif in the game.

This is only the beginning though. Consider that the story of Black Ops centers around two assassination plots: Nikita Dragovich wants to kill U.S. president John F. Kennedy, while Viktor Reznov wants to take revenge on Dragovich. Similarly, The Tempest features two assassination plots: Sebastian and Antonia scheme to murder King Alonso, while Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo plan on murdering Prospero in his sleep. The Tempest‘s assassinations are both ultimately unsuccessful, whereas protagonist Alex Mason ends up carrying out both hits himself, as a result of brainwashing.

I call hax on the magical thunderstorm.

What’s the significance of this parallel and subsequent inversion? Well, consider that The Tempest is viewed as a seminal work in post-colonialism. In some ways, Alex Mason’s brainwashing can be seen as a re-imagining of Prospero’s enslavement of the native inhabitants of the island, as he forced them to do his bidding (extenuating circumstances notwithstanding). However, an even more meaningful parallel can be drawn when considering the historical contexts of the two works. The Tempest was written at a time when England was one of the greatest imperial powers the planet had ever known, and the subjugation of indigenous people demonstrated in the play is both a continuation of works like Michel de Montaigne’s “Of the Canibales” [sic] and a reflection of the very real effects of European colonialism.

Why is all of that important? Because Black Ops is set during the Vietnam War, which was, in a practical sense, a conflict born of ideological colonialism between capitalism and communism. When the assassination plots in The Tempest fail, the result is forgiveness and the journey to “A Brave New World.” Black Ops portrays the exact opposite. The death of Kennedy signals the beginning of America’s embarrassing defeat in Vietnam, and the subsequent escalation of the Cold War. The game portrays a fictionalized version of history–one that is a dark mirror to Shakespeare’s tale, in which violence has shattered all hope of reconciliation.

"With the help of your good hands… let your indulgence set me free." -The Tempest

Finally, recall the ending of The Tempest. With all of the conflicts solved peacefully, Propsero renounces his sorcery and drowns his spell books in the sea. This is the happiest ending possible, as it represents the final step for reestablishing the status quo both on the island and back in Milan. Now, how does Black Ops end? With Mason killing Dragovich under the sea, drowning his facility. While both masterminds have their source of the power destroyed in the ocean, Dragovich’s violent end is, of course, a portend of the tumultuous future that the Cold War represents.

If you’re having a hard time buying the villainous Dragovich as a 20th century Prospero, take a minute to ponder the source of their respective powers. Almost all of Prospero’s hard work, from the storm to the masque, are the doing of the spirit Ariel. Dragovich has his seat of power in his aforementioned underwater base, called the Resulka. Fittingly enough, resulkas are Slavic folk creatures not unlike nymphs–a fitting parallel to the “airy spirits” of Anglo-Saxon mythology upon which Ariel is based.

There are surely more references and important parallels to be drawn between the play and the game. Whether or not they make the game any better is purely subjective, but I always find allegories like these to be fascinating. Here’s to hoping Black Ops II is an adaptation of Titus Andronicus.

Pixelated Pretension is a weekly column by Austin Yorski dedicated to discussing the literary conventions of video games, including themes, rhetoric, and symbolism. Tune in every weekend for more analysis. Feel free to disagree with, add to, or question everything. I welcome your feedback. Also, follow me on Twitter @austinyorski (please).

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