Anachronism Examples: 25+ in Literature, Film & History
An anachronism is something placed in the wrong time period — a clock in ancient Rome, sunglasses in the 1850s, or a medieval character saying "OK." The word comes from the Greek anachronismos: ana (against) + chronos (time). Anachronisms can be accidental mistakes that break a reader's immersion, or deliberate artistic choices that create humor, commentary, or emotional resonance.
Types of Anachronism
Parachronism
Something that exists in the time period but is placed in the wrong context or location.
A Victorian character using slang that existed in the era but only in a different social class or region.
Prochronism
Something that appears before it was actually invented or existed.
A character in a 1950s novel using a smartphone, or a medieval knight wearing a wristwatch.
Behavioral Anachronism
Characters acting according to modern values, attitudes, or social norms that didn't exist in their time period.
A medieval noblewoman openly challenging patriarchal authority with 21st-century feminist rhetoric.
Linguistic Anachronism
Characters using words, phrases, or idioms that hadn't yet entered the language.
A Regency-era character saying "OK" — a term that didn't emerge until the 1830s.
Anachronisms in Shakespeare
Shakespeare was notoriously unconcerned with historical accuracy. His plays are filled with anachronisms — some scholars argue this was deliberate, making ancient stories feel immediate for Elizabethan audiences. Others note that historical research was simply less accessible in the 16th century.
- —Julius Caesar: Brutus says, "Peace! Count the clock," and Cassius replies, "The clock hath stricken three." Mechanical clocks didn't exist in ancient Rome — they weren't invented until the 13th century.
- —Julius Caesar: Caesar wears a doublet (a close-fitting jacket popular in Shakespeare's era) — a garment that wouldn't exist for over a thousand years after Caesar's death.
- —Hamlet: Hamlet attends the University of Wittenberg — founded in 1502, roughly a thousand years after the medieval Danish setting of the play.
- —King John: Characters reference cannons, which were not used in England during King John's reign (1199–1216). Gunpowder weapons didn't arrive in Europe until the 14th century.
- —Antony and Cleopatra: Characters play billiards in ancient Egypt — a game that originated in 15th-century France.
Anachronisms in Film
Films are especially prone to anachronisms because every visual detail — costumes, props, landscapes — must be period-accurate. Some anachronisms are accidental oversights; others are deliberate stylistic choices.
Braveheart (1995)
William Wallace wears a kilt and blue face paint. Kilts weren't worn in Scotland until the 16th century (300 years after Wallace), and the blue woad paint was a Pictish practice that had died out centuries earlier.
Gladiator (2000)
The Colosseum scenes feature chariots in gladiatorial combat, which was extremely rare by the 2nd century AD. The film also shows Germanic forests that look nothing like the actual terrain of the campaigns.
Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
Captain Barbossa eats a Granny Smith apple — a variety that wasn't cultivated until 1868 in Australia, roughly 150 years after the film's setting.
Django Unchained (2012)
Django wears sunglasses throughout the film. While tinted lenses existed in the 1850s, the aviator-style frames Django sports are a distinctly 20th-century design.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
The soundtrack features modern hip-hop and pop music in a 1920s setting — a deliberate artistic anachronism used by Baz Luhrmann to make the era feel immediate and relevant.
Titanic (1997)
Jack tells Rose he went ice fishing on Lake Wissota — a man-made lake in Wisconsin that wasn't created until 1917, five years after the Titanic sank.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Robin Hood uses a telescope, which wasn't invented until the early 1600s — roughly 400 years after the film's 12th-century setting.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The medieval tournament crowds sing Queen's "We Will Rock You" — an intentional, playful anachronism that defines the film's irreverent tone.
Anachronisms in Literature
The Da Vinci Code — Dan Brown
Brown describes the Louvre Pyramid as being made of exactly 666 panes of glass, echoing the "Number of the Beast." The actual number is 673. This is more factual error than anachronism, but it demonstrates how inaccurate details undermine a novel built on historical authenticity.
Outlander — Diana Gabaldon
The series occasionally has 18th-century Scottish characters using idioms and social attitudes that feel modern. Whether this is anachronism or deliberate accessibility depends on the reader — it's a constant tension in historical fiction.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court — Mark Twain
Twain's entire novel is a deliberate anachronism — a 19th-century engineer transported to Arthurian England, introducing modern technology and ideas. The comedy depends entirely on the clash of time periods.
Wolf Hall — Hilary Mantel
Mantel is celebrated for her near-obsessive avoidance of anachronism. Her Tudor characters think in ways consistent with their era — a feat that required years of research and makes the novels feel startlingly authentic.
The Name of the Rose — Umberto Eco
Eco's medieval mystery is meticulously researched, but some critics have noted that Brother William of Baskerville reasons with a distinctly modern, empiricist mindset that may be slightly ahead of the 14th century.
How to Avoid Anachronisms in Your Writing
- —Research the timeline of everyday objects. When was the zipper invented? The safety pin? The ballpoint pen? These mundane details trip up more writers than battles and kings.
- —Check your idioms. Phrases like "pushing the envelope," "the whole nine yards," and "getting the green light" have specific origins. Use the Online Etymology Dictionary to verify that your dialogue fits the era.
- —Watch for behavioral anachronisms. How people thought about gender, race, religion, death, and social hierarchy changes dramatically across eras. Characters should reflect their time, not yours.
- —Use period-specific sensory details. What did people eat, smell, hear? How did they light their homes? What sounds filled a city street? These details build authenticity.
- —Find expert beta readers. Historians, reenactors, and subject-matter experts will catch anachronisms your research missed. One wrong detail can undermine a reader's trust in the entire book.
- —Decide if the anachronism is intentional. If you're breaking the timeline on purpose — for humor, commentary, or accessibility — own it. Make it obvious enough that readers know it's a choice, not a mistake.
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