24 Vivid Anachronism Examples to Strengthen Your English

Sometimes when you read stories portraying different time periods, you might notice certain out-of-place elements. For example, people in ancient times using seemingly modern words or using objects such as phones. These are examples of the real world making their way into the story. Language used in ancient times was completely different than any we have in modern day, and phones only got invented in the 19th century. Inconsistencies like these are called anachronisms. Anachronism is when you take something from one time period and put it in another time period in your writing or other works of art. 

But why would you do that, and how do you make sure you’re doing it correctly? This guide will provide some anachronism examples and help you leverage anachronism in your writing.

Where Are Anachronism Examples Commonly Used?

Unintentional vs. Intentional Anachronism

Anachronism can happen both intentionally and by mistake. For example, when you’re watching a movie that is set in medieval times, but then notice that there is a man in a suit in the background, this may be due to a mistake on set. There are also more subtle examples of this, such as modernizing the language characters use or giving characters access to clothes and tools that they usually wouldn’t have due to the time period.

Unintentional anachronisms can hurt your overall work, as it will lower your audience’s engagement and cause them to not take the story or picture as seriously as you’d like. However, there are situations where you might intentionally use anachronism. For example, stories set in much older times like Ancient Greece or even pre-historic times might decide to use language modern audiences would be familiar with. A more extreme example is to use anachronism for humor or satire, like having an important historical figure suddenly use urban slang or ride a skateboard. You might also use it to create tension, such as having a clock in Ancient Greek times count down to someone’s doom.

Anachronism Examples in Literature

Shakespeare has a play called Caesar which details the assasination of ancient Roman emperor Julius Caesar and the immediate aftermath of it. In one anachronistic scene, a character points to a mechanical clock even though mechanical clocks were not invented until over a thousand years after Caesar’s death. There are multiple other examples of Shakespeare’s plays including anachronism examples, but it is unclear whether they were included for dramatic effect or if they were mistakes due to lack of information.

Anachronism Examples in Movies and TV

Anachronisms are often used for comedy in movies and TV show, like during the movie Monty Python and The Holy Grail. The movie is a parody of the story of King Aurthur and his quest to find the holy grail. It’s known for absurd humor and ridiculous scenarios. The movie contains a subplot of one of the knights murdering a documentary presenter and during random points in the movie, the audience is shown different stages of the police investigation.

In the end of the movie where the heroes are prepared for an exciting final battle, they are suddenly arrested by the British police force. Having modern police invade and suddenly stop the final fight allows them to make fun of the story of King Aurthur one final time. Although, the filmmakers claim they went with this ending because they ran out of money.

Anachronism Examples in Art and Pop Culture

Anoachronism is also used in art, sometimes as a way to parody other pieces of art or to create a message about a certain time period. For example you might see a version of the Mona Lisa in clown make-up or a portrait of an important historical figure wearing sunglasses and surfing on the beach. These pieces use modern objects and concepts to depict older figures. Cartoons might also use anachronism to create comedic situations, like giving people in ancient times dynamite or phones.

24 Anachronism Examples with Explanation 

Historical Anachronism Examples

Anachronism	Explanation
A medieval knight using a smartphone	Smartphones did not exist in medieval times
George Washington talking in the radio	Washington died in 1799, the first radio message was in 1897
Amelia Earhart going on a modern commercial plane	Amelia Earhart went missing in 1937
A prehistoric man wearing modern fashion clothes.	People in prehistoric times had to rely exclusively on animal hides for clothes.
A band in the 1940s playing heavy metal	While originating from genres found back then heavy metal as we know it better emerged as a genre in the 1970s
British cops appearing in medieval times	Medieval times had city guards instead of police officers

Cultural Anachronism Examples

Anachronism	Explanation
An ancient Greek saying “ok”	“Ok” is a modern saying
Someone in ancient Asia not taking of their shoes before entering home	Taking off shoes before entering a house is a common tradition in Asia that was there since ancient times
Popular music appearing in a historical movie scene	Popular music today didn’t exist in most historical times
Scottish men wearing kilts during their war for independence	Kilts were created after the war
Medieval civilians saying “vibe”	“Vibe” is a form of modern slang
Medieval princesses walking around London	London does not have medieval princesses in modern day

Religious and Mythological Anachronism Examples

Anachronism	Explanation
Norse gods talking to modern political leaders	Norse gods are only have no legends that take place in modern times
Moses talking to modern boatmen	Moses has been stated to be dead in the Bible
Achilles fighting in modern wrestling	Wrestling was a lot more different as a sport in ancient Greece than what it is today
Sun Wukong using a gun	Guns did not exist in ancient China
Beowulf being retold as a modern guerrilla warfare story	The story of Beowulf does not take place in modern times
The Odyssey taking place in a modern day cruise ship	The original Odyssey takes place in ancient Greece
Amaterasu using a skateboard	Amaterasu is from ancient Japan and skateboards are a more recent invention

Everyday Anachronism Examples

Anachronism	Explanation
A Viking checking the time on his wristwatch	Wristwatches didn’t exist in Viking times
Paying for a coffee in Starbucks with Ancient Greek drachma	Drachma are currency from several thousand years ago; no one in starbucks would use them
Listening to a Renaissance musician playing through a speaker system	Speaker systems weren’t invented in the Renaissance
A character in the Middle Ages eating Lunchables	Lunchables are a modern invention
Farming in the bronze Age using a tractor	Tractors and cars of any kind wwere not invented until much much later

How to Practice Spotting and Using Anachronism Examples Correctly

Anachronisms can be hard to spot if you don’t know what you are looking for, but there are ways to help improve your chances of noticing them. For starters, you can read history books to help you get a better sense of what is appropriate for each time period. You can also use the time you use to watch movies to improve your English to see if there are any inconsistencies with the time period being represented. Keep in mind that when you do this you watch a movie that is using a real life time period instead of a fantasy one. You can also try to write down your own anachronism examples.

Situations Where You Would Use Anachronism Examples

Anachronism can be a useful tool in the right situations, but you need to be careful when you use them. Here is a summary of settings where anachronisms do and don’t make sense.

Appropriate Uses of Anachronism Examples

• Literature, plays, and creative storytelling: You can use anachronisms effectively in media set in the past to help audiences understand the dialogue better.
  
• Satire, comedy, and parody: Anachronisms are an effective tool to create comedy by making ridiculous situations come to life.
  
• Classroom teaching for history or English learning: If you are teaching historical events, you might try to simplify some dialogue so your students can more easily understand events. This is especially helpful if you are teaching children.
  

Inappropriate Uses of Anachronism Examples

• Serious historical writing or documentaries: Historical writing and documentaries are forms of media where events need to be as close to reality as possible. You need to avoid anachronisms in these contexts.
  
• Academic research that demands accuracy: Anachronisms might make your research seem lazy or unfinished. Make sure your research is as accurate as possible and that your work does not include any anachronisms.
  
• Professional presentations: Like historical writing and academic research, professional presentations demand a stricter level of accuracy. Anachronisms in these presentations could make it seem like you are intentionally trying to lie to the audience or that your preparation fell short.
  

Conclusion

To recap, anachronisms involve something from a one time period placed in another time period in a piece of art or writing. It can be useful to create a comedic situation or to add dramatic effect, but you should always ensure that it does not detract from the art you’re trying to create. Taking the time to recognize anachronisms as they happen will help improve both your creative expression and your critical thinking skills.

If you would like to practice spotting anachronisms alongside other English learners, join our English course Whatsapp group.