Final answer:
Allusions in literature often reference Shakespearean plays, Greek mythology, and Biblical stories, providing depth and drawing on the readers' familiarity with these classic narratives. Examples include references to Greek mythological figures in 'Hamlet' and allegories like Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' as commentary on the McCarthy era.
Step-by-step explanation:
In literature, Shakespearean plays, Greek mythology, and Biblical stories are common sources of allusions. An allusion is an indirect or implied reference to another work, which enriches the text by drawing on the knowledge and emotional response of the reader to the reference. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, for instance, the character Hamlet compares his father to 'Hyperion' and his uncle Claudius to a 'satyr', making a clear reference to Greek mythology. Additionally, the character of Claudius as a 'serpent' who poisons Old Hamlet in the garden resonates with the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden, where a serpent tempts Adam and Eve.
Looking at other examples, the reference to allusions in literature could even extend to more contemporary works. For instance, Arthur Miller's The Crucible is an allegory on the surface about the Salem witch trials but is in fact a commentary on McCarthysm, exhibiting allegorical storytelling. Furthermore, in the realm of poetry, the use of metaphors, such as the one found in a poem where the 'book of myths' represents the accumulated knowledge of Western civilization, serves to make abstract concepts more tangible.