AP Literature Allusions. Allusions are compact keys to meaning. The following is an oso- introductory list of allusions for literature students. Notice the Bible and mythology
get a huge shout-out here. Maybe Foster is on to something? Please add to this list as you
come across new references.
45. Satyrs
1. Cerberus
46. Oedipus
47. Scylla and Charybdis
2. Medusa
48. Job
3. Stygian
49. Sisyphus
4. Minotaur
50. Cain and Abel
5. Venus
51. Sodom and Gomorrah
6. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
52. Abraham and Isaac
7. Bacchus
53. Styx
8. Nemesis
54. Absalom
9. Zephyr
55. Tantalus
10. Pandora
56. Achilles
11. Aurora
57. Thirty Pieces of Silver
12. Persephone
58. Antigone
13. Achilles
59. Tower of Babel
14. Aphrodite
60. Armageddon
15. Philistines
61. Madonna
16. Clytemnestra
62. Atalanta
17. Leda
63. the Second Coming
18. Lot/Lot’s wife
64. Camelot
19. Magi
65. Thebes
20. Mary (the Virgin)
66. Atlas
21. Mary Magdalene
67. Cain and Abel
22. Massacre of the Innocents
68. David and Bathsheba
23. Pontius Pilate
69. Four hoursemen of the
24. Brutus
apocalypse
25. Prodigal Son
70. Good Samaritan
26. Herod
71. Grail or Holy Grail
27. Prometheus
72. Jacob’s ladder
28. Solomon
73. Jephthah’s daughter
29. Proteus
74. Joshua
30. Hermes
75. Jezebel
31. Pygmalion
76. Judas Iscariot
32. Daedalus
77. Laius
33. Phoebus
78. Lazarus
34. Icarus
79. Zephyr
35. Rachel and Leah
80. Ajax
36. Hercules
81. Japhet, Ham, and Shem
37. Romulus and Remus
38. Ruth
39. Xanadu
40. Penelope
41. Sabine women, rape of
42. Sisyphus
43. Salome
44. Electra