SynopsisSynopsis Movie detailsMovie details PlotPlot QuotationsQuotations VideosVideos

SynopsisSynopsisA young and broke Shakespeare falls in love with a woman, inspiring him to write "Romeo and Juliet."

It is the summer of 1593, and the rising young star of London's theatre scene.While the great Elizabethan age of entertainment unfolds around him, Will is without inspiration on material. What Will needs is a muse--and in an extraordinary moment in which life imitates art, he finds and falls for a woman who draws him into his own dramatic adventure of star-crossed love.

It all begins when Lady Viola, desperate to become an actor at a time when women were forbidden from such depravity, disguises herself as a man to audition for Will's play. But the guise slips away as their passion ignites. Now Will's quill again begins to flow, this time turning love into words, as Viola becomes his real-life Juliet and Romeo finds his reason to exist. Unfortunately Lady Viola must marry the insufferable Lord Wessex.

Movie detailsMovie details

Directed by John Madden

Written by Marc Norman and Tom StoppardStarring

Gwyneth Paltrow Joseph FiennesGeoffrey Rush Colin FirthBen Affleck Judi DenchTom Wilkinson Imelda StauntonRupert Everett USA – 1998 Running time:

122 min.

The PlotThe PlotTo settle his debt to businessman Hugh Fennyman (Tom Wilkinson), Shakepeare's patron Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) offers Fennyman, a model of a sixteenth-century loan shark, a partnership in the upcoming production of Shakespeare's newest comedy, Romeo and Ethel The Pirate's Daughter. This play will later be renamed Romeo and Juliet and be reworked into a tragedy.The playwright William Shakespeare is caught with writer's block and searching for a new muse, which he finds in Viola de Lesseps, a young girl inspired by his work and in love with his rhymes. Although forbidden by the laws and customs of the 16th century Viola dresses as a man and auditions for a part in Shakespeare's new play under the alias Thomas Kent. After receiving the part of Romeo, she continues her ruse. She is eventually found out by the playwright, and the two share a secret affair.

The PlotThe PlotShakespeare begins writing feverishly, and thanks to the pressures of his romance with Viola, who is soon to be married, produces a tragedy instead of the promised comedy. Viola plays the part of Romeo throughout the rehearsals, but through her pillow-talk with William, learns Juliet's lines as well. Around this time, the pair must travel to meet the Lord Wessex (Colin Firth), a poor colonist, and Queen Elizabeth I (Judi Dench). Shakespeare dons a woman's disguise during the meeting. At one point, Viola states that she believes a play can capture the nature of true love. Wessex loudly disagrees, and Shakespeare bets an astronomical sum-fifty pounds-that such a play exists. The Queen, who loves Shakespeare's plays, agrees to be a witness to the wager. Afterwards, Wessex proposes marriage to Viola; the action breaks both her and Shakespeare's hearts.

The PlotThe PlotThe climax of the film comes days before Viola's wedding to Lord Wessex and the opening night of the play. The Lord of Revels, an official of the Queen, discovers that there is a woman in the playhouse and shuts down the entire company. Left without a stage and a leading role, all hope seems lost. All hope is lost for the two lovers when Viola is married. However, Shakespeare is offered one last chance by the owner of the competing theatre, an offer that allows him to play his story on a different stage. Viola receives news that the play will be acted on the day of her wedding and escapes her new husband (with the help of her nurse, portrayed by Imelda Staunton) to rush to the theatre. There, she plays Juliet to Shakespeare's Romeo and their passionate portrayal of two lovers inspires the entire audience. The Lord of Revels and Wessex, who has deduced his new bride's whereabouts, arrive at the theatre; the Lord invokes the name of the Queen to arrest all there. Suddenly, Elizabeth I's voice rings out from the back of the theatre. She secretly witnessed the whole play.

The PlotThe PlotElizabeth has guessed at Thomas Kent's true identity, but she chooses to hold her tongue, as she "knows something of a woman in a man's position." However, even a Queen is powerless to break an official marriage of the Church. She orders Thomas to fetch Viola, and tells Wessex that Romeo and Juliet has truly represented a case of ultimate love. Wessex is forced to pay Shakespeare the fifty pounds, which are funds enough to own his own theatre.

The Queen then commissions Shakespeare to write something "a little more cheerful next time, for Twelfth Night." Viola and Shakespeare part, and he promises to immortalize her by making the main character of his new play a beautiful, strong young woman named Viola.

CharactersCharacters

Gwyneth Paltrow asViola De Lesseps

Joseph Fiennes as

Will Shakespeare

CharactersCharacters

Colin Firth and Judy Dench as

Lord Wessex and Queen Elizabeth I

CharactersCharacters

Rupert Everett asChristopher Marlowe

Joe Roberts asJohn Webster

QuotationsQuotationsThe romance between the two shows obvious allusions to scenes in Romeo and Juliet, including the ballroom scene from act 2 and the balcony scene immediately following it.

The element of forbidden love forms the basis of Shakespeare's inspiration, and many of their conversations later show up as some of the most famous quotes in the play. (eg. "anon, good nurse" "What light through yonder window breaks?" "It is moonlight".)

Words, words, words - (Hamlet, 2.2.191)

QuotationsQuotationsTHE CASTINGWhat light is light, if Silvia be not seen? What joy is joy, if Silvia be not by?

- The Two Gentlemen of Verona (III.i.174-175)

…and the Lord shall smite them!Yea, harken to me.

The theatres are handmaidens of the devil!Under the name of the Curtain,the players breed lewdness in your wives,rebellion in your servants,

idleness in your apprentices and wickedness in your children!

And the Rose smells thusly rank by any name!I say a plague on both their houses!

PURITANS

-Romeo and Juliet(Balcony Scene)

-Romeo and Juliet(Mercutio)

Romeo and EthelRomeo and Ethel PETER to HENSLOWE)

The Friar married them in secret, then Ned gets into a fight with one of the Capulets,

Romeo tries to stop them, he gets in Ned's way, I mean in Mercutio's way, so Tybalt

kills Mercutio and then Romeo kills Tybalt. Then the Prince banishes him from Verona.

HENSLOWE (much relieved)

That must be when he goes on the voyage and gets shipwrecked on the island of the

Pirate King.

Viola is the main character in Twelfth Night , a comedy by William Shakespeare, named after the Twelfth Night holiday of the Christmas season. It was written around 1601, and was first published in the First Folio in 1623

QuotationsQuotations

Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, this one centres on mistaken identity. The leading character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes dead. Posing as a man and masquerading as a young page under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino. Orsino is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia, whose brother has recently died, and decides to use "Cesario" as an intermediary. Olivia, believing Viola to be a man, falls in love with this handsome and eloquent messenger. Viola, in turn, has fallen in love with the Duke, who also believes Viola is a man, and who regards her as his confidant.

Elizabethan ActorsElizabethan Actors(1568-1619) was the leading actor in the Lord Chamberlain's - King's Men, playing the dramatic leads, including Richard III, Hamlet, Lear and Othello. He may have begun his career as early as 1584; ten years later he rivalled Edward Alleyn as the greatest English tragedian. He continued to perform until his death in 1619

Richard Burbage

MartinClunes

as

(1566-1626) was the leading player in the Admiral's Men, and was considered by many to have been the greatest actor of his time. His credits include the title roles in Tamburlaine and Dr. Faustus, and Barabas in The Jew of Malta. Edward Alleyn

Ben Affleck as

Edward Alleyn

EntrepreneursEntrepreneursPhilip Henslowe (c. 1550 - 1616) was an Elizabethan theatrical entrepreneur and impresario. Henslowe's modern reputation rests on the survival of his Diary, a primary source for information about the theatrical world of Renaissance London.

Geoffrey Rush asPhilip Henslowe

EntrepreneursEntrepreneursHugh Fennymanis an invented character .

He plays a businessman in partnership with Philip Henslowe to produce Shakespeare's newest comedy, Romeo and Ethel The Pirate's Daughter at the Rose Theatre.

Tom Wilkinson wasHugh Fennyman

English PlaywrightsEnglish PlaywrightsJohn WebsterJohn Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was an English Jacobean dramatist, (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was an English Jacobean dramatist,

and a late contemporary of William Shakespeare. His tragedies The and a late contemporary of William Shakespeare. His tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi are often regarded as White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi are often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage.

Webster has received a reputation for being the Elizabethan and Webster has received a reputation for being the Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatist with the most unsparingly dark vision of human Jacobean dramatist with the most unsparingly dark vision of human nature. nature.

The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, are macabre, disturbing The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, are macabre, disturbing works that seem to prefigure the Gothic literature of the seventeenth works that seem to prefigure the Gothic literature of the seventeenth century. Intricate, complex, subtle and learned, they are difficult but century. Intricate, complex, subtle and learned, they are difficult but rewarding, and are still frequently staged today. rewarding, and are still frequently staged today.

English PlaywrightsEnglish PlaywrightsChristopher "Kit" MarloweChristopher "Kit" Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was an (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was an

English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. The foremost English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. The foremost Elizabethan tragedian before William Shakespeare, he is known for his Elizabethan tragedian before William Shakespeare, he is known for his magnificent blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his own untimely magnificent blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his own untimely death. death.

Among his best known plays: Tamburlane, The Jew of Malta, The Tragical History of Among his best known plays: Tamburlane, The Jew of Malta, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, The Massacre at Paris.Doctor Faustus, The Massacre at Paris.

Various versions of Marlowe's death were current at the time. According to one of Various versions of Marlowe's death were current at the time. According to one of the many versions Marlowe was killed in a struggle when he was accidentally the many versions Marlowe was killed in a struggle when he was accidentally stabbed above the right eye.stabbed above the right eye.

In the movie, Shakespeare at first wrongly believes he has been killed because he In the movie, Shakespeare at first wrongly believes he has been killed because he was mistaken for himself, when in fact Marlowe has died in a bar brawl of his own was mistaken for himself, when in fact Marlowe has died in a bar brawl of his own instigation. instigation.

Shakespeare in Shakespeare in LoveLove Videos on Youtube

Trailer

First scene (Henslowe and

Fennyman)

The ball

Balcony Scene text

Writing “Twelfth Night”