Shakespeare in Love
Brief summary
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 romantic comedy film directed by John Madden and
written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard.
The film purports to portray playwright William Shakespeare's involvement in a love
affair at the time that he was writing the play Romeo and Juliet; it is largely fictional,
although several of the characters are based on real people. In addition, many of the
characters, lines, and plot devices are references to Shakespeare's plays.
Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress
(for Gwyneth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (for Judi Dench). It was the first
comedy film to win the Best Picture award since Annie Hall (1977).
Cast

Joseph Fiennes as William Shakespeare

Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola de Lesseps

Geoffrey Rush as Philip Henslowe

Colin Firth as Lord Wessex

Ben Affleck as Ned Alleyn

Judi Dench as Elizabeth I of England
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Shakespeare_in_Love.html Pg. 1
William Shakespeare is a poor playwright for Philip Henslowe, owner of The Rose
Theatre, in 1593 London. Shakespeare is working on a new comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the
Pirate's Daughter. Suffering from writer's block, he is unable to complete the play, but
begins auditions for Romeo. A young man named Thomas Kent is cast in the role after
impressing Shakespeare with his performance and his love of Shakespeare's previous
work. Kent is actually Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a wealthy merchant who desires
to act but, since women are banned from the stage, she must disguise herself.
After Shakespeare discovers his star's true identity, he and Viola begin a passionate
secret affair. Inspired by her, Shakespeare writes quickly, and benefits from the
advice of playwright and friendly rival Christopher 'Kit' Marlowe, completely
transforming the play into what will become Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare and Viola
know, however, that their romance is doomed. He is married, albeit long separated from
his wife, while Viola's parents have arranged her betrothal to Lord Wessex (Colin
Firth), an aristocrat who needs money. When Viola is summoned to the court of Queen
Elizabeth I, Shakespeare dons a woman's disguise to accompany her as her cousin. At
court, he persuades Wessex to bet £50 that a play cannot capture the nature of true
love. If Romeo and Juliet is a success, Shakespeare as playwright will win the money.
The Queen, who enjoys Shakespeare's plays, agrees to witness the wager.
Edmund Tilney, the Master of the Revels, the Queen's official in charge of the
theatres, learns that there is a woman in the theatre company at The Rose playhouse,
and orders the theatre closed for violating morality and the law. Left without a stage or
lead actor, it seems that Romeo and Juliet must close before it even opens, until
Richard Burbage, the owner of a competing theatre, the Curtain, offers his stage to
Shakespeare. Shakespeare assumes the lead role of Romeo, with a boy actor playing
Juliet. Viola learns that the play will be performed on her wedding day, and after the
ceremony secretly travels to the theatre. Shortly before the play begins, the boy
playing Juliet starts experiencing the voice change of puberty. Viola replaces him and
plays Juliet to Shakespeare's Romeo. Their passionate portrayal of two lovers inspires
the entire audience.
Tilney arrives at the theatre with Wessex, who has deduced his new bride's location.
Tilney plans to arrest the audience and cast for indecency, but the Queen is in
attendance. Although she recognizes Viola, the Queen does not unmask her, instead
declaring that the role of Juliet is being performed by Thomas Kent. However, even a
queen is powerless to end a lawful marriage, so she orders "Kent" to fetch Viola so that
she may sail with Wessex to the Colony of Virginia.
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Shakespeare_in_Love.html Pg. 2
The Queen also states that Romeo and Juliet has accurately portrayed true love so
Wessex must pay Shakespeare £50, the exact amount Shakespeare requires to buy a
share in the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
The Queen then directs "Kent" to tell Shakespeare to write something "a little more
cheerful next time, for Twelfth Night".
Viola and Shakespeare part, resigned to their fates. The film closes as Shakespeare
begins to write Twelfth Night, Or What You Will imagining his love washed ashore in a
strange land after a shipwreck and musing, "For she will be my heroine for all time, and
her name will be...Viola", a strong young woman castaway who disguises herself as a
young man.
Plot devices
Many other plot devices used in the film are common in various Shakespearean comedies
and in the works of the other playwrights of the Elizabethan era: the Queen disguised
as a commoner, the cross-dressing disguises, mistaken identities, the sword fight, the
suspicion of adultery (or, at least, cheating), the appearance of a "ghost" (cf. Macbeth),
and the "play within a play". According to Douglas Brode, the film deftly portrays many
of the these devices as though the events depicted were the inspiration for
Shakespeare's own use of them in his plays.
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Shakespeare_in_Love.html Pg. 3