| Shakespeare In Love Essay, Research Paper
Shakespeare in Love is a fictional
story about the writing of William Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet. Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes, is in
the middle of what could be a disastrous writer’s block. His
idea for the play, which should be completed, is a pirate
comedy entitled Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter.
But Will is stuck, his shrink asks him how long it has been
since he has been with a woman and advises him that that is
what he needs. Auditions are held since the players’ troup
is out on tour. All the not so actors are pitiful. Except for
Thomas Kent, the alias given by Viola, played by Gwyneth
Paltrow. Women at this time are not allowed on stage in
public. After Shakespeare shows interest, this character
runs away to her estate where a party is being held. He
follows Thomas into this party to later find love at first sight
in Viola. Thomas once again shows up to receive her part
in the play as Romeo. While Will and Thomas are talking,
Shakespeare pours his heart out, telling about this
wonderfully beautiful woman, Thomas’s cousin. Somehow,
they end up kissing. Now that Will has this woman, his
writers block is cured, he goes on to write Romeo and
Juliet through his true-life actions in his affair with Viola. At
the end of the movie they put on the play through all the
hardships, in the company of Queen Elizabeth. I greatly
enjoyed this movie, even though it is not a typical movie of
my preference. The truth is that I would have never gone to
see this movie if extra credit was not given. I was delighted
to see an extremely entertaining movie. I was also amazed
at all the references that I would not have not caught if it
weren’t for English Literature and history covered this year
and by reading Romeo and Juliet two years ago. Freshmen
year, while reading the play, I repeatedly caught myself
thinking, "I don’t understand a thing they are saying… What
is the point of reading this?" Now I come to find it
entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing the humor and
wickedness of Elizabeth I. The movie displayed the point
that people were in desperate need of entertainment at that
time. I found it interesting to see the difference between the
classes of people at that time; the Aristocrats were cruel
and heartless while the commoners were truly disgusting. I
walked out of the theatre with a different opinion on
Shakespearean works and movies about the English.
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