UFPB/ CCHLA/ DLEM

LITERATURA INGLESA III

PROFESSOR: ELIZABETH SOUTO MAIOR
STUDENT: __________________________________
CLASS DISCUSSION: FILM SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

NOW YOU ARE READY FOR THE DISCUSSION:

PART 1- Who are the following characters?

a) Viola
b) Master Shakespeare
c) Henslowe
d) Richard Burbage
e) Master Kent
f) Kit Marlowe
g) Lord Wessex
h) Mr Tilney

PART 2- What is the relevance of...

a) The snake-shaped bangle?
b) The muse?
c) The rowing boat?
d) The Rose?
e) The Curtain?
f) The dance?
g) A dress and a moustache?
h) The nurse?
i) The colony of Virginia?
j) The pirate’s daughter?
k) The Queen’s lie?

PART 3- Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

1-The aristocracy has ultimate authority in the film. They can choose what plays
are produced, who to marry, basically anything they want. And they don't need
money to do it. Status is the ultimate currency.
2-Viola reads a lot of poetry, so she wants love that is like poetry. She would
never be satisfied with anything mundane.
3-Viola likes to rebel, so part of the reason she is attracted to Shakespeare is
because the love between them—upper-class woman and lower-class man—is
forbidden.
4-Viola won't let a silly thing like her gender get in the way of her becoming an
actor. And since plays often employ feminine-looking men to play women, she
is able to blend in,pretending to be a feminine-looking man to play a man.
5-Shakespeare is inspired to write because he loves Viola, and he loves Viola
because she inspires him to write. Each passion feeds and drives the other.
6-The play is a success because a woman is able to take the stage as a
woman. No more deception. Viola lets her authentic emotions flow as Juliet,
and she brings the house down in a way no man could.
7-Romeo and Juliet is successful as a play for many reasons, but mainly
because it taps into authentic emotions, which impresses both the
public and the Queen.
8-At this time, theatre is a business first, and an expression of art second.
Shakespeare must deal with demands from the playhouse owner, the financier,
and others in order to get butts in seats and make money.

9-How would you describe Will's writing process?

10-Why is poetry so important to Viola? How does she show her appreciation
for the art of poetry?

11-Can a play show true love? Which plays come closest? Does Romeo and
Juliet convey true love? What is the heck is "true love," anyway?

12-How is the production of a play in the 1500's different from the production of
a play in the 2000's? How is it similar?

13-Why do Will and Viola love each other? Why is their love so passionate?

14-Why is love important to Viola? Could she ever grow to love her husband,
Lord Wessex?

15-The Queen speaks of "courtly love." Is Shakespeare in Love about courtly

love or another kind of love?

16-How does Will translate his love for Viola into sonnets and into the
play Romeo and Juliet?

17-How does the Queen have influence over the style of play that is popular at
the time?

18-What roadblocks exist in Will and Viola's relationship because of their class
differences? Would it work out if they were from the same class? Or would they
even have fallen for each other if they were more equal?

19-Why do the Puritans object to the theatre?

20-Is Viola convincing as a man?

21-Why does Elizabethan society forbid women from acting? Do you think Viola
would change public perception? What can Viola do as a woman that a male
actor cannot?
22-What are the advantages to having a man play a female role? What are the
drawbacks?

23-Both Will and Viola dress as the opposite gender during the film. How does
each actor play the part? Which role is for dramatic reasons, and which is
comical, and why?