Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy film directed by John Madden and
written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard. The film portrays playwright William
Shakespeare's involvement in a love affair at the time that he was writing the play Romeo and Juliet. The
story is fiction, though 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). Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth would later star
together in The King's Speech. Rush would again co-star with Fiennes in Elizabeth, a film which would
also get nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.

Plot

William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is a poor playwright for Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), owner
of The Rose Theatre, in 1593 London. After learning that his love was cheating on him with his patron,
Shakespeare burns his new comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter, rewriting it as the tragedy
Romeo and Juliet. 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 (Gwyneth
Paltrow), the daughter of a wealthy merchant who desires to act, but women are banned from the stage
and 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 (Rupert Everett). 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 (Judi Dench), 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 (Simon Callow), 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 (Martin Clunes), 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 replace 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. 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.
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and
playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-
eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His
surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two
long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major
living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne
Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between
1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a
playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He
appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were
mainly comedies and histories. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including
Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English
language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated
with other playwrights.

Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise
to its present heights until the 19th century. In the 20th century, his work was repeatedly
adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain
highly popular today and are constantly studied and performed.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare
about two young "star-cross'd lovers" whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It
was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.