ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE “SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE”

1. Who was William Shakespeare? Why was he important in the English Literature?
 Shakespeare was the most important, popular and influential poetry
writer and playwright in all English Literature, he wrote Romeo and Juliet,
Hamlet.

2. According to the movie answer the following questions:

a. What are the theaters mentioned in the movie? Describe them. Find out information
about the theaters of the Elizabethan Era. Compare them with the theaters nowadays.

 THE ROSE THEATRE: was an Elizabethan theatre. It was the first purpose-built
playhouse to ever stage a production of any of Shakespeare's plays.
 THE CURTAIN: was an Elizabeth playhouse located in Hewett Street; it
was called the"Curtain" because it was located near a plot of land called
Curtain Close.
 THE GLOBE: was a theater in London associated with William Shakespeare; It
was built in 1599 by Shakespeare’s playing company.
 ELIZABETHAN THEATER: In this theatre was common the declaration
of some sonnets and poetic work.

b. What characteristics of the Elizabethan Era can you recognize in the movie?

 Many plot devices used in Shakespearean comedies and other plays of the
Elizabethan era.
 Social development.
 Sense and feeling of patriotism.
c. Who were the admiral’s men? Did they really exist?

 Yes, they existed, Christopher Marlowe was the principal actor, and another was
need Alleyne of the admiral company. Admiral’s men were who received the
Burbage’s theatre when the rose theater was closed.

d. Why had Shakespeare lost his gift?

 The Shakespeare’s gift was a type of gold handle that was taken from him by his
lover from the beginning of the movie in which had a paper with the name of
William Shakespeare. She dressed the gold handle when lost it.

e. What was the name of the play Shakespeare was working on? What kind of play was
that?
  The name of the play in which Shakespeare was working on a comedy
Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter and then rewrite like Romeo and Juliet.

f. How did the play change?

• After Shakespeare met Viola, his mental block disappears and began to write
Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy, it was inspired by his love, Viola de Lesseps.

g. Who was Thomas Kent? Why is he important in the story?

 Thomas was a principal actor man of the Shakespeare play as “Romeo”, who
really like Shakespeare work and who impressed him with his way to act and also
Thomas was Viola de Lesseps, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, the Shakespeare
love.
h. There is another author from the Elizabethan Era mentioned in the story. Which of his
works are mentioned?

h. There is another author from the Elizabethan Era mentioned in the story. Which of his
works are mentioned?

 It was Christopher Marlowe and his works are Jew of Malta, Doctor Faustus and
The Massacre at Paris.

i. Who was Lord Wessex?

 Lord Wessex an impoverished aristocrat who want to marry Violade Lesseps and he
bet £50 against to Shakespeare that Romeo and Juliet can’t capture the nature of
true love and it will be a success, Shakespeare will win the money.

j. Why did Shakespeare feel guilty for Marlowe’s death?

 Because Shakespeare was the person who tell Lord Wessex that Marlowe was a
lover of Viola and Wessex killed him

k. Why is The Rose Theater closed?

 Because a woman was discovered acting in a play of The Rose Theater.

l. Where can Shakespeare and his actors perform the play?

 The final play was performed in The Curtain Theatre.

m. There is a bet when Lord Wessex introduces Viola to Queen Elizabeth. How much did
he bet? What was the bet about?
  The bet is about that a play can’t capture the nature of true love and it will be a
success he will pay £50 to the winner.

n. How did the story end?

 The story ended when Shakespeare and Viola said goodbye and he promised that he
would never forget her, and Shakespeare started to write the beginning of Twelfth
Night.

3. After watching the movie:

a. What similarities can you find in the story of Shakespeare and Viola and Romeo and
Juliet?

 We find some similarities in the work and the film, for example the forbidden love
of viola and shake spare such as that of Romeo and Juliet and the use of Old English
in both works.

b. There is a boy that appears in the movie whose name is John Webster. How was he like?
Find out information about this character of the British Literature.

He was a poor looking boy who always played with rats and in dirty places, he liked to
watch and atone for people, he was good people and kind.

John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1634) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his
tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, which are often regarded as
masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage.[1] His life and career overlapped
William Shakespeare's. (Wikipedia 2015)

c. At the end Shakespeare imagines the beginning of “Twelfth night”, a comedy by

Shakespeare. Find out what it is about.

Viola and Sebastian, twins, are separated during a shipwreck. Viola, thinking her
brother dead, finds herself stranded in Ilyria.She disguises herself as a man, Cesario, and
enters the service of Duke Orsino, who is in love with Olivia and who sends
Viola/Cesario to woo Lady Olivia in his behalf. Orsino does not know that
Viola has fallen in love with him. Olivia is indulging in a seven-year season of mourning
for a dead brother and is refusing to accept the advances of any man. Her sorrow is not so
profound, however, as to keep her from falling in love with the disguised Viola. She is so
in love, in fact, that she later sends a Cesario/Viola ring and invitation to return and then
admits her love for “him.