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.