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Shakespeare in Love
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http://www.intervarsity.org/2100/filmreviews.php?id=2760
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 romantic comedy film. The film was directed by John Madden and written by
Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard. Stoppard's first major success was with the Shakespeareinfluenced play Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.
The film is largely fictional, although 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). It was the first comedy to win the Best Picture award
since Annie Hall (1977).
References to Shakespeare's work
The main source for much of the action in the film is Romeo and Juliet, which the events in the film ultimately
inspire Will to write. Will and Viola play out the famous balcony and bedroom scenes; like Juliet, Viola has a
witty nurse, and is separated from Will by a gulf of duty (although not the family enmity of the play: the "two
households" of Romeo and Juliet are supposedly inspired by the two rival playhouses). In addition, the two
lovers are equally "star-crossed" — they are not ultimately destined to be together (since Viola is of nobility
promised to marry Lord Wessex and Shakespeare himself is already married). There is also a Rosaline, with
whom Will is in love at the beginning of the film.
Many other plot devices used in the film are common in various Shakespearean comedies and in the works
of the other playwrights of the Elizabethan era: the Queen disguised as a commoner, the cross-dressing
disguises, mistaken identities, the sword fight, the suspicion of adultery (or, at least, cheating), the
appearance of a "ghost" (cf. Macbeth), and the "play within a play".
The film also has sequences in which Shakespeare and the other characters utter words that will later
appear in his plays:
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On the street, Shakespeare hears a Puritan preaching against the two London stages: "The Rose
smells thusly rank, by any name! I say, a plague on both their houses!" Two references in one, both
to Romeo and Juliet; first, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (Act II, scene ii, lines 1
and 2); second, "a plague on both your houses" (Act III, scene i, line 94).
Backstage of a performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare sees William Kempe in
full make-up, silently contemplating a skull (a reference to Hamlet).
Shakespeare utters the lines "Doubt thou the stars are fire, / Doubt that the sun doth move" (from
Hamlet) to Philip Henslowe.
As Shakespeare's writer's block is introduced, he is seen crumpling balls of paper and throwing them
around his room. They land near props which represent scenes in his several plays: a skull (Hamlet),
and an open chest (The Merchant of Venice).
Viola, as well as being Paltrow's name in the film, is the lead character in Twelfth Night who dresses
as a man after the supposed death of her brother.
At the end of the film, Shakespeare imagines a shipwreck overtaking Viola on her way to America,
inspiring the second scene of his next play, Twelfth Night, and perhaps also The Tempest.
Shakespeare writes a sonnet to Viola which begins: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" (from
Sonnet 18).
Shakespeare tells Henslowe that he still owes him for "one gentleman of Verona", a reference to
Two Gentlemen of Verona, part of which we also see being acted before the Queen later in the film.
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Christopher Marlowe appears in the film as the master playwright whom the characters within the film
consider the greatest English dramatist of that time — this is accurate, yet also humorous, since everyone in
the film's audience knows what will eventually happen to Shakespeare. Marlowe gives Shakespeare a plot
for his next play, "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" ("Romeo is Italian...always in and out of
love...until he meets...Ethel. The daughter of his enemy! His best friend is killed in a duel by Ethel's brother
or something. His name is Mercutio.") Marlowe's Doctor Faustus is quoted repeatedly: "Was this the face
that launched a thousand ships/ And burned the topless towers of Ilium?"
The child John Webster who plays with mice is a reference to the leading figure in the Jacobean generation
of playwrights. His plays (The Duchess of Malfi, The White Devil) are known for their blood and gore, which
is why he says that he enjoys Titus Andronicus, and why he says of Romeo and Juliet when asked by the
Queen "I liked it when she stabbed herself."
When the clown Will Kempe says to Shakespeare that he would like to play in a drama, he is told that "they
would laugh at Seneca if you played it," a reference to the Roman tragedian renowned for his sombre and
bloody plot lines which were a major influence on the development of English tragedy.
Will is shown signing a paper repeatedly, with many relatively illegible signatures visible. This is a reference
to the fact that several versions of Shakespeare's signature exist, and in each one he spelled his name
differently.
Christopher Marlowe (c. 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) was an English dramatist, poet and translator of
the Elizabethan era. The foremost Elizabethan tragedian next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his
blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.
A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May 1593. No reason for it was given, though it was thought
to be connected to allegations of blasphemy—a manuscript believed to have been written by Marlowe was
said to contain "vile heretical conceipts." He was brought before the Privy Council for questioning on 20 May,
after which he had to report to them daily. Ten days later, he was stabbed to death by Ingram Frizer.
Whether the stabbing was connected to his arrest has never been resolved. [1]
The legend
Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
As with other writers of the period, little is known about Marlowe. What little evidence there is can be found in
legal records and other official documents. This has not stopped writers of both fiction and non-fiction from
speculating about his activities and character. Marlowe has often been described as a spy, a brawler, a
heretic and a homosexual, as well as a "magician," "duellist," "tobacco-user," "counterfeiter" and "rakehell."
The evidence for most of these claims is slight. The bare facts of Marlowe's life have been embellished by
many writers into colourful, and often fanciful, narratives of the Elizabethan underworld. However, J.B.
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Steane[11] remarked, "it seems absurd to dismiss all of these Elizabethan rumours and accusations as 'the
Marlowe myth'"[12]
James Burbage, or Burbadge (1531 – 1597) was an English actor, theatre impresario, and theatre builder
in the English Renaissance theatre. He built The Theatre, the facility famous as the first permanent
dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times. Burbage seems also to have been involved in the
erection of the Curtain Theatre, and, later, the Blackfriars Theatre, built in 1596 near the old Dominican
friary.
Layout
Exterior of the modern reproduction of the Globe
The Globe's actual dimensions are unknown, but its shape and size can be approximated from scholarly
inquiry over the last two centuries.[13] The evidence suggests that it was a three-storey, open-air
amphitheatre approximately 100 feet (30 m) in diameter that could house up to 3,000 spectators.[14] The
Globe is shown as round on Wenceslas Hollar's sketch of the building, later incorporated into his engraved
"Long View" of London in 1647. However, in 1988-89, the uncovering of a small part of the Globe's
foundation suggested that it was a polygon of 20 sides.[15][1]
At the base of the stage, there was an area called the pit,[16] (or, harking back to the old inn-yards, yard[17])
where, for a penny, people (the "groundlings") would stand on the rush-strewn earthen floor to watch the
performance.[18] During the excavation of the Globe in 1989 a layer of nutshells was found, pressed into the
dirt flooring so as to form a new surface layer.[6] Around the yard were three levels of stadium-style seats,
which were more expensive than standing room.
Interior of the modern reconstruction
A rectangle stage platform, also known as an 'apron stage', thrust out into the middle of the open-air yard.
The stage measured approximately 43 feet (13.1 m) in width, 27 feet (8.2 m) in depth and was raised about
5 feet (1.5 m) off the ground. On this stage, there was a trap door for use by performers to enter from the
"cellarage" area beneath the stage.[19]
Large columns on either side of the stage supported a roof over the rear portion of the stage. The ceiling
under this roof was called the "heavens," and was painted with clouds and the sky.[1] A trap door in the
heavens enabled performers to descend using some form of rope and harness. The back wall of the stage
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had two or three doors on the main level, with a curtained inner stage in the centre and a balcony above it.
The doors entered into the "tiring house" (backstage area) where the actors dressed and awaited their
entrances. The balcony housed the musicians and could also be used for scenes requiring an upper space,
such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Rush matting covered the stage, although this may only
have been used if the setting of the play demanded it.[11]
Now, if you want to know more about the Elizabethan times, visit the site written below:
http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/james-burbage.htm
The Globe Up Close
This is it. The original
idea for this project
came from Sam
Wannamaker who
began raising money
for the project in 1970
when he established
the Shakespeare's
Globe Playhouse Trust.
It took 17 years to find
a site, but construction
began bankside in 1987
on a site just a few
blocks from the
original Globe Theatre
(which now rests,
unfortunately, under a
large office building).
Ten years of
construction, done
with traditional
materials and
techniques, has
produced the Theatre
as well as a complex of
buildings which house
restaurants, gift shops,
exhibition space and
offices. Work continues
and when all is
finished there will also
be an indoor theatre
based upon an original
design by Inigo Jones
as well as a huge
exhibition and
education centre
underneath the current
complex.
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The Globe: An Insider's View
(All Pictures Copyright 2000 by Rosalind Tedford)
The Stage at the Globe
Side View of the Stage
Here's the stage.
Impressive, huh? The
design for the stage is
based upon what scholars
know about staging in
Elizabethan plays. There
is the balcony, of course,
which occurs in so many
of Shakespeare's plays.
The painting on the
underside of the roof is
called "the heavens" and
represents the sky. There
are three entrance doors
below and two above. The
stage sits up about 5 feet
off the ground (notice the
man standing in front) to
allow the groundlings
(pictures below) to see
what was going on (also
to facilitate a trap door in
the floor of the stage). For
more about the staging of
Elizabethan plays, visit
the Globe's homepage.
Here is the stage from the
side. This is where I sat
for the performance of
Winter's Tale. It gave me
a great view of the actors
as well as the audience
and let me sit under
shelter which, considering
it was raining most of the
performance, was a good
thing. It also let me watch
the audience which was
interesting. As you can see
this was not a traditional
performance of Winter's
Tale (unless rubber tires
were Elizabethan). The
Globe does one traditional
performance a season.
This means traditional
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everything right down to
having males portray the
female characters. The
other shows they do are
more experimental. The
seats on either side of the
stage on the second level
are where the Queen sat
and are considered the
best seats in the house
(therefore the most
expensive), but I would
argue that point. I liked
being down closer to the
action.
The Gallery During
Performance
Here you see the gallery
as it fills up for the
performance. The Globe
can seat 1500 people.
1000 of these are in the
gallery seats and 500 can
stand in the groundlings
section. Many of the
people who were seated,
however, came down to
the groundlings section
for part of the play just to
see what it was like. The
seats are strictly wooden
benches, but if you get on
the back row you can lean
back. Pillows to make the
seats a bit more
comfortable are available
for a small fee. The Globe
is the first building in
London to be built with a
thatched roof since the
great fire of London in the
1600s. The thatch is
sprayed with fire
retardant chemicals, as is
the wood in the theatre,
but otherwise is just as it
would have been in
Shakespeare's day.
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The Empty Gallery
Here is another view of
the Gallery before the
crowds arrived. As you
can see, it is three levels
high. All of the beams are
made of oak and were
assembled just as they
might have been in
Shakespeare's day. No
metal in sight. Some
concessions had to be
made for modern day
building codes but they
have kept the space as
authentic as possible.
Lighted exit signs, a
sprinkler system (well
camouflaged I might add)
and the incorporation of
fire retardant material
into the stucco all had to
be done. Otherwise, the
space is eerily like
stepping back in time.
Eventually, the
groundling area, now just
a concrete space sloping
down to a drain to keep
rain water from pooling,
will be covered with
nutshells which
apparently graced the
floor of Elizabethan
theatres. Groundling seats
are five pounds (about
$7.50) each and the
gallery seats range from
ten to twenty-five pounds
($15 to $45). Still cheaper
than a Broadway show by
a long shot!.
Tours of the Theatre are
constantly in progress
and include a tour of the
exhibition area, currently
housed in what will be the
Inigo Jones Theatre.
When the exhibition space
under the Globe is
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complete, there will be a
standing exhibition about
the original Globe and the
construction of this new
one.
The Groundling Area
Here is a better view of
the groundling area. The
performance I attended
was not sold out so some
of the groundlings sat
down. During the play,
vendors wander around
selling food and drinks.
This is in keeping with
accounts of performances
from Elizabethan
England. I suspect we pay
more now than they did,
but the feel is still there.
There is no artificial
lighting during
performances which are
all given during the day
and early evenings. This
means that the actors are
face to face with their
audience at all times. This
leads to more
actor/audience
interaction than most of
us are used to, but
performances are
delightfully unpredictable.
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