History Film / ShakespeareInLove

* DidNotGetTheGirl: History - and the film itself - tells us that Shakespeare married a woman named Anne Hathaway ([[Creator/AnneHathaway not that one]],[[note]]Though that's who she's named after[[/note]]) so viewers [[DoomedByCanon shouldn't get their hopes up]] In fact he's already married her at the time, and they have three children, which devastates Viola when she discovers this.

''Shakespeare in Love'' is a 1998 ShakespeareInFiction RomanticComedy directed by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Madden_(director) John Madden]] ([[NamesTheSame no]], not the one associated with American football), written by Creator/TomStoppard, and with a [[AllStarCast packed cast]] led by Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/JosephFiennes, Creator/GeoffreyRush, Creator/ColinFirth, Creator/BenAffleck, and Creator/JudiDench.

Much like a Shakespeare comedy, you might say.

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with most of his work,[[note]]He ''may'' have come up with original plots for ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor''[[/note]] he was adapting pre-existing poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.'' Nor would there have been open auditions for parts or people being cast as a favour/nepotism; Shakespeare was a member of a theatrical troupe as was standard for the era, so the parts would have been written for specific actors in his troupe, and the only way to join such a troupe would have been apprenticeship as a youth or getting hired for behind the scenes work or very minor roles, never one of the main characters.

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with most of his work,[[note]]He ''may'' have come up with original plots for ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor''[[/note]] he was adapting pre-existing poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.'' Nor would there have been open auditions for parts or people being cast as a favour/nepotism; Shakespeare was a member of a theatrical troupe as was standard for the era, so the parts would have been written for specific actors in his troupe, and the only way to join such a troupe would have been apprenticeship as a youth.

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with most of his work,[[note]]He ''may'' have come up with original plots for ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor''[[/note]] he was adapting pre-existing poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.'' Nor would there have been open auditions for parts or people being cast as a favour/nepotism; Shakespeare was a member of a theatrical troupe as was standard for the era and the parts would have been written for specific actors in his troupe, and the only way to join such a troupe would have been apprenticeship as a youth.

* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: [[spoiler:When Mr. Tilney tries to arrest the players at the end of the play for letting Viola act on stage, Queen Elizabeth reveals her presence in the crowd and comes down to the stage to settle the issue. Absolutely ''nobody'' believes for even a second that Viola is merely a very pretty young man playing a woman's role, but when the queen declares it to be so ("The illusion is remarkable") and lets Tilney off the hook, ''nobody'' can contradict her. Slightly played with, however- Viola ''almost'' curtseys to the queen, but Elizabeth conveys with the merest flicker of her eyes that if Viola screws up on this one thing then not even she can do anything, so Viola catches herself and bows like a man instead.]]

** Hugh Fennyman is given a small role as the Apothecary and is seen nervously going over his lines. When the time comes, he delivers a very nice performance.

* [[ArtisticLicenseFilmProduction Artistic License - Theatrical Production]]: In the PlayWithinAPlay, there are a few instances of staging that work great on film, but would be really poor choices on stage -- let alone in an open-air theater with no amplification. A glaring example: during Mercutio's death scene, he sinks against a pillar, then Romeo upstages him, back to the audience, and Mercutio growls his last words in a near-whisper, which shouldn't have been heard by anyone past the first row of groundlings.

Meet Creator/WilliamShakespeare (Fiennes), an aspiring playwright who can't find the inspiration to write another ScrewballComedy and works for a theater strapped for money. In the bed of his mistress Rosaline, he tries to find inspiration for a comedy titled ''[[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter]]''.

Meanwhile, Viola De Lesseps (Paltrow), a noblewoman engaged to marry an entrepreneur in the Americas, dreams of the stage but is frustrated, because women are banned from the boards. However, she goes out to audition anyway, [[SweetPollyOliver dressed up as a boy]], and is astounded when she gets the part... of [[WholesomeCrossdresser Romeo]]. Tension soon erupts between her and the suddenly single Will, and [[HilarityEnsues hilarity, angst, secrecy, and a little sex ensue.]]

The film is most noted nowadays for its performance at the 1999 UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, where Paltrow won Best Actress over frontrunner Creator/CateBlanchett (''Film/{{Elizabeth}}''), and the film far more notoriously won Best Picture over the universal critical darling ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. To some, the latter outcome is one of the greatest {{award snub}}s in film history. To others, it's a blessed relief from the Academy's usual insistence that TrueArtIsAngsty.

The ShakespeareInFiction RomanticComedy that won Best Picture of 1998 at the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, surprising all those who were backing ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan''. To some, it's one of the greatest {{award snub}}s in the history of the Oscars. To others, it's a blessed relief from the Academy's usual insistence that TrueArtIsAngsty, and a very intelligent and fun romp through a not-quite-accurate Elizabethan England. Creator/TomStoppard's script is witty and wise, and all of the cast (led by Creator/GwynethPaltrow, Creator/JosephFiennes, Creator/GeoffreyRush, Creator/ColinFirth, Creator/BenAffleck, and Creator/JudiDench) are at the top of their game.

Meet Creator/WilliamShakespeare (Fiennes), aspiring playwright who can't find the inspiration to write another ScrewballComedy, and works for a theater that needs money, badly. In the bed of his mistress, Rosaline, he tries to find inspiration for a comedy titled ''[[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter]]''. Meanwhile, Viola De Lesseps (Paltrow), a noblewoman engaged to marry an entrepreneur in the Americas, dreams of the stage but is frustrated, because women are banned from the boards. However, she goes out to audition anyway, [[SweetPollyOliver dressed up as a boy]], and is astounded when she gets the part... of [[WholesomeCrossdresser Romeo]]. Tension soon erupts between her and the suddenly single Will, and [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity, Angst, Secrecy, and a Little Sex Ensue.]] Much like a Shakespeare comedy, you might say.

* [[ArtisticLicenseFilmProduction Artistic License - Theatrical Production]]: In the PlayWithinAPlay, there are a few instances of staging that work great on film, but would be really poor choices on stage -- let alone in an open-air theater with no amplification. A glaring example: during Mercutio's death scene, he sinks against a pillar, then Romeo upstages him, back to the audience, and Mercutio growls his FamousLastWords in a near-whisper, which shouldn't have been heard by anyone past the first row of groundlings.

* LoopholeAbuse: When Mr. Tilney shuts down the Rose Theatre for unknowingly letting Viola, a woman, act on the stage, Richard Burbage offers the Curtain Theatre for them to use instead -- after all, Tilney never said the Lord Chamberlain's Men weren't allowed to perform ''period''.

* GondorCallsForAid:

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabeth I]], Creator/ChristopherMarlowe, John Webster, Richard Burbage, Shakespeare himself, not to mention the entire cast of ''Romeo and Juliet'' and even Mr. Henslowe, who did actually build The Rose theatre in real life.

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI Elizabeth I]], Creator/ChristopherMarlowe, John Webster, Shakespeare himself, not to mention the entire cast of ''Romeo and Juliet.''

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with most of his work,[[note]]He ''may'' have come up with original plots for ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor''[[/note]] he was adapting pre-existing poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.'' Nor would there have been open auditions for parts; Shakespeare was a member of a theatrical troupe as was standard for the era and the parts would have been written for specific actors in his troupe.

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with pretty much ''all'' of his work,[[note]]He ''may'' have come up with original plots for ''Theatre/TheTempest'' and ''Theatre/TheMerryWivesOfWindsor''[[/note]] he was adapting preexisting poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.'' Nor would there have been open auditions for parts; Shakespeare was a member of a theatrical troupe as was standard for the era.

** The real Shakespeare didn't create the plot of ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet'', let alone make it up as he went along -- as is the case with pretty much ''all'' of his work, he was adapting preexisting poems, stories or historical records for the stage; in this case he used ''The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.''

** Obviously, the entire plot is fictional expect for the fact he did write and stage ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''.

* StutteringIntoEloquence: Wabash, introducing the play.

* YourCheatingHeart: Shakespeare is already married to Anne and Viola is engaged to Lord Wessex when the two begin their affair.

* OhCrap: Romeo and Juliet, debut performance. At stake, Shakespeare's entire reputation. [[spoiler: Will, playing Romeo, is in the depths of despair; Sam, the boy supposed to play Juliet, has just hit puberty with a horrifically broken voice; and as the curtain rises, the actor reciting the Prologue can't get out a single word in his stuttering panic.]] The fifteen or twenty seconds that follows is one drawn-out OhCrap moment before he starts off what has to be the most touching version of ''Romeo and Juliet'' ever to be performed onscreen.

'''Dr. Moth''': Tell me, are you lately...''humbled''...in the act of love? How long has it been?\\

* InterruptedIntimacy: A RunningJoke.

* NotWorthKilling: After Wessex finds out that Shakespeare has slept with Viola, he tries to kill him, but after finding out how much misfortune has befallen him, he tells him, "I came to have your life. But it is not worth the taking." (Admittedly, this was after they had already fought, with Shakespeare besting Wessex.)

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Viola, posing as Thomas Kent, and Sam, the actor who is cast as Juliet.