Shakespere: In Love and Reality
According to Jeremy Giltzer, Hollywood has "turned to history to create inspired moments of action, drama, and patriotism." It has "provided the movies with some of the most climatic moments and colorful characters imaginable," while making complicated issues of the past understandable on a modern personal level. "But Hollywood changes and manipulates history in order to clarify and condense it," (Giltzer). But Shakepeareian expert Stephanie Cowell finds that, while entertaining, the film "Shakespeare In Love" realistically portrays an accurate description of life in Elizabethan times. The characters, big and small, the wardrobe, and the roles of women found in the movie can all be found in historical textbooks around the world (Cowell). The first and most important of these characters in the film is William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Feinnes (Shakespeare), a playwright who was borm of the lower class, the son of a glover (Singman 19). Like the movie, Shakespeare began his rough theatrical career in London, England (Gardiner 688). While writting plays, he occansionally acted in some of his own, as well as some of his peers' works, until eventually becoming a member of the Chamberlai
As the women were staying out of the political affairs of the times, Singman notices that the Elizabethan era was a highly fashion-concious age (27). The film also used the river in the storyline, and very realistically as well, since the brothels, or "bawdyhouses" and pubs along the river actually existed (81). The less privileged, like the movies prostitutes and vendors, stood on the ground, or "pit" of the theatre (Singman 150). Plays and play-going in the times were well recorded and used by the screenwriters in the effort to validate the film's accuracy (Shakespeare). The evidence presented does in fact show that "Shakespeare In Love" portrays an accurate description of life in England's Elizabethan times. In the theatre itself, the more privileged, like Viola, Shakespeare's high-class love interest, and her betrothed fiance, Lord Wessex, sat in the upper galleries (Singman 150),. Sir Edmund Tilney, played by Simon Callow, held the role of the Master of Revels in England from 1579 until his death in 1610. In both the movie and the past, he was the authority which censored plays under the queen, which he did several times in the film. Roles of women, clothing, and the Thames River were all considered and used accurately and strongly influenced the making of the film, all of which have been proved by the use of the resources mentioned. He also acts in his own play after a problem occurs with one of his actors (Shakespeare). nature hath made to keep home and nourish their family and children, and not to meddle with matters abroad, nor to bear office in a city or commonwealth no more than children or infants. Geltzer says that "for Hollywood's greatest studios, historical films provided the perfect vehicle to showcase top production values with extravagant costumes and massive sets. According to Singman, authorities were "wary of the overcrowding, plagues, and disorder associated with play-going," (151), including "prostitutes and pickpockets," (Shakespeare). The bonus material provided with the film itself, along with various other resources contributes to the varification of the similarities of the characters in the film and the actual historical figures.
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Acceptance Essays
