The play’s title is (Shakespeare in love), which is about Shakespeare’s love with the beautiful lady Viola de Lesseps acted here as Gwyneth Paltrow; who is a daughter of a merchant, but sadly she is going to be married to the lord of Wessex. She broke but obeyed it because it is obedience toward her parents and command by the queen to be obeyed. However, Wessex does not succeed to win her love. Further, it was produced on 11 December 1998 in London England. The language and nationality are English of the play, and Joseph Fiennes acted in the film as Shakespeare, and the actress Gwyneth Paltrow acted as heroine in place of Viola De Lesseps. It is directed by John Madden.

    Furthermore, it is a comic drama, performed first in the (rose theatre) and then the (curtain theatre) which is to be the most famous theatre of London England at the era of Queen Elizabethan. However, a film produced late they are imagery, the theatres are duplicated to reflect historical facts of the Elizabethan age. Several characters are based on historical figures and many of the characters, lines, and plots are taken from Shakespeare’s plays.  The characters Viola de Lesseps were replaced by Gwyneth Paltrow, William Shakespeare by joseph Fiennes, Richard Burbage, owner of the curtain theatre, and famous actor of the Elizabethan age.

The plot of the film

    The plot and structure of the film are chronological, it goes in sequence narrating the story of two lovers. Shakespeare and his lady viola. The starting scene begins with Philip Henslowe who is the owner of the rose the theatre. The other is Richard Burbage who is the owner of the curtain theatre. Both struggles to get audience and playwright for the theatre. Henslowe is a debtor of a man who punishes him to bring his money back by which he promised him to bring Shakespeare a great play that he must give money to perform.

    Shakespeare performs in both theatres as an actor. He begins with curtain theatre, where he seduces the mistress of Burbage and convinces her to get money from her husband. However, he faces the problems of writing. He repeats, words, words, words. He means words are very powerful that can conquer the mightiest thing in the world. He goes to church and confesses his problem. Father of the church suggests hi t find true love, he gives him a snake bangle, in which he must put his name in the bangle and to make her lover wear it then he gets the magic of words that flow like a river. He makes the mistress of Burbage wear the bangles. But soon he finds her sleeping with another man.  Shakespeare then comes across Viola who disguises herself as Thomas Kent as to be an actor. At the time of the Elizabethan age, women were not allowed to act on stage, women roles were done by men. She comes for an audition when Shakespeare likes him from the first sight. When lady as being Thomas Kent finds that Shakespeare is taking an audition she runs away from the theatre. Shakespeare peruses him. He sees a charming lady in Thomas Kent’s house. He falls in love with her who is actually Thomas Kent. Lady also keeps love for him. She comes again to theatre as an actor. Soon Shakespeare discovers Thomas Kent as a lady when the lady writes a letter that she is going to marry the lord of Wessex. She gets married to Wessex, but it becomes too short, she runs away from the cart of lord Wessex when she comes to know Romeo and Juliet is being performed in curtain theatre, where she finds that no one is available to play the part of Juliet. So she comes on the stage to perform the part. Thus, it ends with a performance of Romeo and Juliet. The police came to arrest everyone by letting  women perform, but the queen appears simultaneously in theatre to stop the arrest.

The characterization

    The characterization of the play is well presented, who perform naturally and sincerely. It contains different sorts of characters; like round characters, static character, loyal, disloyal character, jealous, and sad characters, lustful characters, rich and poor characters.

    Shakespeare seems to be a deceitful character to even with his love. He hides to his love that he is married she knows this fact in the bar when Henslowe jokingly says he will be sent to Stratford if he fails to write a good piece of play. Further, he has an affair with mistress of Burbage, and as well he is a jealous character who feels jealous on Christopher Marlow who is a famous playwright, especially for doctor Faustus. He even be the cause of death of Marlow. Because when lord of Wassex catches him making love with viola, he tells his name as Marlow when Wassex asks him his identity. Wassex doubts Marlow has an affair with lady, therefore, he kills Marlow. Not only this, Shakespeare deceives even Burbage giving his play to Henslowe to be performed in rose theater although getting money from Burbage for the play. But he performs very well. His dialogue from Romeo and Juliet are so authentic and real.  Like ‘oh. I am a fortune's fool’. His expression for love is marvelous. The way of acting while drinking poison and dying seems so heart-catching which causes the all audience to cry.

 Lady voila lover of poetry wants to be an actor. She loves to read the  poetry of Shakespeare, like shall I compare thee to a summer's day and play Romeo and Juliet, not this she mentions she is made for poetry and love.’ I will have love or I end my days as a nurse’. She is a static character. She does not change her character throughout the play. She continues to love Shakespeare, and his poetry, even she is married to the lord of Wessex. Her dialogues are heart-touching and so soothing, as she mentions’ about love, ‘I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Romeo?’ Like the dialogues of, shall I compare to a causes day?’ So beautifully she performs her part. Actions, cries, expressions, body language, are to be closed and connected to each other. Her character as well as performance both shows authenticity.

The play creates imagery science in mind, especially summer's performance of Romeo and Juliet on the stage and depiction of love that cause me to visualize the scene as if connected to myself. As well as contains several objects that symbolize many meanings. The bangles symbolize cure for words, poison symbolizes death, and theatre indicates sin when the church father shouts to the public that the causes of plague is all theatre. Love is shown as the cause of good literature. Shakespeare writes Romeo and Juliet when having a true love with Viola. As Plato says, ‘a man becomes a poet with the touch of love.’

    To sum it up, it is not fair if a complement is not passed on the play; this is a marvelous play. It touches true lovers. It indicates the situations how one faces in the way of love. Further, this is connected to a history that depicts Queen and her era. The great actors, playwrights, theatre owners, all are covered in this play. It is sincerely recommended to the literary students to go for it.

 

By: Shahzad Naseem

The writer is a pro-active teacher at Zanth Academy Jusak

Turbat Kech Balochistan