Shakespeare

Knowing William Shakespeare

After having breakfast last Saturday, I went to my room and started watching Shakespeare in Love from Netflix. I was looking forward to watch the movie because I remember seeing a scene many years ago, when Gwyneth Paltrow played Viola de Lesseps is spinning in circles.

When William Shakespeare played by Joseph Fiennes meets Viola Lesseps, his life is reflected in the play Romeo and Juliet. Two of the scenes in the movie, when Will and Viola are together, are part of Romeo and Juliet play. When they first meet in the ball and when Will goes to Viola’s balcony, are the same as Romeo and Juliet. Another is that they cannot be together because Viola is going to marry Lord Wessex played by Colin Firth, when in the play the characters cannot be together because of family conflicts. One that is reflected too well is when they are practicing the Capulets and Montague fight in the Rose Theater and Richard Burbage played by Martin Clunes goes accompanied with his men to start a real fight when he found out Will had a relationship with Rosaline (Burbage’s keeper).

Women adorn their hair with different kind of accessories. The first that I noticed is from Rosaline, William’s mistress, she wears a diadem and a hanging pendant. Then when they are acting for the Queen in the playhouse a lot of women have many different types of accessories. Some elegant than others. Like the Queen’s hair, she wears pearls all over her wig, 3 bigger hair brooches and a hanging pendant with diamonds and pearls. In the ball scene, Viola wears her hair down and a gold crown with small rubies. Another scene that represents this well is when Viola is presented in front the Queen. Viola wears her hair up with a big silver crown and a diadem with diamonds and silver pendants. Although Viola’s hair looks very fancy, Queen’s hair was remarkable; she had a gold diadem with sapphires, emeralds and rubies.

I learned from the movie more about how women were treated. They didn’t have many rights; their parents sold them to arrange a marriage that maybe they did not want. It was against the law to be part of a play. The only thing that does not support this is that the Queen is the law. She had all the power and everything she said was right.

Watching this movie make me realize the things love can do to someone. Love made William Shakespeare the poet that he was. He was so in love that is reflected on Romeo and Juliet.

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