Shakespeare In Love Essay -- Movie Film Movies Essays

Shakespeare In Love with Queen Elizabeth "Shakespeare In Love" dominated the Oscars in 1998 bringing home seven academy awards including best picture. At Consumnes River College, a film professor argued to his class that "Saving Private Ryan" should have won the award. The whole class, which I attended, obediently agreed. Only after studying Renaissance literature, I realize our mistake. "Shakespeare In Love" accurately portrays Renaissance England and the birth of English drama, which is the ancestor of American motion picture. Its combination of screenplay and acting accurately portrays the important figures surrounding young Elizabethan drama. However, despite representations of Will Shakespeare, Kit Marlowe, and Ned Allen, perhaps the most dazzling representation is of Queen Elizabeth. Even though the Queen’s character does not consume a leading role, England’s greatest monarch resonates throughout the film. One aspect of the film that proves this and pays homage to Queen Elizabeth is its fictionalized her oine, whose life coincides with that of England’s heroic Queen. Much of the audience may assume that Gwyneth Paltrow’s star character, Viola, merely symbolizes William Shakespeare’s "Juliet." However, the film’s original screenplay clearly establishes a link between Elizabeth’s character and Viola’s. First of all, both possess keen wit uncommon to woman of the era, which they use to belittle the male sex. When an aristocratic male attempts to court Viola and says that he has spoken to her father, she replies, "So my Lord, I speak with him everyday." (Shakespeare) This comical scene alludes to Viola’s quick wit and confidence, which symbolizes those attributes of the Queen. When Viola argues with the queen that playwrigh... ... The film inevitably becomes more interesting as the parallels between Viola and the Queen are drawn. Viola’s character represents the Queen’s courage, wit, and tragic love and other qualities. Furthermore, the fact that the Queen institutes poetry and art into her court illustrates her courage to rebel against the classic philosopher Plato who said, "Hymns to the gods and praises of famous men are the only poetry which ought to be admitted into [the ideal] state." (Plato 13) Because Queen Elizabeth believes in the power of art and since it flourished to America, it is fitting that modern art should honor her. This one aspect of "Shakespeare In Love" that honors England’s greatest monarch is a fabulous stroke of creativity. However, it is just one reason why the film deserves "best picture," for it contains other essential keys that also unlock Renaissance England.