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These touring shows were run solely by men, and women were not allowed to participate in productions - a woman’s place was in the home, and if any woman were seen doing any activity deemed un-domestic, they were considered immoral and sinful. They resorted to the “Miracle Plays”, stories of the Bible that taught audiences about Christianity. The Dark Ages were a time of vast illiteracy, and the Church needed something besides the written word to inform the populace about religion.
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However, Shakespeare in Love warrants more credit in regards to its social commentary about gender equality.ĭuring the years of Elizabethan theatre, women had been banned from the English stage since Medieval times. Shakespeare in Love, written by Tom Stoppard (yes, the Tom Stoppard) and Marc Norman, is usually celebrated for its sweeping love story that parallels Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet script: two people in love who are divided by social conventions. Hearing of the performance, Viola escapes her wedding, and rushes to the theatre, arriving in time to play Juliet in front of a crowd of hundreds - including her new husband Wessex. Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes) takes pity on the cast, as they are his fellow theatre folk, and invites them to perform the play at his rival theatre. The theatre is shut down, and the play is cancelled. On the eve of Romeo and Juliet ’s debut performance, it’s revealed that Viola is not a man, but a woman. When Shakespeare finds out that she is Viola de Lesseps, they begin an affair that endangers Shakespeare’s career, Viola’s reputation, and the life of Christopher Marlowe (Rupert Everett). She escapes her high-born family’s castle to audition for his new play and appears as Thomas Kent, and is cast as Romeo. He finds his inspiration in Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), a woman betrothed to the Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). Unlucky for Henslowe, Shakespeare is suffering from writer’s block and must find a muse to inspire him again.
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To escape the wrath of those he owes, he commissions William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) to write him a comedy that will bring The Rose Theatre money. Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) owns the Rose Theatre and is in tremendous debt. Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, and Judi Dench What happens:ġ593, London.