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Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616) is reputed to be the greatest of all writers in the English language, or indeed in any language. His ability to capture and convey the most profound aspects of human nature is regarded by many as unequalled, and the English Renaissance has often been called "the age of Shakespeare". He was among few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy and several of his plays contain songs that are among the finest lyric poems in English. His prolific output is especially impressive in light of the fact that he lived only 53 years. "A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." - Will Shakespeare

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

7.3/10
Director: Gil Junger
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan...

This teen comedy, loosely patterned after 'The Taming of the Shrew', concerns the would-be suitors of a girl forbidden to start dating before her sull... Read more

Othello (Fishburne) (1995)

6.9/10
Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irene Jacob

Laurence Fishburne is very good in the title role bringing out the warrior Moor's essential innocence and passion, while Kenneth Branagh is brilliant... Read more

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

6.5/10
Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett

Aka "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream". The bard's classic comedy has been transported from ancient Greece to late 19th century Italy w... Read more

Twelfth Night (1996)

7.3/10
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Imogen Stubbs, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley

Shakespeare's richest and most haunting 'comedy' of would be lovers and mistaken identity is given lavish treatment with Imogen Stubbs, Helena Bonham... Read more

The Taming Of The Shrew (1967)

7.2/10
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern, Alfred Lynch, A...

An exquisite mounting of Shakespeare's comic look at male-female relationships stars Richard Burton as Petruchio, the wily gentleman from Verona who t... Read more

Forbidden Planet (1956)

7.6/10
Director: Fred M Wilcox
Starring: Robby the Robot, Warren Stevens, Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis

'The best of the science fiction interstellar productions of the fifties', according to Pauline Kael. The action takes place in the year 2257 on the p... Read more

She's the Man (2006)

6.4/10
Director: Andy Fickman
Starring: Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Robert Hoffman, Jonathan Sadowski, A...

This contemporary teen take on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night sees Viola (Amanda Bynes) assuming her brother Sebastian's identity so she can play on the... Read more

Throne of Blood (1957)

8.1/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura

Kurosawa's version of 'Macbeth' spares no effort in creating an atmosphere of obsessive madness and supernatural compulsion. The black and white contr... Read more

In Search of Shakespeare (2004)

8.2/10
Director: David Wallace
Starring: Michael Wood

He is the most famous of Englishmen, and yet our biographical knowledge of William Shakespeare has always been scant. Now Michael Wood - with the help... Read more

Titus (1999)

7.2/10
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Alan Cumming, Colm Feore, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Harry Lennix

"Titus Andronicus", Shakespeare's first tragedy, is given striking treatment by director Julie Taymor, who melds ancient settings with modern accoutre... Read more