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
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
7/10
Director: William Dieterle
Starring: James Cagney, Joe E Brown, Dick Powell
Love is blind, fickle and true. And under the sway of capricious fairies it becomes blinder (a queen romances a donkey), more fickle (best friends swo... Read more
King Lear (Holm) (1997)
8.3/10
Director: Richard Eyre
Starring: Ian Holm, Barbara Flynn, Victoria Hamilton, Timothy West, Amanda Redman
Director Richard Eyre stages a bold, expressionistic interpretation of perhaps Shakespeare's most vivid and striking tragedy eliciting stunning perfor... Read more
Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight) (1965)
8.6/10
Director: Orson Welles
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, John Gielgud, Margaret Rutherford, Orson Welles, Norman Rodway
Henry IV (John Gielgud) usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion... Read more
The Shakespeare Collection: Series 1 (BBC) (1978)
8.5/10
Starring: Helen Mirren, John Gielgud, Claire Bloom, Alan Rickman
In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare's plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyal... Read more
The Thames Shakespeare Collection (1970)
Director: Kenneth Branagh, Joan Kemp-Welch, Philip Casson
Starring: Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Marie Kean, Ian McDiarmid, Patrick Magee, Ray Smith, W...
From royal family struggles and star-crossed lovers to a shipwreck romance and witches' prophecies, this acclaimed collection features the four of Sha... Read more
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2008)
6.5/10
Director: Adrian Noble
Starring: Lindsay Duncan, Barry Lynch
Shakespeare's beloved comic romance is once again translated to the screen in this lively adaptation. The fantasy is brought to life by the cream of t... Read more
Romeo and Juliet (2013)
7.7/10
Director: Carlo Carlei
Starring: Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Laura Morante...
Romeo and Juliet secretly wed despite the sworn contempt their families hold for each another. It is not long, however, before a chain of fateful even... Read more
Hamlet (Scott) (2000)
7.8/10
Director: Campbell Scott
Starring: Blair Brown, Roscoe Lee Browne, LisaGay Hamilton, Campbell Scott
Campbell Scott co-directs and stars as Hamlet in this excellent made-for-television version of Shakespeare's popular tragedy. The classic tale centres... Read more
All Night Long (1961)
5.9/10
Director: Basil Dearden, Michael Relph
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Patrick McGoohan, Keith Michell, Betsy Blair, Charles Ming...
Directed by Basil Dearden and set in London's jazz scene of the 1950s, this atmospheric updating of Shakespeare's 'Othello' features appearances by so... Read more
The Shakespeare Collection: Series 2 (BBC) (1979)
8.5/10
Starring: Derek Jacobi, Claire Bloom, David Gwillim, Felicity Kendal, Nigel Hawthorne
In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare's plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyal... Read more