Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: February 25, 1997
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304340206
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,153 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Though Shakespeare is heralded as the world's most influential and admired writer, little is known about the man himself. That didn't stop A&E Biography from weaving together a substantial birth (in 1564) to death (in 1616) portrait from spotty documentation, historical accounts, and interpretations of the master's work itself. It won't give away all the video's surprises to reveal here that Shakespeare was born into privilege, started out as an actor, had an unhappy marriage to an older woman--in his will, he specifically left her only his "second best bed"--and survived the death of his only son, Hamnet. Many of his most complex works came about after the death of his son, including the play named after him. Before Shakespeare died (due to an illness borne of too much pickled herring), he penned perhaps the last thing he would ever write--his own epitaph. It reads, in part, "Blessed be the man that spares these stones and cursed be he that moves my bones." --Jennifer Vogel

Product Description

He is the world's most influential and admired writer, a man whose imaginative genius still moves us, nearly four centuries after his death.William Shakespeare's tumultuous life produced an unmatched legacy of drama and poetry. But the Bard's own story remains, for the most part, a mystery. Piece together the clues of Shakespeare's identity, from his comfortable youth in Stratford-on-Avon and his marriage to an older woman at 18 to the night of carousing that led to his death at age 52. Film excerpts, dramatic readings and location footage provide a glimpse into his little-known- life and his astonishing 20-year career as a playwright and actor.Turn back the pages of time for a remarkable portrait of William Shakespeare the greatest writer the English language has ever known.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Heads Up for High School Teachers, October 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A&E Biography - William Shakespeare: Life of Drama (1996) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As a high school teacher, I found the visuals appealing and representative of the period in which Shakespeare lived. However, I ultimately decided against showing the video in class as it states without substantiation that Shakespeare was involved in a homosexual affair with his patron, the earl of Southampton. I suppose someone has taken the style of writing Shakespeare used in his encomiums to his patron as expressions of sexual ardor rather than the sycophantic flattery which was typical in an age when artistic types were looking for deep pockets to support their career. The Bard may have been "kissing up," as we would say nowadays, but it's doubtful it was in the sense the commentator used. I personally didn't feel it was worth opening that can of worms in our introductory lessons, but depending on one's purpose, others might choose otherwise.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe not., February 19, 2001

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A&E Biography - William Shakespeare: Life of Drama (1996) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

After whetting our appetites with the observation that little is known about the man behind the plays, the A&E team provides a bland, surprisingly unengaging "5-act" biography of William Shakespeare. As the story proceeds, the producers rely more and more on quotations from the plays rather than on any "extrinsic" evidence. The result is a program that confirms what we already knew, or should have known, all along--the life of William Shakespeare is at best a mere footnote to the life of the plays themselves. Credit the producers for not indulging in this series' customary approach and sensationalizing the records (by claiming Shakepeare was really Queen Elizabeth, etc.). On the other hand, teachers and students of Shakespeare, as well as fans of the Bard, may find it difficult to justify an investment of money in a video this slight when, say, Olivier's "Henry V" or Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing" are available at a comparable price.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Helpful Resource for Shakespeare, June 17, 2005

By 

fra7299 "fra7299" (California, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Biography - William Shakespeare: Life of Drama (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

This video by A and E contains a 50 minute biography about the life and works of Shakespeare. What is gratifying is that this is not a video that tries to portray only the good of Shakespeare, but also the conflicts and controversies that presented themselves during his time. Some controversial topics are thrown in (whether you can choose to believe or not believe), such as the possibility that Shakespeare was bisexual and the idea that Shakespeare "borrowed" material from other written fiction. Still, this is a great film that can be used as an introduction to Shakespearean works (I am an English teacher, and use this before a drama unit with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, or Julius Caesar).

The biography divides the life and times of Shakespeare into 5 "scenes" (although if they were totally accurate, they might have chosen the "seven" stages of his life). We learn a little bit of the background with his wife, Anne Hathaway, and their children, with a section on the devastating loss of one of Shakespeare's sons, Hamnet. We also learn about Shakespeare's upbringing, as well as some of the aspects of his life in Stretford. While some of the "gossip" included in the documentary might not be that appealing, I thought it was an exceptional video for its Elizabethan information background. For instance, we get some information on Shakespeare's rivals and how plays were viewed in London's society during that era, as well as the devastating aspects of such things as the Plague and sickness. There are plenty of tidbits from some of Shakespeare's plays and poems, such as brief clips from popular movies and plays (Hamlet, King Lear, The Tempest for example), as well as information about these dramas and their impact on his overall success.

Overall, a very informative look at not only Shakespeare, but the times he lived in. If you need a little background information on Shakespeare, this is a great video to take a look at.