Customer Reviews

A&E Biography - William Shakespeare: Life of Drama (1996) [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

At the outset let me correct a typo in your own review -- Shakespeare's only son was named Hamnet (after a friend of the family) and not Hamlet, the title character of one of his more famous plays.

I am currently reading the three-volume set of sixty essays entitled "William Shakespeare -- His World, His Work, His Influence". The perspective this gives is that it is impossible to fully appreciate the individual and his efforts without a good feel for the environment in which he worked. That said, this video biography is, in my view, about as good a job as can be done in 50 minutes.

There is really more than enough material for a documentary series. Ken Burns, are you out there?

This 50-minute video is a wonderful view into the life of the Bard and the social context in which he wrote. The film raises some interesting questions about Shakespeare and provides a great overview of the dramatist's work. A must for any Shakespearean addict; great for an introduction of the Bard to a classroom.

With the recent renewed interest in the great Bard of Avon, this video could be a good place to start. It ignores the entire controversy about the possibility that Shakespeare was really ghost written by someone else, which is an outgrowth of the idea that only the aristocracy could have been so creative, and that was a relief. Shakespeare comes through in this video as a real, living person who faced the same difficulties in life as most of us do, and yet managed to create the best known drama in human history.

As an English teacher about to teach several of Shakespeare's works, I purchased this video in the hopes that it would provide a short history of his life. In actuality, it proved to be just that--short. I was left with many questions. Nevertheless, it is a good buy since it does cover most of the basic info and is only 50 min in length (my class meets for 45 min).

I regularly teach my college's Introduction to Shakespeare class, and have found this to be a very good overview of the Bard's life and times. Micheal Wood's film on Shakespeare is also excellent, but that one is much too long to show in class. This A&E Bio, however, is the perfect length; coming in at about 50 minutes, it's ideal for showing towards the start of the semester. It includes good visuals and images, and includes short clips from several well-respected Shakespeare scholars.

I would also like to address the issue of Shakespeare's sexuality and his relationship with the Earl of Southampton, since several reviewers mention this in a dismissive way. I think that not introducing this aspect of Shakespeare's life to our students does them a great disservice. Literary scholars like Stephen Greenblatt (of Harvard University) and Stephen Orgel (of Stanford University) have done much research into the sexual norms of Shakespeare's life and period, and most gender and Renaissance studies scholars concur that Shakespeare was most likely bisexual, and that sexuality was understood differently during the Renaissance -- as more of a continuum. When we study sonnets like Sonnet 20 ("A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted / Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion"), I think that there is ample enough evidence that Shakespeare had a relationship with another male. To dismiss this or not address it in class reflects ignorance of the current state of literary scholarship, as well as homophobia.

I'm a High school drama teacher and while doing a lesson on Shakespeare I bought this video to teach the kids about Shakespeare's life. It has a lot of great information and it doesn't dumb it down (if you get what I mean). Its not just a biography of the events in Shakespeare's life, it looks at him as a man and explores how events in his life triggered his creative process. There is a lot of great commentary from well respected scholars and classical actors and directors. Great teaching tool for anyone trying to make Shakespeare cool.

Lots of stuff about Shakespeare out there, but this contains so much information in a condensed and entertaining format. HIgh school and college level students really respond positively. Ther are discussion questions that go along with it at the A&E bio website.