Biography - William Shakespeare: Life of Drama

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 Amazon.com

Great Teaching Tool

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. August 6, 2008

Will's got it going on

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. January 16, 2007

It's ok...

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). September 25, 2005

Informative and Helpful Resource for Shakespeare

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.
June 18, 2005

Maybe not.

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. February 19, 2001

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