Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26638 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 50 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

Heads Up for High School Teachers
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.

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.

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.