Follow William Shakespeare through 16th and 17th Century London, as the bard created many of the most important works ever written. This incredible period is a source of continued fascination and was portrayed in 1998's Academy Award-winning Best Picture, Shakespeare in Love, also dramatized in 2006's Elizabeth I, an Emmy Award-winning television miniseries, and NOW a new feature film starring Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth, The Golden Age.
The story begins with the first written documentation of Shakespeare in London ¨C his life on the bank of the River Thames, against the dramatic backdrop of the New Globe Playhouse. The "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I sits upon the throne and Christopher Marlowe (famous poet and playwright) is at the height of his popularity, but there are rumblings in the theatre awningĦ of a young upstart who has stolen ideas from the undisputed master!
Illustrated by dramatic reconstruction of late Elizabethan life and scenes from the plays themselves, this program shows many sites that were known to Shakespeare ¨C from the Tower of London to the taverns made famous by Falstaff and other Shakespearean characters, and of course, the murky River Thames. Shakespeare in London places the Bard in the context of his times by using accounts of those who knew him during the major events of the time including the threat of the Spanish Armada; political intrigue at the court of Queen Elizabeth; voyages and discovery of far away lands; the plague, and even the untimely death of Christopher Marlowe.
The story of Shakespeare in London equals the finest of the works that brought him such fame. It will be enjoyed by all lovers of popular literature and particularly Renaissance England.
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