SHAKESPEARE CLASS

One of the most controversial theories in the field of literature — that William Shakespeare, widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language, was not the actual author of the works he has become famous for having written — lies at the heart of producer-director Roland Emmerich's new historical thriller, Anonymous. The movie, written by John Orloff, explores the theory first proposed by English schoolteacher J. Thomas Looney in his book Shakespeare Identified (1920) that the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans), was the actual literary genius, with Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) simply a hired stand-in.

Anonymous opens October 28. Click here for a link to the official page.

The Sonnet

Link to Documentary film on Shakespeare's Globe (2005).

The Taming of the Shrew (Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton, 1967; 8 parts):

Link to Broadway Theatre Archive version of The Taming of the Shrew (1976), performed by the American Conservatory Theatre of San Francisco. Link to the John Cleese BBC version of The Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1980). 10 Things I Hate About You (1999; 10 parts): Link to the BBC version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1981) featuring Helen Mirren as Titania.