Nikki Berry: Shakespeare in Love, Madden

I noticed quite a few similiarities between the reading assignement (ix-xxi in Romeo and Juliet) and the movie. For instance, on page xi it says that "income was sporadic, dependent on the passing of the hat or on the bounty of local patrons." This was evident throughout the film. Financing was done by a loan shark and also contingent on evidence of new plays. I also noted that the actors in the movie sometimes went unpaid. On page xi they talk about how plays were "performed every day (including Sundays....) except...or periods of plague." In the film, there is mention of the plague when Shakespeare hears coughing during the openning of one of the plays... I could go on and on, but what I'm trying to illustrate is that the director did his research, and it was nice to see the reading come to life in the film.

Nikki B.