My Shakespeare

Shakespeare in the Park continues to be so popular and enjoyed by thousands each year, because we can all see ourselves in Shakespeare's characters and the timeless story lines they find themselves in. Shakespeare is alive and well in our modern lives, often without us even realizing it. When 'All the world's a stage', famous Shakespearean quotes can still ring true today, his plays mirror our daily lives and we can even see the most audacious characters in ourselves from time to time. Who hasn't had a star crossed love affair of sorts or has felt betrayed by those closest to you? We love to see this drama unfold again and again.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Oxford English Dictionary credits Shakespeare with the introduction of nearly 3,000 words into the language. It's no wonder that expressions from his works are an 'anonymous' part of the English language and that most people quote him without knowing that the words that they speak were penned by the Great Bard of Stratford.

Famous Shakespeare characters with a modern twist
Do you see yourself in any of these characters?

Othello - intense workaholic
King Lear - devoted family man
Romeo - hopeless romantic
Hamlet - misunderstood hero
Kate - drama queen
Juliet - miss independent
Julius Caeser - one of the boys
Famous Shakespearean Quotes

SITP quotes

Movies based on Shakespeare's works

She's the Man (2006), starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum. Based on Twelfth Night.
A Midsummer Night's Rave (2002), starring Andrew Keegan and Lauren German. Based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.
O (2001), starring Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett, Andrew Keegan and Julia Stiles. Based on Othello.
Hamlet (2000), starring Ethan Hawke, Julia Stiles, Kyle MacLachlan. Directed by Michael Almereyda.
Love's Labour's Lost (2000), directed by Kenneth Branagh.
A Midsummer's Night's Dream (1999), starring Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer. Directed by Michael Hoffman.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999), starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger. Based on Taming of the Shrew.
Shakespeare in Love (1998), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush and Judi Dench. Loosely inspired by Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet.
Looking for Richard (1996), directed by Al Pacino.
Twelfth Night (1996), starring Helena Bonham Carter, Nigel Hawthorne, Ben Kingsley, Imogen Stubbs and Mel Smith.
Hamlet (1996), starring Kenneth Branagh, Richard Attenborough, Judi Dench, Billy Crystal and Kate Winslet. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Romeo + Juliet, (1996), starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes
Othello (1995), directed by Oliver Parker.
Much Ado about Nothing (1993), directed by Kenneth Branagh.
As You Like It (1992), directed by Christine Edzard.
Henry V (1989), directed by Kenneth Branagh.
King Lear (1987), directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
Comedy of Errors (1978), starring Judi Dench and Francesca Annis
Antony and Cleopatra (1974), starring Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley.
Macbeth (1972), directed by Roman Polanski.
King Lear (1970), directed by Peter Brook.
Romeo and Juliet (1968), directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
The Taming of the Shrew (1967), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
The Tempest (1960), starring Richard Burton. Directed by George Schaefer.
Forbidden Planet (1956), directed by Fred M. Wilcox. Based on The Tempest.
Richard III (1955), directed by Lawrence Olivier.
Romeo and Juliet (1954), directed by Renato Castellani.
Othello (1952), directed by Orson Welles.
Hamlet (1948), directed. by Lawrence Olivier.
Macbeth (1948), directed by Orson Welles.

DID YOU KNOW?

Shakespeare movies are so numerous, they form their own sub genre. With over 250 Shakespeare movies produced, Shakespeare film adaptations such as Baz Luhrman's "Romeo and Juliet", the Shakespeare inspired "Shakespeare in Love" and the more recent "Hamlet 2000", prove that Shakespeare films adaptations and movies retain their enduring appeal