Writer's Block William Shakespeare. You may have heard of him. He wrote a few plays, like Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. Wait, what?That's how Shakes...

Roses are Red, Viola is Blue Viola de Lesseps has the 16th Century equivalent of #firstworldproblems. She can't find love because men only see her money. And she can't be an actor because women are...

The Harshest Critic Elizabethan theatre gets its name from (who else?) Queen Elizabeth. If there's one thing Queen Elizabeth I has in common with modern high school students, besides amazing fashio...

For Love and Money… Well, For Money Lord Wessex is William Shakespeare's opposite in almost every way. He's humorless. He's dumpy (only this film could make Colin Firth look dumpy.) He's a jerk....

Fenny for Your ThoughtsHugh Fennyman is "the money"— the man who finances the plays that Mr. Henslowe puts on at the Rose. When he lights a fire under Henslowe's feet (literally) to make him pay...

Jolly PatronPhilip Henslowe is the owner of the Rose, the theatre that puts on Shakespeare's comedies. He's in debt to Fennyman, and constantly riding Will to finish his play so he can make money o...

Ben AffleckNed Alleyn is played by Ben Affleck. We mention this because whenever he is on screen, you think, "That's Ben Affleck. Why is he in this movie?" Gwyneth gets a pass because she thinks sh...

His Best Friend's Dead-ing Christopher "Kit" Marlowe is based on a real-life historical figure of the same name. The real-life Christopher Marlowe was young and dreamy, with flowing hair and gorgeo...

Taking Umbrage This is a meta movie, so it's not just about Shakespeare writing a play full of his usual tropes, it also contains Shakespeare's usual tropes – comedy, tragedy, cross-dressing, and...

Special Thanks Go To…Like a Shakespeare play, this film is packed to the gills with supporting characters, many of whom only get one or two major scenes. Richard Burbage is one of a handful of hi...