William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes)’s Timeline and Summary
- Henslowe bugs Will for his new play: Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter.
- But Will has a new muse, so he changes the play to Romeo and Rosaline.
- When he catches Rosaline with another man, Will doesn't know what to do with his play.
- However, he soon finds a new muse: Viola de Lesseps, whom he meets at a party.
- Viola, unbeknownst to Will, auditions for the role of Romeo, while dressed as a man named Thomas Kent.
- Kent soon reveals that he is actually Viola, and the two begin a passionate love affair.
- However, the affair is short-lived, because Viola is to be married to a man she doesn't love.
- And the play is shut down when Thomas's identity as a woman is revealed.
- The play is moved to a different theatre, and Will is furious to learn that Juliet's male actor's voice has changed.
- He must play Romeo, and there is no Juliet.
- Until Viola steps in as Juliet, and the two act out their affair on stage.
- The crowd goes wild. Even the Queen likes it.
- But Will must say goodbye to Viola when she leaves to go to America with her husband.
- After their tearful goodbye, Shakespeare starts to write a new play.