King of Hollywood

Chapter 534: Chapter 255 Anticipated

In the circular theater, a splendid drama was being performed, and all around, the colorful audience, whether they were the poorest seated at the bottom or the nobles seated upstairs, stretched their necks and widened their eyes to watch the actors’ performance on the stage, afraid of missing even the slightest detail. This was not only because the plot was extremely thrilling but also because it was the first time a woman had appeared on stage to play a role!

“In such a mad state, wouldn’t I pick up an ancestor’s bone and use it as a stick to break my dizzy head? Ah, look! Isn’t that Tybalt’s ghost there, chasing Romeo to avenge his sword’s blow? Wait, Tybalt, wait! Romeo, I am coming! I drink this potion for you!” The lady half-reclined on the sarcophagus, raised her hands high, and recited in a tragic and passionate tone, then suddenly threw her head back and brought the prop bottle to her lips, before collapsing softly onto the sarcophagus.

“Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death! Come, bitter conductor, come, unsavory guide! You desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks your seasick weary bark! Here’s to my love! Oh, the apothecary was truthful, the drug works swiftly. Thus, with a kiss, I die.” Afterward, the man who came on stage, seeing the lady’s “corpse,” was heartbroken and, with a grieving and desperate tone, recited his lines before also lifting a cup to his lips and then falling down next to her.

The atmosphere in the theater instantly became heated; the drama had reached its climax. Everyone knew that the lady was actually feigning death, but the man truly died. What would the lady do when she awakened? Indeed, the play being performed was one of Shakespeare’s greatest works: “Romeo and Juliet.”

Similarly, the audience outside the screen was also engrossed, but their attention was not on the play. The protagonists, Shakespeare and his lover, Miss Viola, were their focus. Everyone wanted to know if Viola could ultimately break free from her engagement and end up with Shakespeare.

However, the ending was both expected and unexpected by the audience. Although officials threatened to shut down the theater for allowing a woman to perform, the sudden appearance of Queen Elizabeth I changed the situation. The Queen greatly praised the play and pardoned both Viola and the theater’s faults. However, Shakespeare did not end up with his lover, as the Queen declared, “She cannot break a marriage,” and still assigned Viola to Sir Weiser. Shakespeare had to accept this reality and, in endless longing, wrote the script for “Twelfth Night” in his lover’s name.

“A film of extreme brilliance; if Adrian’s ‘Elizabeth’ last week fully showcased his understanding of United Kingdom history, then the newly released ‘Shakespeare in Love’ reveals his grasp of Shakespearean works,” wrote the renowned film critic Shuman Wilson in his column the following day. “The entire film exudes an atmosphere unique to Shakespeare. The beautifully poetic dialogue and those delightful minor details familiar in Shakespeare’s other works—including the female protagonist’s name and the tumultuous relationship of the leading roles—Adrian perfectly blended these elements into the film, transforming it into a tale of Shakespeare’s own. Fluid and smooth without any roughness, this cinematic story reached new heights.”

“Gwyneth Paltrow delivered her most spectacular performance to date; the entire film is a Shakespearean drama about Shakespeare, with unexpected plot twists and distinct character traits, and she emerges as the genuine heroine from a Shakespearean play—pure, sensitive, and gracefully captivating! Dennis Knight’s performance also surprised everyone. Based on his poise in the film, no one would think him an American actor, nor that he had scarcely read or performed much of Shakespeare’s work,” commented the New York Times on the lead actors’ performances.

“Undoubtedly, Geoffrey Rush’s performance was the standout of the entire film; when you see the comical theater owner, you could never associate him with the sinister Sir Walsingham from last week’s ‘Elizabeth’. Equally brilliant was Judi Dench’s portrayal of Elizabeth I, who, despite her brief eight-minute appearance, which differs greatly from Kate Blanchett’s portrayal, fully demonstrated regal elegance. One believes that if Shakespeare were to write a drama about Elizabeth I, this would be how she appeared,” was the review from USA Today.