Film Education | Resources | Topic | Shakespeare on Film

Shakespeare on Film

Reception

Black and white still from Much Ado About Nothing - a couple clasp hands and gaze at each other Film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays cater for a range of audiences: not all Shakespeare films fit comfortably into a ‘literary prestige’ genre or the heritage industry associated with Merchant Ivory-style productions.

Consider these questions:

Do you think the audience for a stage production of a Shakespeare play is likely to be the same audience as for a film adaptation? Explain your answers.
Do you think there are different markets for the play texts? Why?

It is possible to ‘consume’ Shakespeare in a wide range of forms, and an exploration of the range of film adaptations available makes it clear that there is a diverse audience for Shakespeare. Adaptations of the plays into film, and films inspired by, but not directly related to the plays, span a wide range of cinematic styles.