The Stars Are Not to Blame: Shakespeare in Love

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William Shakespeare, a playwright from the 16th century, was the mastermind behind brilliant, captivating plays that conveyed a number of inspirational themes. The theme that a character’s misfortune is a result of his own errors is present in various works written by William Shakespeare, and in a movie based on his life. This can be supported through the following characters that cause their own suffering: Viola from the film Shakespeare in Love directed by John Madden, Romeo from the play Romeo and Juliet, as well as Brutus from the play Julius Caesar, both written by William Shakespeare.
To begin, Viola from the film Shakespeare in Love shows how characters are the cause of their own unhappiness. Viola’s dream has always been to perform on stage, since she has a strong passion for theatre. She knows that as a woman, she is prohibited from acting, yet she disobeys the law and disguises herself as a man named Thomas Kent to play a character from the upcoming performance, Romeo and Juliet. However, some of the Queen’s officials discover Thomas Kent’s true identity, a woman, and orders for the production to be shut down. Viola then becomes devastated that the theatre was closed down, since she will no longer be able to pursue her dream of performing. Even though she knew all along that she was not supposed to be on stage in the first place, she made the mistake of violating the law, which leads to the shattering of her dreams. Viola also makes the mistake of being romantically involved with Shakespeare. She is aware that her fate is to marry Lord Wessex, and that her family would never approve of her love with a man with no title. However, she continues to be with William Shakespeare, a man only known as a playwright, which streng...

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In conclusion, the idea that a character can only blame himself for his misery or death is portrayed by Viola in Shakespeare in Love for her attempts to pursue dreams she could never fulfill, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet for his impulsive behaviour, and Brutus in Julius Caesar for his naivety. Cassius once tells Brutus, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves” (Julius Caesar, 1, 2, 139–140), explaining how people should not blame others for their own problems. A person can only live once, therefore they must be very careful in their choices in order to make the most out of their life.

Works Cited

Shakespeare In Love. Dir. John Madden. Perf. Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes. Alliance Atlantis, 1998.
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1979. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1982. Print.

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