A dark and dramatic cinematic replica of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth comes out in the cinema today, but it’s one of hundreds of the famous playwright’s works which have been extended to the big screen. Centuries have come and gone since the world famous wordsmith penned his final works, but they are still inspiring plotlines today. We decided to take a look at films inspired by Shakespeare’s plays – you may be pleasantly surprised! Plus we’ve summarised the plots for you – Sparknotes take a seat…
1.The Lion King(1994)
Based on: Hamlet
Shakespeare plot: Prince Hamlet is the son of King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. When the play opens, King Hamlet has recently died and his brother Claudius has been crowned the new king and married Gertrude. After the marriage, Prince Hamlet meets his father’s spirit who tells him that he didn’t die because of a poisonous snake bite – Claudius murdered him by pouring poison in his ear! “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown.” The spirit wants Hamlet to take revenge, so Hamlet pretends to be mad to spy on Claudius. He puts on a play which mirrors the murder of his father to see if Claudius reacts. He is angry and upset, which proves he is guilty and the ghost was telling the truth. He realises his stepson knows the truth so when Hamlet accidentally stabs someone else, he is sent away with two friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) on a mission that will lead to his death. While on a ship they are attacked by pirates and return home. Claudius plots to kill Hamlet by putting poison in a cup but his mother, Gertrude, drinks it by mistake. Upon seeing his mother dying, Hamlet stabs Claudius to death.
Lion King plot: The original setting of Denmark is swapped for the African savannah and people are swapped for lions but many aspects mirror Shakespeare’s original plot. Prince Hamlet is Simba and Claudius is Scar, who let Mufasa fall to his death during the stampede in order to become king of Pride Rock. Simba realises that Scar caused the death of his father and after time away from the kingdom with two friends (Timon and Pumba) he returns to exact revenge on his evil uncle. The pirates which wreak havoc during the journey could also be likened to the crafty hyenas which torment the young cub. One night, Mufasa also appears to Simba in the stars, mirroring the apparition of Hamlet’s father’s spirit. Of course The Lion King has a much happier ending (and some cracking tunes), but it is undeniably similar to Shakespeare’s tale.
2.10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Based on: The Taming of the Shrew
Shakespeare plot: A rich man called Lucentio arrives in an Italian city with his servants, Tronio and Biondello to attend university. He falls in love with a beautiful woman called Bianca but she already has two suitors (Hortensio and Gremio). Her father, Baptista, has also declared that no one can marry her until her ill-tempered older sister, Katherine, is married. Lucentio disguises as Bianca’s Latin teacher to woo her but Hortensio has the same idea and dresses as her music teacher. Tronio dresses as Lucentio to confer with Baptista about marrying her daughter. A man called Petruchio arrives in town to find a rich wife and tries to win the affection of Katherine but instead is met with a barrage of insults. Nevetherless, he wants to marry her and lies to her father saying she consents to wed. He arrives late and strangely dressed to the event then whisks Katherine away to his home country where he forbids her to eat and sleep in an attempt to tame her, saying his food and bed are not good enough for her. Lucentio wins Bianca’s heart as the Latin teacher and Tranio secures Baptista’s approval by promising lots of money. While he is distracted they elope. Katherine returns ‘tamed’ and obedient.
10 Things I Hate About You plot: The names of characters are similar (or identical) in the late 90s classic, which makes the plot similarity easy to follow in a high school setting. Bianca is looking for a date for the prom but she is not allowed to date Cameron (Lucentio) until her bad tempered older sister Kat (Katherine) finds herself a date so Bianca manages to set her up with bit of a bad boy Patrick (Petruchio). Cameron disguises himself as a language tutor in order to woo Bianca, just as Lucentio does in The Taming of the Shrew.
3.She’s the Man (2006)
Based on: The Twelfth Night
Shakespeare plot: A nobleman called Orsino pines for the love of a lady called Olivia. A storm causes a shipwreck to wash ashore a woman called Viola. Her twin brother disappears in the storm. Alone in a strange land, she disguises herself as a man and goes to work for Orsino as a page boy, calling herself Cesario. She falls in love with Orsino but he thinks she’s a boy. He sends her to give love messages to Olivia and she falls in love with ‘Cesario,’ believing her to be male. And a love triangle is born. Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia and Olivia loves Cesario. And everybody is miserable!
She’s the Man: A new high school is the equivalent of the shipwreck and the names mirror those of the original characters which makes comparison straightforward (ish!) Viola agrees to pretend to be her twin brother, Sebastian, at school. Totally doable of course! She gets landed with a roommate in the form of none other than Channing Tatum (Orsino) who’s name is Duke. Duke’s love interest is Olivia and ‘Sebastian’ makes friends with him and gets on his good side by delivering messages to her for him. In the process, ‘Sebastian’ falls for Duke (Orsino) (who thinks she is a man) and Olivia falls in love with ‘Sebastian.’ Amanda Bynes acting as a boy attempting to be manly makes this TOO FUNNY and the medieval classic is brought crashing into the 21st century with hilarious consequences.
4.Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Based on: Romeo + Juliet (obvs)
Shakespeare plot: Two noble families are constantly brawling in the city of Verona, causing public outrage at the violence. A high profile gentleman, Paris, seeks to marry Prince Escalus’s (head of Capulets) daughter, Juliet, and he says they may meet at a masquerade feast he is hosting. Romeo is a Montague and he and his friend and cousin (Mercutio and Benvolio) wangle an invite and sneak in. Romeo and Juliet see each other and instantly fall in love (because that’s how Shakespeare works) and they wed in secret the next day. Tybalt, a Capulet, recognised Romeo at the party and is furious that he attended. They duel and Mercutio dies in the crossfire. Romeo is so enraged that he hunts Tybalt down and kills him, but he is Juliet’s cousin. As a punishment, Romeo is banished. Juliet is told she must wed Paris, so arranges to fake her death with a potion and elope with Romeo, but he doesn’t get the message that her death is fake. Believing her to be dead, he drinks a deadly potion by her side and dies as she wakes. Having lost two children due to their hostility, the Montagues and Capulets set aside their differences and Verona is peaceful.
Romeo + Juliet plot: The character names and plot are loyal to the original but the film takes place in a glamorous 80s style beach setting with the Montague boys recognisable with funky dyed hair and tropical shirts. Capulets are identifiable by the slick hair, waistcoats and metal toed boots. The two families are not nobles but the most powerful families in the cities, possibly gangsters, with their names emblazoned on opposing skyscrapers. The most striking feature is the medieval language used throughout the film – “Why Romeo, art thou mad?” As a high profile character, Paris appears on the cover of Time magazine and Mercutio is an eccentric transvestite who pedals drugs. Guns are referred to as sword and daggers and a young Leonardo Dicaprio is in his acting prime the young lovestruck Romeo, all anguish and blonde highlights. This film is a truly stunning remake of a centuries-old twisted love story – and while the language is old school, the modern setting and high action makes the plot a lot easier to follow.
5.Get Over It (2001)
Based on: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare plot : Theseus, duke of Athens, is preparing to marry Hippolyta and commissions his master of revels to find amusement. Egeus, a nobleman, appears in Theseus’s court with his daughter Hermia and two men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus wants her to marry Demetrius but she is in love with Lysander and refuses. Theseus gives Hermia an ultimatum to consider her options, reminding her that her disobedience could lead to life in a convent or death. Not put off, she plans elope and marry Lysander. They tell Hermia’s friend Helena about their plans. She is in love with Demetrius and resents him for choosing Hermia so to reclaim his love she tells him about their plans to elope and he hunts them into the wood, she follows. The king and queen of fairies, Obreron and Titania, are in the woods along with a band of craftsmen rehearsing a play for the wedding. Obreron has a young Indian prince who he wants to make a knight but Titania refuses, so Obreron sends his servant, Puck to find a magical flower whose sap smeared on the eyes makes the sleeper fall in love with the first person they see. Obreron puts it on Titania’s eyelids and having seen Demetrius act cruelly towards Helena. He tells him to smear it on his eyes too. Puck meets Lysander and Hermia and mistakes one man for the other. Lysander sees Helena when he wakes and falls in love with her, abandoning Hermia. Puck tries to undo his mistake and Demetrius ends up in love with Helena, who thinks they are mocking her. Hermia tries to fight her and Puck confuses everyone, losing them in the woods. Titania sees a craftsman with a donkey’s head when she wakes and falls in love with him but by morning, Puck has fixed all the muddled lovers.
Get Over It: The set of Athens and a magical wood are exchanged for an American high school where students are putting on a musical production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A star basketball player quits his team and joins the Shakespeare play after his girlfriend breaks up with him. However, in the process, he falls in love with his best friend’s younger sister who is suddenly all grown up. What ensues is a complicated and messy love triangle like the confused romantic events in the Shakespeare play. The thong man himself, Sisqo, even appears for a cameo role!
