William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's immortal classic of revenge, murder -- and family. This version is set in turn-of-the-century America, infusing the play with compelling scenic and costumes design. (Hallmark Entertainment)

New York, 2000. A specter in the guise of the newly-dead CEO of Denmark Corporation appears to Hamlet, tells of murder most foul, demands revenge, and identifies the killer as Claudius, the new head of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle and now step-father. Hamlet must determine if the ghost is truly his father, and if Claudius did the deed. To buy time, Hamlet feigns madness; to catch his uncle's conscience, he invites him to watch a film he's made that shows a tale of murder... (imdb)

Stranded in the heat of a barren African desert, eleven bus-passengers shelter in the remnants of an abandoned town. As rescue grows more remote by the day and anxiety deepens, an idea emerges: why not stage a play. However the choice of "King Lear" only manages to plunge this disparate group of travellers into turmoil as they struggle to overcome both nature's wrath and their own mortality. (IFC Films)

Turf wars. Violent betrayals. A family torn apart by greed and jealousy. And one man who wants to rule the gang-ravaged streets of East L.A.

The King of Navarre and his three companions swear a very public oath to study together and to renounce women for three years. Their honour is immediately put to the test by the arrival of the Princess of France and her three lovely companions. It's love at first sight for all concerned followed by the men's highly entertaining but hopeless efforts to disguise their feelings. (imdb)

Set in the lavish era of 16th century Italy, The Merchant of Venice follows the interlocking lives of a captivating assortment of Shakespearean characters in this story wrought with morality, revenge, redemption and love. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Shakespeare's comedy about two couples in love with the wrong partners, and how they are finally brought together rightly, thanks in part to the bungling work of Puck.

Surreal character study focusing on the friendship between two male hustlers, Mike and Scott, in Portland, Oregon. They live on the streets, do drugs, and sell themselves to men and women. Mike (River Phoenix) is quiet, gay and suffers from narcolepsy. Abandoned as a child, he is obsessed with finding his long-lost mother. Scott (Keanu Reeves) is the rebellious son of a high-ranking family, who lives this life mostly to embarrass his father... (imdb)

A contemporary retelling of "Othello," Shakespeare's timeless tale of treachery and jealousy, set in an elite private school located deep in the American South. (Lions Gate Films)

A banished nobleman returns to usurp the throne of England when the king seizes all his property.

A black comedy retelling of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," set against the backdrop of a fast food restaurant in early 70's, rural Pennsylvania. (Lot 47 Films)

War begets revenge. Victorious general, Titus Andronicus, returns to Rome with hostages: Tamora queen of the Goths and her sons. He orders the eldest hewn to appease the Roman dead. He declines the proffered emperor's crown, nominating Saturninus, the last ruler's venal elder son. Saturninus, to spite his brother Bassianus, demands the hand of Lavinia, Titus's daughter. When Bassianus, Lavinia, and Titus's sons flee in protest, Titus stands against them and slays one of his own... (imdb)

A remake of the classic Shakespare play "The Taming of the Shrew.", set in a modern day highschool. (imdb)

It's hard enough being the nerdy new guy on campus without also being the new girl on campus, who has fallen for the coolest guy on campus, who is totally obsessed with the most beautiful girl on campus, who is "crushing" on the nerdy new guy on campus. That's just the beginning in this contemporary comedy inspired by Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." (DreamWorks)

An elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him. (imdb)

Young lovers Hero and Claudio, soon to wed, conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles Benedick and Beatrice to wed as well. (imdb)

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing. (imdb)

A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord siezes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches. (imdb)

The career of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff as roistering companion to young Prince Hal, circa 1400-1413. (imdb)

Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue. (imdb)

A modern, punk adaptation of Shakespeare's classic. Told irreverently, this film attempts to impact the viewer in the same way theatre-goers were effected in Shakespeare's time (imdb)

The evil Iago pretends to be friend of Othello in order to manipulate him to serve his own end in the film version of this Shakespeare classic. (imdb)

A starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony only to find two survivors and a deadly secret that one of them has. (imdb)

A ruthlessly ambitious lord, egged on by his wife, works to fulfill a prophesy that he would become Emperor. (imdb)

Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian aristocrat, elopes with Moorish military hero Othello, to the great resentment of Othello's envious underling Iago (imdb)

The classic Shakespearan play about a murderously scheming king staged in a alternative fascist England setting. (imdb)

The gritty adaption of William Shakespeare's play about the English King's bloody conquest of France. (imdb)

A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition. (imdb)

When the now famous "star crossed lovers" of two enemy families meet, forbidden love ensues. (imdb)

Richard's military skills have helped to put his older brother Edward on the throne of England. (imdb)

Based on one the most popular historical plays by Shakespeare and made in order to boost moral of British troops during WW2... (imdb)

In this film of the classic Shakespearean play, a Danish prince seeks to avenge his father's death when his uncle murders his father... (imdb)

Brutish, fortune-hunting scoundrel Pertuchio tames his wealthy shrewish wife, Katharina. (imdb)

The assassination of the would be ruler of Rome at the hands of Brutus and company has tragic consequences for Brutus and the republic. (imdb)

The beautiful paradise island Melonia is inhabited by the wizard Prospero, his daughter Miranda and all their friends. The island is under threat from the coal black industry island Plutonia, governed by two profit hungry managers who keeps small children as their slaves in the factories. (imdb)

Director Al Pacino juxtaposes scene's from Richard III, scenes of rehearsals for Richard III, and sessions where parties involved discuss the play, the times that shaped the play and the events that happened at the time the play is set. Interviews with mostly British actors are also included, attempting to explain why American actors have more problems performing Shakespearean plays than they do. (imdb)

A loose adaptation of Hamlet, "The Night Banquet" is set in an empire in chaos. The Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Minister and the General all have their own enemies they would like to finish off at a night banquet. (imdb)

An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'. Intricate staging, graphic nudity, and lavish art production are part of this lurid spectacle. Shakespeare has never seemed quite the same. (imdb)

A fully animated feature fantasy about two star crossed seals from warring families that fall in love against their parents' wishes. (Indican Pictures)

Philip Dimitrius's marriage is on the rocks; he searches for a more meaningful experience returning to his roots in Greece. While his wife is off gallivanting with a Greek tycoon, Philip falls for the footloose Aretha. (imdb)

Brutus, Cassius, and other high-ranking Romans murder Caesar, because they believe his ambition will lead to tyranny. The people of Rome are on their side until Antony, Caesar's right-hand man, makes a moving speech. The conspirators are driven from Rome, and two armies are formed: one side following the conspirators; the other, Antony. Antony has the superior force, and surrounds Brutus and Cassius, but they kill themselves to avoid capture. (imdb)

Zefferelli does yet another Shakespeare, with less success than he had with Taming of the Shrew or Romeo and Juliet. Hamlet returns to Denmark when his father, the King, dies. His mother Gertrude has already married Hamlet's uncle Claudius, the new King... (imdb)

Orlando, a younger brother, is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to win his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind... (imdb)

Two Britons are captured and enslaved by invading Romans and taken to Rome. Hengist Pod creates useless inventions, while Horsa is a brave and cunning fighter. One of their first encounters in Rome leaves Hengist being mistaken for a fighter, and gets drafted into the Royal Guard to protect Cleopatra. Cleo doesn't want him around and plots for his sudden demise... (imdb)

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the kingdom of fairies have a slight quarrel about whether or not the boy Titania is raising will join Titania's band or Oberon's, so Oberon tries to get him from her by using some magic... (imdb)

All star cast heads up this 1970 remake of the William Shakespeare classic tale of the betrayal of the the Roman senate against their emperor, the plotting and scheming that led up to the assassination of the title charecter, and all of Romes' fickleness towards the events. (imdb)

An updated version of 'William Shakespeare' 's King Lear, by way of Ran (1985), with Lear as a magnate in the Old West whose decision to divide his empire among his three daughters results in disaster. (imdb)

Rosalind, daughter of a Duke, falls in love with Orlando, a young man who is subsequently banished. In order to pursue her beloved, Rosalind disguises herself as a man, resulting in comedic misunderstandings and adventures.

In fog-dripping, barren and sometimes macabre settings, 11th-century Scottish nobleman Macbeth is led by an evil prophecy and his ruthless yet desirable wife to the treasonous act that makes him king. But he does not enjoy his newfound, dearly-won kingship... Restructured, but all the dialogue is Shakespeare's. (imdb)

Macbeth meets the Godfather in present-day Bombay. The Scottish tragedy set in the contemporary underworld of India's commercial capital; two corrupt, fortune telling policemen take the roles of the weird sisters, and "Duncan" is Abbaji, the head of a crime family. Abbaji's mistress and Maqbool plot and carry out his death; the sea plays the role of Birnham wood. (imdb)

Antonio's friend Bassanio is in love and needs money to go courting. Using Antonio as his collateral, he borrows money from Shylock. But when the debt comes due, Shylock demands repayment in the form of a pound of Antonio's flesh. This is a video of the 1970 National Theatre stage production with most of the same cast. (imdb)

A THOUSAND ACRES is a drama about an American family who meets with tragedy on their land. It is the story of a father, his daughters, and their husbands, and their passion to subdue the history of their land and its stories. (imdb)

An unseen woman recites Shakespeare's sonnets - fourteen in all - as a man wordlessly seeks his heart's desire. (imdb)

Transposition of the classical play "Hamlet" to the Brazilian rural scenery. Farmer's son returns home after his father's death and can't stand the thought of his mother marrying his uncle. (imdb)

Desdemona defies her father to marry the Moor of Venice, the mighty warrior, Othello. But Othello's old lieutenant, Iago, doesn't like Othello, and is determined to bring about the downfall of Othello's new favorite, Cassio, and destroy Othello in the process, by casting aspersions on Othello's new bride. (imdb)

Danish silent movie-star Asta Nielsen formed her own production company to make this film, in which new elements are combined with features familiar from Shakespeare's version of the legend. The most important of these changes sees Hamlet made into a female character - a princess forced to masquerade as a man by her scheming mother; from this follows Hamlet's secret passion for Horatio and rivalry with Ophelia for his love. (imdb)

The film is comprised of two uninterrupted shots, the first a 5-minute segment preceding the credits and the remainder a 67-minute segment shot largely in close-ups. (iMDB)

Based on Shakesphere's play, Verdi's opera depicts the devastating effects of jealousy, "...the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds upon". Believing Otello has promoted the fast-rising Cassio over himself, Iago plots to destroy both Cassio and Otello. Iago convinces the jealous Otello that his beautiful wife Desdemona is unfaithful, and that Cassio is her lover. Jealousy is followed by tragedy, then retribution, "Has Heaven no more thunderbolts?" (imdb)

Shakespeare (more-or-less) in modern gangster setting. Lily MacBeth pushes her husband Joe to rub out the reigning crime boss and become the new "kingpin" himself. Success is short- lived, however, as he confronts Lennie, a mobster whose father and wife are Joe's murder victims. (imdb)

This short film recreates King John's death scene at the end of the play (imdb.com)

In ancient Athens, four young lovers escape into the woods. Meanwhile, tradesmen rehearse a play. All of them suffer from the shenanigans of mischievous fairies. (imdb)

The swaggering Petruchio, eager to wive it wealthily in Padua, agrees to marry the spitting hellcat, Katherine. (imdb)

A clash of wills arises as the Duke of Hereford, Henry Bolingbroke, goes up against King Richard II for the English throne in this retelling of Shakespeare's play.

A made for TV version of the classic Shakespeare play about an elder king who must choose which of her daughters will inherit the throne, with disastrous consequences.

Hamlet returns to his remarkably minimalistic palace in Denmark and finds out his father is dead and his uncle Claudius has married his mother Gertrude. His father's ghost appears, and tells Hamlet to avenge him forthwith. (imdb)

Prospero, a potent magician, lives on a desolate isle with his virginal daughter, Miranda. He's in exile, banished from his duchy by his usurping brother and the King of Naples. Providence brings these enemies near; aided by his vassal the spirit Ariel, Prospero conjures a tempest to wreck the Italian ship. The king's son, thinking all others lost, becomes Prospero's prisoner, falling in love with Miranda and she with him. (imdb)

Hand-tinted Italian verison of the Shakespeare Classic

When Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are shipwrecked and separated, Viola dresses in her brother's clothes and becomes a page in the palace of the Duke of Orsino. Thinking Viola is a boy, the Duke sends her with a message to Olivia, whom he loves. A series of complications begins when Olivia falls in love with the page 'boy' (imdb)

With a friend desperate for money, a merchant takes out a loan from a ruthless money-lender. Confident that his ships will soon be bringing him great wealth, the merchant willingly agrees to conditions of the loan that put him at great personal risk (imdb)

Although several others are ahead of him in the line of succession, Richard of Gloucester is determined to gain the throne. Through deceit, manipulation, and murder, he does become King Richard III of England. But once he becomes king, he soon finds out that the many enemies he has made will make it very difficult for him to remain on the throne for long. (imdb)

A musical based on Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors", but set in ancient Greece. (Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide)

Everything returns to normal after Chernobyl. That is, everything but art. Most of the great works are lost, and it is up to people like William Shakespeare Junior the Fifth to restore the lost artwork of the human race. (imdb)

Based on Shakespeare's play: Petruchio courts the bad-tempered Katharina, and tries to change her aggressive behavior. (imdb)

Having subdued the Goths, warrior Titus Andronicus returns to Rome to bury his sons, with Gothic Queen Tamora and her retinue as captives. The newly-dead Roman Emperor's two sons, Saturninus and Bassianus, are competing for their father's title. According to Roman custom, Titus sacrifices Tamora's eldest son to the Gods; having the deciding vote, he also chooses Saturninus as Emperor. Both acts have tragic consequences. (imdb)

A British agent sets out to uncover the hidden facts behind a British government employee's suicide. (imdb)

Russian version of Hamlet

The film is missing only a small portion of the end and a soundtrack reel. It now exists in a 40 minute print in possession of the Munich Filmuseum. (imdb)

Russian adaptation of King Lear

A contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" set in the ganglands of Melbourne. (imdb)

Hamlet comes home from university to find his uncle married to his mother, and his father's ghost haunting the battlements and scaring the watch. Then his father's ghost directs him to seek revenge. (imdb)

A fairy queen falls for a craftsman cursed with donkey's ears. (imdb)

Shakespeare's classic tale of young lovers from feuding families. (TCM.com)

The first Hamlet filmed in color. The film, a departure from big-budget Hollywood renditions of classics, was made with a small budget and a very minimalist set, consisting of Renaissance fixtures and costumes in a dark, shadowed space. A brick tunnel is used for the scenes on the battlements. The Ghost of Hamlet's father is represented only by a light shining on the observers. (wikipedia)

Film version of Shakespeare's comedy of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to win the attention of the one she loves. (TCM.com)

Shakespeare's classic story of tyranny and ambition, directed by Gregory Doran and shot exclusively on location at the Roundhouse, London. (Sky Arts)

Baptista Minola, a wealthy resident of Padua, is the father of Katherine and Bianca. The younger daughter, Bianca, is charming and has many suitors. But her father will not allow Bianca to be married until her older sister, who is notoriously quarrelsome and bad-tempered, is married first. When Petruchio comes from Verona to Padua in search of a wife, he hears of this situation, and he accepts the challenge of trying to woo and marry the ill-natured Katherine. (imdb)

An aging king mistakenly exiles the one daughter who loves him and divides his kingdom between the other two. (TCM.com)

A Stop-Motion animation based on the famous Shakespeare play.

Set in the American Southwest, Othello is a wandering evangelist who happens onto Iago's remote commune. There he marries the lovely Desdemona much to the chagrin of Iago, who also loves her. The conniving commune leader then manages to quietly pressure Othello until murder and tragedy ensue. (All Movie Guide)

In Shakespeare's classic play, the Montagues and Capulets, two families of Renaissance Italy, have hated each other for years, but the son of one family and the daughter of the other fall desperately in love and secretly marry. (imdb)

The Royal Shakespeare Company's award-winning production of Shakespeare's great play. Director Gregory Doran's modern-dress production was hailed by the critics as thrilling, fast-moving and, in parts, very funny. Hamlet must decide whether to avenge his father's murder at the hands of his uncle Claudius, who has married his brother's wife - Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. This visually sumptuous screen version was filmed on location with all of the original stage cast. (BBC iPlayer)

The film stars Charlton Heston and Hildegarde Neil in the title roles, with Eric Porter, John Castle, Fernando Rey, Carmen Sevilla, Freddie Jones and Douglas Wilmer. The film received poor reviews and, as a consequence, a very limited release in the USA. (wikipedia.org)

A husband and wife are preparing to act the roles of Othello and Desdemona in a play. While the wife is in her dressing room, she has to fight off unwelcome advances from one of the other actors. She also receives flowers from another admirer, and after rehearsal, she meets this man for a romantic interlude. The rejected actor follows her, and then proceeds to tell the already anxious husband what he has seen.

The heir to a German factory has been living in the US for many years. When he returns home, though, he has doubts about the way in which his father has died.

Henry IV is facing revolt even as his son, Prince Hal, dallies in the tavern with the incorrigible rogue Sir John Falstaff. Will Prince Hal see the duty inherent in his birthright and privilege, or will he remain tainted by his self-made disrepute, unable to regain the honour that he secretly nourishes within himself?

Macbeth usurps the Scottish throne by murdering his predecessor. (imdb)

Two feuding houses are united with the marriage and eventual death of their children. (imdb)

King Leontes of Bohemia suspects his wife, Hermione, and his friend, Polixenes, of betraying him. When he forces Polixenes to flee for his life, Leontes sets in motion a chain of events that lead to death, a ferocious bear, an infant left in the snow, young love, and a statue coming to life. (imdb)

The Tempest is American comedy/drama film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. The film is directed by Julie Taymor and stars an ensemble cast. The Tempest premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2010. (wikipedia.org)

Over the course of one eventful evening, during the anniversary celebration of the musical and romantic partners Aurelius Rex (Paul Harris), a band­leader, and Delia Lane (Marti Stevens), a singer, Johnny Cousin (Patrick McGoohan), racked by ambition and jealousy, attempts to tear the interracial couple apart. (criterion.com)

Brother and sister Viola and Sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck, and both think the other dead. When she lands in a foreign country, Viola dresses as her brother and adopts the name Cesario, becoming a trusted friend and confidante to the Count Orsino. Orsino is madly in love with the lady Olivia, who is in mourning due to her brother's recent death, which she uses as an excuse to avoid seeing the count, whom she does not love.

Helena loves Bertram, but he's of noble birth, while she's just a doctor's daughter. But Bertram is at the court of the King of France... (imdb)

Octavius Caesar (later renamed Augustus Caesar, son of the murdered Julius Caesar), Marc Antony, and Lepidus form the triumvirate... (imdb)

Aegeon of Syracuse has come to Ephesus to seek his son, who went in search of his missing twin and mother months ago... (imdb)

Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. (wikipedia)

Cymbeline, the King of Britain, is angry that his daughter Imogen has chosen a poor (but worthy) man for her husband... (imdb)

Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V. (wikipedia)

Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth (in the First Quarto text) and The Life of Henry the Fifth (in the First Folio text). It tells the story of King Henry V of England, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years' War. (wikipedia)

Henry VI deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy. (wikipedia)

2 Henry VI focuses on the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, the death of his trusted adviser Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, the rise of the Duke of York and the inevitability of armed conflict. As such, the play culminates with the opening battle of the War, the First Battle of St Albans. (wikipedia)

3 Henry VI deals primarily with the horrors of that conflict, as the once ordered nation is thrown into chaos and barbarism as families break down and moral codes are subverted in the pursuit of revenge and power. (wikipedia)

The play opens with a Prologue, (a figure otherwise unidentified), who stresses that the audience will see a serious play, and appeals to the audience members, "The first and happiest hearers of the town," to "Be sad, as we would make ye." (wikipedia)

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him... (imdb)

The Life and Death of King John, a history play by William Shakespeare, dramatises the reign of John, King of England (ruled 1199-1216), son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine and father of Henry III of England. (wikipedia)

When the King of Navarre and three of his cronies swear to spend all their days in study and not to look at any girls... (imdb)

Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down. (imdb)

When the Duke of Vienna takes a mysterious leave of absence and leaves the strict Angelo in charge, things couldn't be worse for Claudio... (imdb)

A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia... (imdb)

When Sir John Falstaff decides that he wants to have a little fun he writes two letters to a pair of Window wives: Mistress Ford and Mistress Page... (imdb)

Benedick and Beatrice fight their merry war of words. But when Beatrice's friend, Hero, is humiliatingly jilted by Benedick's best friend... (imdb)

Iago and a comrade-in-arms are outside the Venice home of Desdemona's father, who does not yet know that she has eloped with Othello... (imdb)

When Pericles discovers the dread answer to Antioch's riddle, he flees for his life straight into famine... (imdb)

Richard Duke of Gloucester, youngest brother of King Edward IV, will stop at nothing to get the crown... (imdb)

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean... (imdb)

It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place, using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure to the island his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit Alonso, King of Naples. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's low nature, the redemption of Alonso, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand. (wikipedia)

Timon loves to give parties and objects to friends, but when he cannot pay his creditors, his "friends" refuse to help him, and he becomes a misanthropic hermit. (imdb)

Troilus and Cressida is set during the later years of the Trojan War, faithfully following the plotline of the Iliad from Achilles' refusal to participate in battle to Hector's death. (wikipedia)

Viola and Sebastian are lookalike twins, separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself like her brother and goes into the service of the Duke Orsino... (imdb)

In the beginning of the play, Valentine is getting ready to leave Verona to visit Milan so as to broaden his horizons. He begs his best friend, Proteus, to come with him, but Proteus is in love with a girl named Julia, and refuses to leave. As such, after bidding Proteus farewell, Valentine goes on alone. (wikipedia)

A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.

A parody of Shakespeare with Hamlet as a frustrated playwright, Polonius as a bumbling Freudian psychologist, Ophelia and Gertrude as half-naked fantasy figures.

Another take on the famous Shakespeare play, made for British television

The highly successful 1964 Richard Burton Broadway production of "Hamlet", deliberately staged in the style of a "dress rehearsal", but performed in front of a live audience. (imdb)

Angelo, a glass-blower from Murano, and Georgia Maglia, the pretty daughter of a fascist magistrate, are chosen to be the stand-ins for the stars of a film version of "Romeo and Juliet" being shot on location in Venice. It is not long before they fall in love and their romance parallels that of Shakespeare's timeless heroes. Indeed their union is threatened by the schemings of Angelo, the Magia family's dubious tout... (imdb)

A no-good Manhattan girl moves in on a Brooklyn gang. Using her obvious charms she gets the leader killed in a fight over her and then takes up with the victor and new head man. Then she starts pushing him to get out onto the streets to mix it with rival gangs. (imdb)

MacBeth-as-mafioso.

British director Peter Hall's 1968 filmization of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, starring the Royal Shakespeare Company, is faithful to the text and to the main plot, which involves the "bewitching" of several groups of mortals by a covey of mischievous invisible fairies. So why did critics complain? Hall's handling of Shakespeare's prose and iambic pentameter didn't bother the purists as much as the director's visual choices. (allrovi.com)

This play gets its title from the name of a British holiday called Midsummer Day, the feast of John the Baptist, celebrated on June 24 with merrymaking. On Midsummer Night, witches, goblins, and fairies materialized to hold a festival of their own. Shakespeare's play capitalizes on the magic of the occasion. Set in Athens, it begins when Duke Theseus orders gala ceremonies for his coming marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. (allrovi.com)

An adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet set in ancient Tibet.

The performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar comes to an end and the performers are rewarded with rapturous applause. The lights go out; the actors leave the stage and return to their cells. They are all inmates of the Roman maximum security prison Rebibbia. One of them comments: 'Ever since I discovered art this cell has truly become a prison'. (mubi.com)

A portrait of village life in South Thailand, home of retired Malay-Muslim members of the communist party of neighboring Malaysia. Recollections of the decades-long guerrilla war are interspersed with a Thai radio soap opera. (imdb)

The plot of the film is adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet. However, here we have a female Hamlet and a modernist vision of the director.

An adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', 'Karmayogi' dramatizes the revenge Rudran Gurukkal (Indrajith) exacts on his uncle Bhairavan (Thalaivasal Vijay) for murdering Rudran Valiya Gurukkal (Indrajith), Bhairavan's brother & Rudran Gurukkal's father, & then becoming the headman of the Chathoth family & taking as his wife, Mankamma (Padmini Kolhapure), the old headman's widow & Rudran Gurukkal's mother.

Film version of the RSC's 2012 production of Shakespeare's fast-moving thriller. The action is set in a modern African state in which the tyrant Caesar is about to seize power. (BBC iPlayer)

When eight cadets are left behind at an isolated military high school, the greatest romantic drama ever written seeps out of the classroom and permeates their lives. (imdb)

Shakespeare's classic comedy gets contemporary spin in Joss Whedon's stylized adaptation. Shot in just twelve days using the original text, the story of sparring lovers Beatrice (Amy Acker) and Benedick (Alexis Denisof) offers a dark, sexy and occasionally absurd view of the intricate game that is love. (tiff.net)

This drama tells of the powerful rise of emperor Julius Caesar along with his swift fall in this adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. (allrovi.com)

It is the grim story of a young man who gets Shakespearean-style revenge against the uncle who married the young fellow's mother...

A colossal epic film like this that tries to depict the life and glory of Julius Caesar, must have a variety of scenery appropriate to the film's hero. This includes the Senate and its conspirators..or .. strange places beyond Rome full of barbarians that must fall under the Rome yoke. Let's not forget the sequences depicting the masses mentioned before.. or.. the human side of Caesar and his troublesome relationship with his son Brutus. (imdb)

Silent adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear (imdb)

The film "Der Kaufmann von Venedig" ( The Jew Of Mestri ) was written, produced and directed by Peter Paul Felner in the silent year of 1923 and is a free adaptation of "Merchant of Venice" written by Herr William Shakespeare. It is an elegant and expensive German film production that was shot on location in beautiful and decadent Venice with some of the most important Teutonic actors of the time: Henny Porten, Harry Liedtke und Werner Krauss and even the mysterious Max Schreck. (imdb)

Based on Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens", Timon's Friendship Adventure is the story of a jovial, plump, rich man. His main concern is the happiness of those around him-so much so that his generosity soon results in his own bankruptcy. When he asks his friends for loans he discovers that friendship can sometimes be a one-way street. (imdb)

This is probably "Macbeth" as Shakespeare really saw it produced -- no fancy scenery, no elaborate sets, just stunning actors conveying everything Shakespeare intended to convey by the power of their own speech and actions.

Shakespeare's tragedy of the hump-backed Duke of Gloucester, who rises to the throne of England by chicanery, treachery, and brilliance, only to find that his own methods have prepared the groundwork for his downfall. (imdb)

It's 1929. The studio gave the cinema its voice gave offered the audiences a chance to see their favorite actors and actresses from the silent screen era to see and for the first time can be heard in a gaudy, grandiose music comedy revue. But also appear actors and actresses from the first 'talkies', stars from Broadway and of course the German shepherd Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay is the host of the more than 70 well-known stars who show various acts. (imdb)

Southern California locations vividly suggest both elemental pre-Roman Britain and classical Rome. An energetic cinematic pacing and intimacy show rapidly improving narrative technique and realism well beyond the limitations of the stage. Especially cinematic are the bedchamber scene in the first reel, with its intimate cinematography and acting and special lighting effect, and the battle scene of the second reel, considered very effective in its day. (thanhouser.org)

The first of six Shakespeare adaptations from Thanhouser, The Winter's Tale was just the 13th or 14th title from the studio in its first nine weeks of releases. (thanhouser.org)

Based on characters from Shakespeare's play: When Juliet's father refuses to let Romeo see her, Romeo resorts to extreme measures. (imdb)

Othello, a Moorish general in the service of the Venetian state, is disdained for his race but valued for his military skills. He weds Desdemona in a mixed-race marriage that offends her father. Jealous of Othello's triumphs and high-standing, and suspicious that his commander may once have bedded his own wife, Othello's lieutenant Iago plots to sabotage Othello's career and marriage.

The movie consists solely of a saber fight. Bernhardt plays a cross-gender Hamlet, and Pierre Magnier is her fellow duelist, Laertes. A few bystanders, in Rennaissance dress, stand off to the right of the screen, and in the background, next to a painted backdrop. (imdb)

"Now is the winter of our discontent..." With these timeless words, Duke Richard - lounging on his sun deck - sets his murderous plans in motion. His goal: to eliminate the hated rival Lancaster dynasty, and reign as undisputed king. Standing between him and the throne are his brothers Clarence and King Edward, his nephews the Princes, his bitter adversary Queen Elizabeth, and a host of enemies, rivals, and dubious allies.

The story of two young lovers separated by their rival fraternities. (imdb)

The 1912 Italian version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

When the star-crossed lovers of two enemy families meet, forbidden love ensues. (imdb)

Based loosely on Shakespeare's play, Plutarch's "Life of Antony", and Pietro Cossa's dramatic poem, "Cleopatra", this movie was spectacular for its time. It offers location shots made in Italy and Egypt, large crowd scenes (e.g., the Roman army embarking in Alexandria), lots of emotional drama (Marc Antony & Cleopatra, his wife Octavia, sister of Antony's rival Octavian, unhistorically coming to Alexandria to beg him to return to her, mean looks exchanged between Octavia and Cleopatra. (imdb)

Ugo Falena version of William Shakespeare's Othello.

Thanhouser's version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Ram and Leela, their love, lust and the drama afterwards. Modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet'.

The short film tells the story of Hamlet, who was forced to flee from the treachery of the usurper of the throne who had killed all the relatives of the young. But he will now return to the castle to avenge his father.

ABritish Indian take on the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet,

An epic battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang set in a corruption-riddled 21st century America. (imdb)

The 1914 Italian version of William Shakespeare's Othello.

A boy dreams the play. Authority in Athens is shaky: Hermia rejects her father's choice, the Duke backs her father, and the Duchess sides with Hermia. Dad's choice, Demetrius, pursues Hermia but is loved by Helena. When Hermia and her lover meet in the woods the next night, Helena tells Demetrius in hopes she can follow and change his mind. (imdb)

Shakespeare's furiously paced comedy is staged in a contemporary world wherein three prohibited foreigners see everything for the first time. (youtube.com)

Timon of Athens is a collaborative play by William Shakespeare and perhaps Thomas Middleton about the fortunes of an Athenian named Timon (and probably influenced by the philosopher of the same name). (en.wikipedia.org)

An aged king decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, according to which of them is most eloquent in praising him. His favourite, Cordelia, says nothing. Lear's world descends into chaos. (youtube.com)

This electrifying production, with Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn, Hamlet) in his first Shakespeare performance in over a decade as Macbeth, and Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) as Lady Macbeth, sold out its entire Manchester run in just nine minutes and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. (youtube.com)

Playing opposite him as the duplicitous Iago is fellow Olivier Award-winner Rory Kinnear (The Last of the Haussmans, James Bond: Skyfall), who is reunited with director Nicholas Hytner (Timon of Athens, One Man, Two Guvnors) following their acclaimed collaboration on the National Theatre's recent production of Hamlet. (youtube.com)

Rory Kinnear plays Hamlet in this dynamic production of Shakespeare's complex and profound play about the human condition, directed by Nicholas Hytner, first broadcast to cinemas in 2010. (youtube.com)

Set against a background of sexism, snobbery and a battle between the generations, Shakespeares Alls Well That Ends Well turns fairytale logic on its head. A wondrous, bittersweet story. (youtube.com)

When an old adversary threatens Rome, the city calls once more on her hero and defender: Coriolanus. But he has enemies at home too. Famine threatens the city, the citizens' hunger swells to an appetite for change, and on returning from the field Coriolanus must confront the march of realpolitik and the voice of an angry people. (youtube.com)

The strong, poignant production depicts intense family drama and the power of grief. Maxine Peake's fierce and textured Hamlet imbues the role with anger, indignation and purpose. Filmed with eight cameras by an expert team, the film captures the intensity of the stage production with all the polish and care of a feature film. (hamletthefilm.com)

Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself. (imdb)

Othello is a highly esteemed general in the service of Venice. Iago is his ambitious friend. Othello promotes Michael Cassio to the position of personal lieutenant and Iago is jealous, so begins an evil and malicious campaign the hero.

Contemporary re-working of the Shakespeare's problem play set in the British army. (imdb)

Coriolanus is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Gaius Marcius Coriolanus.

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is played in modern dress with Caesar as the chairman of a board of directors considering a merger with another company. The conspirators are his fellow directors and the people of Rome are the company's shareholders.

Shakespeareʼs timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption is reimagined in a new production at The Garrick by Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, finds out that his Uncle Claudius killed his father to obtain the throne, and plans his revenge. (imdb)

The first Shakespeare feature film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" with a complete cast of color that stays true to the language and storyline.

Much Ado About Nothing contrasts the happiness of lovers Claudio and Hero, and the cynicism of sparring partners Beatrice and Benedick, who are united in their scorn for love.

A linking together of Shakespeare's history plays chronicling the rise and fall of monarchs over the 86 years between Richard II and Richard III. (imdb)

In the floating continent of Neo Verona, the Montague family seized control and murdered every member of the Capulet family with the exception of Capulet's daughter, Juliet Fiammata Asto Capulet. 14 years later, Juliet and the remnants of Capulet's retainers live hidden from the iron fist of the Montague family. Juliet has long forgotten the murder of her family or her identity, and cross dresses as Odin and the town's hero of justice, "Red Whirlwind." (myanimelist.net)

A modern re-telling of the classic fantasy drama by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream holds a star-studded cast with euphoric effects and melodramatic storytelling. (imdb)

A judge presides over the trial of a gang leader, while the two teenage children of each fall in love.

Hamlet is an easily distracted prince who is challenged to kill his uncle Claudius by the ghost of his recently dead dad. (imdb)

A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish laird seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches. (imdb)

Shakespeare's historical tragedy of the rise and fall of Julius Caesar, told in fifteen scenes. (imdb)

An impressively tactile, if slightly over-ambitious, adaptation of King Lear from Vitagraph Studios.

A selection of Hamlet's most famous scenes are reproduced in this Italian production from 1910.

This version concentrates on the contest between Petruchio and Katerina, as it should. The Biance subplot is used only to set up the Shrew story. When the subplot is resolved, its intrusion comes almost as a surprise, but I suppose the director felt he had to tie up lose ends. (imdb)

Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, who lives in exile on a remote island as a sorcerer, uses his powers to shipwreck his usurper brother on the island

Emilio Cossira singing a tenor aria from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, probably 'Ah. Lève-toi soleil'. (imdb)

Hallmark Hall of Fame's second version of Shakespeare's classic play, with the same two stars and the same director as its first version, but a different supporting cast.

For the corpulent nobleman, Sir John Falstaff, the inn in the small English town of Windsor is the best of all places. Here he can indulge in excessive dining and intemperate drinking, as well as swagger and boast about his adventures, particularly those of an amorous nature.

An emotional roller-coaster through Shakespeare's language combines thrilling performances, astonishing visuals and a powerful original soundtrack. (imdb)

Set in a post-apocalyptic world and adapted from William Shakespeare's epic tale of honor, ambition, betrayal, and the supernatural. (imdb)

Hiding out in an industrial wasteland from the murderous wrath of a regional ruler, a woman, disguised as a boy, gives wooing lessons to the edgy lad who proclaims he loves her.

An adaptation of Shakespeare's classic is set in the Mississippi bayous during the Civil War.

There have been many versions of Shakespeare's masterpiece, but none like the one starring Cantinflas. This delightful and humorous version also carries a powerful message to today's parents, showing them how to approach the problems of their children with understanding, firmness, and tolerance. (imdb)

The Moorish general Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his lieutenant Michael Cassio when in reality it is all part of the scheme of a bitter ensign named Iago.

The opening scene is in Elsinore, where a ghost is seen by the sentinels keeping guard on the battlements of the castle. This is related to Hamlet by his friend Horatio, who describes the spirit as much resembling the late King of Denmark, his deceased father, whom his Uncle Claudius is suspected to have murdered in order that the latter might usurp his throne. Uncle Claudius also married the queen, the mother of Hamlet, within a month after.

Peter Brook presents a new interpretation of the classic in a setting is vaguely eastern rather than Scandinavian, with a multi-ethnic cast. (imdb)

On the run from her villainous uncle, a young girl escapes to the desert disguised as a boy. There she meets the boy she loves, who is also in exile, but her disguise complicates their relationship. (imdb)

San Francisco's A.C.T. company presents Shakespeare's classic take with a Commedia dell'Arte flair, as if it were a inn yard performance by a traveling company. (imdb)

King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him.

Two ageing fathers - one a King, one his courtier - reject the children who truly love them. Their blindness unleashes a tornado of pitiless ambition and treachery - and their worlds crumble. Tender, violent, moving and shocking, King Lear is considered by many to be the greatest tragedy ever written. This will be an explosive, charged and contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's epic masterpiece in the intimate setting of the Minerva Theatre. (imdb)

Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad. Then word reaches him that his father is dead. Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a stark choice. Submit, or rage against the injustice of his new reality.

King Lear has ruled for many years. As age begins to overtake him, he decides to divide his kingdom amongst his children, living out his days without the burden of power. A proud man, he allows vanity to cloud his judgment, believing that he can relinquish the crown, but enjoy the same authority and respect he has always known. Misjudging his children's loyalty he soon finds himself stripped of all the trappings of state, wealth and power he had taken for granted.

Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.

The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.

Based on Shakespeare's 'A Comedy of Errors', this is a story of identical twins (2 pairs) and mistaken identities. (imdb)

A 1933 screen test for a proposed, but never filmed, movie version of "Hamlet" in Technicolor, starring John Barrymore - this is the Ghost Scene.

Enter Hamlet is a collage of images in cartoon form of a word put in balloon in each jump-cut scene as that word is said by the narrator Maurice Evans during his "To be or not to be..." soliloquy recording. (imdb)

This is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in Bengal.

Based on a scene from Shakespeare's play: Macbeth, king of Scotland, is being challenged by forces led by Macduff. Young Siward comes to confront the king, but Macbeth kills him easily. Then Macduff himself arrives. The two rivals exchange words, and then begin a deadly fight.

A cruising area takes on majestic proportions as we discover Greek-esque male bodies in the forest. The sonnets 18, 57, 20 by William Shakespeare add to the Midsummer Nights Dream like ambiance of the film. (imdb)

Young lovers, a troupe of actors, and fairies have romantic encounters in the forest on summer's night. (imdb)

Filmed version of the live production at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London: Prospero, Duke of Milan, usurped and exiled by his own brother, holds sway over an enchanted island. He is comforted by his daughter Miranda and served by his spirit Ariel and his deformed slave Caliban. When Prospero raises a storm to wreck this perfidious brother and his confederates on the island, his long contemplated revenge at last seems within reach.

Don Warrington stars as the tragic monarch in this acclaimed version of the Shakespeare play recorded at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. (imdb)

A modern-day movie adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The new version takes place in present-day Hollywood where fantasy and reality collide. It's set in a world where glamorous stars, commanding moguls, starving artists and vaulting pretenders all vie to get ahead.

Two gypsy families, estranged from the past, revive old grudges when their children, Ana Montoya and Manuel Taranto, fall in love. Free adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet". (Filmaffinity)

Twelfth Night is a 1933 American Pre-Code short color film, notable as the very earliest surviving film directed by Orson Welles, then aged 17. It is a recording of the dress rehearsal of Welles's own abridged production at his alma mater, the Todd School for Boys, where he had returned to direct this adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for the Chicago Drama Festival in 1933. The play won first prize at that year's festival, presented as part of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair,

A Russian ballet version of Shakespeare's tragedy about star-crossed lovers from two feuding Italian Renaissance families. (imdb)

Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the Prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.

Adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy set in modern-day Italy where two young lovers strive to transcend a violent world where Catholic and secular values clash. (imdb)

A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.

Seven short films. Seven influential directors from around the world. A portrait of the quarantine which tears down all borders. (filmfestival.gr)

Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

Filmed version of Julie Taymor's live theatrical adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy about young lovers and magical sprites. (imdb)

Two teenagers fall in love, but their feuding families and fate itself cause the relationship to end in tragedy.

Richard of Gloucester uses murder and manipulation to claim England's throne.

Sangrador, also known as Macbeth, Sangrador, is a 2003 Venezuelan film written and directed by Leonardo Henríquez. Set in 1900s Andean Venezuelan gangland, it retells the story of Shakespeare's Macbeth. (wikipedia.org)

Hulusi wants his daughter Fatos to marry Ayhan. Fatos does not want to get married. The film is based on William Shakespeare's play "The Taming of the Shrew"

Richard of Gloucester uses murder and manipulation to claim England's throne.

Filmed version of the 1982 Stratford Festival stage production. Exiled Prospero lives on a desolate island with his daughter, Miranda. When Prospero's usurping brother sails by the island, Prospero conjures a storm that wrecks the ship and changes all of their lives. (imdb)

Romeo falls in love with the beautiful young Juliet, but their warring families spell tragedy for the lovers. (imdb)

Lookalike twins Viola and Sebastian are separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself as her brother and goes into the service of the Duke Orsino. Orsino sends her to help him woo the Lady Olivia, who doesn't want the Duke, but finds that she likes the new messenger the Duke's sending. Then, of course, Viola's brother shows up, and merry hell breaks loose. Meanwhile, Olivia's uncle and his cohorts are trying to find some way to get back at Olivia's officious major

Counted among his greatest tragedies, Shakespeare's unsettling combination of warring soldiers and 'weird sisters' is brought to life in this post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Scottish play.

Shot on a micro-budget in only three days, Ramsay's adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal play premiered in competition at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2011. (imdb)

Shakespeare's timeless story of revenge is reimagined as a modern psychological thriller. The classic tragedy transcends the stage through a unique, contemporary lens. (imdb)

Loose adaptation of the Shakespeare play “MacBeth”, except it's set in the world of the dance rave culture. (imdb)

Ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord Macbeth, spurred by a prophecy and his wife's influence, murders the king and seizes the throne. His reign descends into arrogant brutality and paranoia as enemies conspire against his tyrannical rule.