Shakespeare's plays that have had Hollywood adaptations

According to the opinion of the scholarly world, no other literary figure is as contemporary as Shakespeare. Dating back to the 16^th century, many find his plays relevant in every period as they capture basic human emotions. Here is a list of movies that have been adapted from the plays by this British playwright:

Romeo+Juliet

The Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet has been adapted on-screen countless times. However, one adaptation stood out among the rest. Starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes, the movie used all the original dialogues of Shakespeare’s play but is set in the modern-day world. In this play adaptation, Mercutio’s character is shown as an African-American, bisexual man whose love for Romeo seems more real than what Shakespeare showed in the play. The character of Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is also made into a more energetic and gender-fluid character. (Image courtesy: IMDb)

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10 Things I Hate About You

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew was adapted into this "chick-flick" movie, 10 Things I Hate About You. The story has been twisted a bit to fit the genre where the younger sister cannot date unless her older sister does. The titular character has the same name as that of Shakespeare’s play. The movie stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead roles. While the movie went on to become almost a cult movie, not many know that this is a Shakespearean adaptation. (Image courtesy: IMDb)

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Hamlet

This movie is similar to Romeo+Juliet and uses the original archaic English dialogues in a modern-day New York setting. The movie stars Ethan Hawke as Hamlet, Kyle MacLachlan as Claudius, Diane Venora as Gertrude and Julia Stiles as Ophelia. Unlike the Shakespearean play where Hamlet is banished to England and leaves on a ship, Ethan’s character leaves on a plane. There are also some interesting techniques used by the director. For example, when Claudius confronts Hamlet in the laundromat and pushes him from machine 2 to machine 3, it correlates with the play where the confrontation scene begins in Act IV scene 2 and continues to scene 3. The popular Disney movie, Lion King is also an animated adaptation of Hamlet. (Image courtesy: IMDb)

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She’s The Man

Amanda Brynes stars in this modern-day movie adaptation of the Shakespearean play, Twelfth Night. The actor plays the character of Viola and also disguises herself as a boy to pose as her twin brother, Sebastian. However, the movie did not have the subtlety of 10 Things I Hate About You and went on to become a popular chick-flick. (Image courtesy: IMDb)

Macbeth

Unlike the other movies in the list, Macbeth is a direct adaptation which is based in the medieval world. Michael Fassbender as Macbeth and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The movie is full of gory scenes and captures the very essence of the Shakespearean play. In the 68th Cannes Film Festival, the film had reportedly received a 10-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening. Natalie Portman was reportedly cast as Lady Macbeth originally. But she dropped out of the film and Marion replaced her for the role. (Image courtesy: IMDb)

There are also other adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays by Hollywood. Get Over It, which released in 2001, is based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My Own Private Idaho starring Keanu Reeves is an amalgamation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1 and 2 and also Henry V. O is based on Othello while A Thousand Acres is based on King Lear.

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