A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets

A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets

A mystery in Shakespeare's sonnets is explored.

2005 · 86 min · ★ 5.0 · Drama, TV Movie, History

In 1609, William Shakespeare published a collection of 154 sonnets, creating what is arguably the greatest lyric sequence in English literature - and at the center of this masterpiece lies a mystery that has endured for centuries. What are the identities of “the young man” and “the dark lady” to whom all but two of the sonnets allude? This moving performance brings to life the gritty reality of Shakespeare’s England, bits of the Bard’s plays and poems, and the consummate poet and dramatist himself as it exposes these personages unseen but so keenly felt in Shakespeare’s sonnets and in his life. Rupert Graves, Tom Sturridge, Indira Varma, Anna Chancellor, and Zoë Wanamaker star. Contains mature themes and explicit language. Some content may be objectionable. Produced by the Open University.

Directed by John McKay · Written by William Boyd

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Cast

Rupert Graves William Shakespeare
Tom Sturridge William Herbert
Indira Varma Lucie "The dark lady"
Zoë Wanamaker Countess of Pembroke
Anna Chancellor Anne Hathaway
Andrew Tiernan Ben Jonson
Nicky Henson John Shakespeare
Alan Williams George Wilkin
Nicholas Rowe Richard Burbage
Tom Hiddleston John Hall
Tom Mison Young Blood
Christopher Fairbank Physician

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