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

Nov 22, 2005

1h 26m

★ 5.3

A mystery in Shakespeare's sonnets is explored.

Overview

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.

Genres

Drama

Production Companies

BBC

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

Cast

William Shakespeare

Rupert Graves

William Herbert

Tom Sturridge

Lucie "The dark lady"

Indira Varma

Countess of Pembroke

Zoë Wanamaker

Anne Hathaway

Anna Chancellor

Ben Jonson

Andrew Tiernan

John Shakespeare

Nicky Henson

George Wilkin

Alan Williams

Richard Burbage

Nicholas Rowe

John Hall

Tom Hiddleston

Young Blood

Tom Mison

Physician

Christopher Fairbank

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