The intention is to amuse. And their success means that Shakespeare in Love can afford to take liberties with history. Unlike Elizabeth, which was criticised for its indifference to accuracy, Shakespeare in Love has been praised by purists and the public alike. In a way Shakespeare in Love is a clever way of portraying high-brow' culture via a more accessible, low brow' medium. The film, which has already received numerous awards and accolades, depicts the theatre as a lively and exciting place to be.
Literature has influence.
Words have power. They move, they evoke. Replete with in' jokes, Shakespeare in Love has much to charm those familiar with Elizabethan literature. But it's not an elitist film. Like any Shakespearean play worth its salt, there is a mixture of broad and sly humour.