William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is a known but struggling poet, playwright, and actor, who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) and Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes), but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow). She loves the theatre and wo... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UK only | 1 Month Free Trial | 01 Feb 2017 | 2632 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 83% |  Report: Broken Link |   |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 29 Aug 2019 | 2185 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 93% | Report: Broken Link | |
| IRELAND only | 1 Month Free Trial | 05 Aug 2014 | 2568 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 72% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 27 Aug 2025 | 717 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 85% | Report: Broken Link | |
![Its HD [Shakespeare in Love]](/images/logos/icons/itshd.png){kind=icon} | WORLDWIDE | ? | 13 Mar 2026 | 3686 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 96% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 22 Dec 2016 | 333 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 65% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | Free Credit | 20 May 2021 | 141 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 47% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 16 Mar 2013 | 148 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 30% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 19 Sep 2025 | 26 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 23% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 28 Aug 2019 | 152 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 23% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 18 Oct 2020 | 39 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 17% | Report: Broken Link | |
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 26 Mar 2022 | 2997 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 67% |  Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | N/A | 26 Mar 2022 | 94 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 49% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 26 Mar 2022 | 137 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 18% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 26 Mar 2022 | 15745 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 88% | Report: Broken Link | |
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 23 Jan 2019 | 193 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 90% | Report: Broken Link | |
| UK only | N/A | 23 Jan 2019 | 45 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 44% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 26 Mar 2022 | 57 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 5% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 23 Jan 2019 | 6093 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 82% | Report: Broken Link | |
William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is a known but struggling poet, playwright, and actor, who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush) and Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes), but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow). She loves the theatre and would like nothing more than to take to the stage, but is forbidden from doing so as only men can be actors. She is also a great admirer of Shakespeare's works. Dressing as a man, and going by the name of "Thomas Kent", she auditions and is ideal for a part in his next play. Shakespeare soon sees through her disguise and they begin a love affair, one they know cannot end happily for them as he is already married and she has been promised to the dour Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). As the company rehearses his new play, William and Viola's love is transferred to the written page leading to the masterpiece that is Romeo and Juliet.
Leave your thoughts about Shakespeare in Love.
| Salon.comLaura MillerNot even Stoppard is Shakespeare, and the end result resembles one of Neil Simon's middlebrow romps more than it does As You Like It. |
| Film.comNorman GreenIf she (Paltrow) were the only good thing about Shakespeare in Love, it still would have been worth seeing; that she is the crown jewel in a glittering tiara of a film studded with writing and acting gems testifies to the deep pleasures to be found in this remarkable movie. |
| Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranOne of those entertaining confections that's so pleasing to the eye and ear you'd have to be a genuine Scrooge to struggle against it. |
| Movie MetropolisJohn J. Puccio...it works wonderfully, giving audiences that wouldn't normally sit through an Elizabethan play the chance to understand and be amused by something fairly close. |
| CinerinaKarina MontgomeryShakespeare in Love is a delight on every level of movie-going...This is why people go to the movies. |
| Montreal Film JournalKevin N. LaforestThis film is very entertaining, and it's the most sophisticated and mature romance of the year. |
| Portland OregonianBarry JohnsonLike "Amadeus," Shakespeare in Love works splendidly as an appreciation of an artist in the heat of creation, and it breathes life into "Romeo and Juliet." |
| Palo Alto WeeklyJeanne AufmuthAmusing, romantic, historic and immensely clever. |
| USA TodayMike ClarkMarc Norman and Tom Stoppard have written one of the year's smartest scripts, and Mrs. Brown director John Madden gets a chance to show a funny side that's previously been submerged. |
| Film.comGemma FilesAnyone not romantically inclined going into Shakespeare in Love surely will be by the end. |
