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Rating: 
Summary: Maybe not.
Review: After whetting our appetites with the observation that little is known about the man behind the plays, the A&E team provides a bland, surprisingly unengaging "5-act" biography of William Shakespeare. As the story proceeds, the producers rely more and more on quotations from the plays rather than on any "extrinsic" evidence. The result is a program that confirms what we already knew, or should have known, all along--the life of William Shakespeare is at best a mere footnote to the life of the plays themselves. Credit the producers for not indulging in this series' customary approach and sensationalizing the records (by claiming Shakepeare was really Queen Elizabeth, etc.). On the other hand, teachers and students of Shakespeare, as well as fans of the Bard, may find it difficult to justify an investment of money in a video this slight when, say, Olivier's "Henry V" or Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing" are available at a comparable price.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe not.
Review: After whetting our appetites with the observation that little is known about the man behind the plays, the A&E team provides a bland, surprisingly unengaging "5-act" biography of William Shakespeare. As the story proceeds, the producers rely more and more on quotations from the plays rather than on any "extrinsic" evidence. The result is a program that confirms what we already knew, or should have known, all along--the life of William Shakespeare is at best a mere footnote to the life of the plays themselves. Credit the producers for not indulging in this series' customary approach and sensationalizing the records (by claiming Shakepeare was really Queen Elizabeth, etc.). On the other hand, teachers and students of Shakespeare, as well as fans of the Bard, may find it difficult to justify an investment of money in a video this slight when, say, Olivier's "Henry V" or Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing" are available at a comparable price.
Rating:
Summary: Heads Up for High School Teachers
Review: As a high school teacher, I found the visuals appealing and representative of the period in which Shakespeare lived. However, I ultimately decided against showing the video in class as it states without substantiation that Shakespeare was involved in a homosexual affair with his patron, the earl of Southampton. I suppose someone has taken the style of writing Shakespeare used in his encomiums to his patron as expressions of sexual ardor rather than the sycophantic flattery which was typical in an age when artistic types were looking for deep pockets to support their career. The Bard may have been "kissing up," as we would say nowadays, but it's doubtful it was in the sense the commentator used. I personally didn't feel it was worth opening that can of worms in our introductory lessons, but depending on one's purpose, others might choose otherwise.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for the time allotted
Review: At the outset let me correct a typo in your own review -- Shakespeare's only son was named Hamnet (after a friend of the family) and not Hamlet, the title character of one of his more famous plays.I am currently reading the three-volume set of sixty essays entitled "William Shakespeare -- His World, His Work, His Influence". The perspective this gives is that it is impossible to fully appreciate the individual and his efforts without a good feel for the environment in which he worked. That said, this video biography is, in my view, about as good a job as can be done in 50 minutes. There is really more than enough material for a documentary series. Ken Burns, are you out there?
Rating:
Summary: Heads Up for High School Teachers
Review: William shakespear is one of the 20th century's greatest writers. Know world wide he is recognized for many great plays and many pieces of art.
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