Celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday With 8 Movies Streaming On Netflix And Amazon Prime

William Shakespeare would have been 453 years old on April 23, but the plays he wrote are still regularly being performed. If you’re not interested in going to the theater, you can celebrate the Bard from your couch on his birthday. You can stream these Shakespearean movies (and some just inspired by his work) on Netflix and Amazon.

Netflix

“Romeo and Juliet” — Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth star as the doomed couple in this tragic romance. You know the story: feuding families, forbidden love and suicide. This traditional adaptation isn’t exactly loved, but the Baz Luhrmann version isn’t available on streaming platforms.

“Shakespeare In Love” — Though it isn’t an adaptation, it is an Academy Award winner. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as a noble woman that Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) falls in love with and inspires him to write “Romeo and Juliet.”

“10 Things I Hate About You” — This modern version of “Taming of the Shrew” follows the Stratford sisters. When their father says Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) can only date when her angry misfit sister Kat (Julia Stiles) dates, all the men in Bianca’s life scheme to get Kat a boyfriend. They don’t plan on Patrick (Heath Ledger) actually falling for Kat.

Amazon Prime

“Macbeth” — Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard star in the 2015 adaptation of the Scottish play about a General and his wife who wants him to gain power.

“Midsummer Night’s Dream” — Helen Mirren and Judi Dench star in this 1968 comedy about four lovers who end up in an enchanted forest.

“Hamlet” — This version, starring Peter Wingfield and Lara Gilchrist, is set in post-World War II London. The play shows Hamlet being told by his father’s ghost to get revenge on Claudius, who killed his own brother for power.

“Shakespeare High” — It turns out some high school students are happy to delve into Shakespeare’s works. This documentary, produced by Kevin Spacey, follows high school students from California competing in a Shakespeare Festival.

“Shakespeare Replayed: Tyranny” — Those who truly have a packed day can fit this into their schedule. It’s a five-minute performance of the Bard’s Sonnet 131, which is about addiction. This performance interprets the poem as being about drug addiction.

While those are just the highlights, Amazon has tons of other Shakespeare adaptations available for Prime members. Centry Home Video and TMW Media Group have a large number of productions available for streaming, including “The Tempest,” “Othello,” “King Lear” and more.

What movies will you be watching on William Shakespeare's birthday? Sound off in the comments section below!