Branagh v McKellen reading Shakespeare's Sonnet 29, from All Is True

A beautiful compare and contrast; as two masters of Shakespeare perform the same sonnet, yet with very different readings.

This is an edited scene from Branagh's movie, All Is True. Branagh plays Shakespeare himself, and McKellen plays the Earl of Southhampton, who Shakespeare wrote this sonnet for.

As becomes clear, for Shakespeare the poem is a painful reminder of his wish that he and the Earl had been lovers. For the Earl, that could never happen, yet he still celebrates the poetry itself as an expression of love and beauty.

Copyright etc: I clearly do not own this, but believe that seeing Branagh and McKellen performing this same sonnet provides a great educational text for students of (and lovers of) Shakespeare. I have used as little footage as possible to provide the readings in their plot context. I encourage all people who enjoy this clip to rent or stream All Is True - it's a great movie.