This page does not only deal with technical problems, but also explains some things related to the game that are more onto the technical side.
The patch fixes some technical and gameplay problems, so your game is likely to work better if you have the patch.
For more technical help, visit Prescient Dragon's Complete Guide to Ultima VIII - Pagan, which has a technical FAQ with some other problems.
If the screen never stops shaking, it is a problem with sound. To get past this, you need to disable your sound card, play through the scene and then save, exit and re-enable your sound card.
This most commonly happens in the Ceremony of Eternity where Vividos kills Lothian, but I also had it happen in the meeting with Lithos.