Best 100 Shakespeare Podcasts

Home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare materials. Advancing knowledge and the arts. Shakespeare turns up in the most interesting places - not just literature and the stage, but science and social history as well. Our 'Shakespeare Unlimited' podcast explores the fascinating and varied connections between Shakespeare, his works, and the world around us. more

The Play's the Thing is the ultimate resource for lovers of Shakespeare. Dedicating six episodes to each play, this podcast explores the themes, scenes, characters, and lines that make Shakespeare so memorable. In the end, we will cover every play The Bard wrote, thus permitting an ongoing contemplation and celebration of the most important writer of all time. more

RTÉ Radio Drama's audio theatre department has for decades proudly brought audiences the very best dramatic writing and performances for radio from Ireland. more

Hosted by Cassidy Cash, That Shakespeare Life takes you behind the curtain and into the real-life of William Shakespeare. Tune in to hear this podcast. more

Was the name signed to the world's most famous plays and poems a pseudonym? Was the man from Stratford that history attributed the work to even capable of writing them? Join Theatrical Actor/Writer/Director and Shakespeare connoisseur Steven Sabel as he welcomes a variety of guests to explore literary history's greatest mystery… Who was the writer behind the pen name 'William Shakespeare?'Part of the Dragon Wagon Radio independent podcast network. more

A cheeky, irreverent yet informative deep-dive into all things Shakespeare, hosted by two longtime Shakespeare performers, directors, and teachers. more

The State of Shakespeare is a virtual masterclass featuring in-depth interviews with contemporary Shakespearean actors, directors and teachers. We focus on the complex relationship of words and performance, and how individual artists develop unique and often contrasting approaches to the text. We aim to inspire and educate theatre makers, students and educators to discover new ways of bringing Shakespeare to life. more

A bickering husband and wife duo discuss their faves. Hosted by The Bicks Pod.

Shakespeare Anyone? is co-hosted by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith, two professional actors and hobbyist Shakespeare scholars. Join us as we explore Shakepeare's plays through as many lenses as we can by looking at the text and how the text is viewed through modern lenses of feminism, racism, classism, colonialism, nationalism… all the-isms. more

'The Pendant Shakespeare aka The Wild Bill Variety Show' is an ongoing presentation of the works of William Shakespeare. more

The show dedicated to revealing the plays of William Shakespeare as tasty entertainment for today's hungry audience. Be you actor or observer, this show offers a fresh look at some very old goods. more

A weekly podcast now exploring Shakespeare's Macbeth. Every episode covers approximately 30 lines of the play - week by week, until we finish sometime in 2023! more

Welcome to the Unbound Theatre Podcast!Here you'll find the latest audio projects from award-winning storytelling company Unbound Theatre, presented by (and based at) Queens Park Arts Centre.The podcast spans all manner of titles, including AudioVerse Award winner (Best Storyteller Erika Sanderson) 'The Chronicles of Professor Chronomier', sleuthing sitcom 'Inspector Murder Inspects…' and our epic 'Sounds & Sweet Airs' project, which aims to bring the complete works of Shakespeare to the airwaves.There's also plenty of behind-the-scenes content, additional audio drama series, audiobooks, poetry, panel games, and more! We're here to Tell Great Stories, and we've plenty of them to choose from!Discover more about Unbound's work across audio, theatre, and film at www.unboundtheatre.co.uk. more

A word-by-word guide to Shakespeare's plays for students, readers, and performers.

A series of podcasts in which we'll go behind the scenes of brand new productions from the RSC and discuss the themes behind the plays of the world's greatest ever writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. more

James Sheldrake, jack of all literary trades, attempts to say something valuable about each of Shakespeare's plays in handy 15-minute instalments. more

In this podcast we will read and discuss all of William Shakespeare's plays over the course of a year, starting and ending on the Bard's birthday. Together we'll explore the big questions the plays put on the table and the poetry that makes those questions so human. Along the way we'll be joined by poets, scholars, playwrights, and actors who can help us celebrate the poet whose influence continues to resound loudest over the Western world. Happy birthday, Shakespeare! more

a podcast in which joel fishbane explores each of Shakespeare's plays, offering tidbits, trivia, and revisionist interpretations of all those plays they made you read in school. more

This podcast series will take you through them one by one in easy 15 minute installments. The show's two hosts, and maybe one or two special guests, will read through the sonnet and talk about what it means to them and what they feel about it.You can listen as the hosts increase their knowledge of the sonnets while providing an entertaining and enlightening experience for you. more

Join Beverlee Jean, a Shakespeare super-fan, and Allison Powell, a bard beginner, as they go through Shakespeare's works along with special guests from the plays themselves! more

Right from its famous opening scene which begins, 'Thunder and lightning. Enter Three Witches' The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare holds the reader fast in a stirring, monumental experience that plumbs the depths of the human soul and reveals its most morbid secrets.The play is set in medieval Scotland. It is based partly on historical facts and recounts the tale of Macbeth, who was a king in Scotland, according to The Holinshead Chronicles, a book published in 1577. This book was extensively used by contemporary playwrights like Shakespeare and Marlowe as inspiration for their themes, characters and events. Though Shakespeare did use some of the material found in Holinshead, the final product is entirely his own and he fleshed-out and created most of the principal characters himself in a play that is considered his darkest, most ominous and most powerful tragedy.The Tragedy of Macbeth is also one that explores the nature of the supernatural in our lives. The play begins with Macbeth and Banquo, two army generals in the employ of their king, Duncan, returning victorious from two different wars. As they cross a dark and lonely heath, they encounter three women who predict that Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor and one day reign as King of Scotland and that Banquo will beget an illustrious line of noble descendants who will one day rule the land, though Banquo himself will never reign. The two men are skeptical, but their disbelief begins to vanish when messengers arrive with the news that Macbeth has been elevated to the rank of Thane of Cawdor! This sets off a train of devastating events. Macbeth's ambitious and evil wife, Lady Macbeth, is willing to go to any lengths to achieve her ends. Plots, treason, murder, ghosts, war and suicide follow, in a terrible mélange.Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy. It deals with issues that are relevant even today. The overarching greed for power at any cost, the breakdown of morality, corruption and unbridled ambition, cruelty and its effect on the soul, omens and portents, superstitions and violence are some of the dark themes explored.Since it was first performed in the 1600s, Macbeth has remained one of the most widely enacted plays in the world, been translated into hundreds of world languages, given contemporary twists, adapted for film, television, studied in schools and universities and been the subject of psychological, sociological and political research.Ultimately, it remains one of the most remarkable portrayals of the shadowy and unlit spaces of the human heart. more

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince Hamlet's mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness from overwhelming grief to seething rage and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. more

This children's book retells twelve of Shakespeare's most popular plays as stories for children. Each of the plays are rewritten as short stories or fairy tales suitable to keep the attention of child readers or listeners. The introduction of the book cites a child's ability and desire to become familiar with the works of Shakespeare as a stepping-stone toward a greater appreciation of the actual plays later in life. (Summary by timferreira) more

Shakespeare's Sonnets analysed for listeners of all levels. In this podcast, I will be analysing Shakespeare's Sonnets as a part of a fundraising campaign to create a graphic novel adaptation based on the original 1609 Quarto edition and virtually uncontaminated by contemporary theory. Please sign up at www.patreon.com/fisherking to support this project and gain access to exclusive content! more

Opening with an introduction to the life of the most famous Englishman of all, William Shakespeare, Edith Nesbit captures the reader's imagination in her inimitable way. Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare is a compendium of stories that re-tells some of his most famous plays.As the author of some of the best-loved children's classics like The Railway Children and The Story of the Treasure Seekers, E Nesbit always felt that children should be introduced to Shakespeare in an easier and more enjoyable way. She has thoughtfully included a glossary of difficult names in the plays and a guide on how to pronounce them. Another useful inclusion is a collection of memorable quotations from the plays. In this Age of the Internet, very few people are able to, or even find the need to, memorize quotations from their favorite works of literature but it is an art which gives much pleasure and keeps the memory of the book or poem alive in the mind.The plays retold here range across the Great Tragedies like King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello. One of the most appealing features of Nesbit's retelling is that she retains the atmosphere and milieu of the plays while she makes the text simpler for children to understand. In Macbeth for instance, the witches, the crimes and the final tragic climax are superbly recreated.A lighter note is struck in plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night where all Shakespeare's wit and talent for creating comic situations is brought out.Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare contains twenty stories and they are so attractively presented that both young and old readers alike can enjoy them. For younger readers, they would be a great stepping-stone to go on and read the magnificent plays in their original form. more

Banished from his own lands by a usurping brother, Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on a deserted island for years, until fate brings the brother within the range of Prospero's powers. Will he seek revenge, or reconcilement? (Summary by Karen Savage) Cast:Narrator Great Plains Alonso, King of Naples hefyd Sebastian, his brother Nathan Markham Prospero, the right Duke of Milan Bruce Pirie Antonio, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan Jason Mills Ferdinand, son to the King of Naples mb Gonzalo, an honest old Counsellor Lorelle Anderson Adrian, a Lord EricJFrancisco, a Lord Aaron Elliott Caliban, a savage and deformed Slave Jason Mills Trinculo, a Jester Ryan Dressler Stephano, a drunken Butler Arielle Lipshaw Master of a Ship Annoying Twit Boatswain Jennifer Stearns Mariners Miriam Esther Goldman Miranda, daughter to Prospero Elizabeth Klett Ariel, an airy Spirit Karen Savage Iris, a Spirit Abigail Bartels Ceres, a Spirit Jessamie Juno, a Spirit Lucy Perry more

After the turmoil and uncertainty of Henry IV a new era appears to dawn for England with the accession of the eponymous Henry V. In this sunny pageant Chorus guides us along Henry's glittering carpet ride of success as the new king completes his transformation from rebellious wastrel to a truly regal potentate. Of course, there is an underlying feeling that the good times won't last, and this is all the more reason to enjoy the Indian summer before the protracted and bitter fall of the house of Lancaster. (Introduction by Algy Pug)Cast:Alice: Caroline SophieArchbishop of Canterbury: Sean RandallBardolph: John FrickerBates: David LawrenceBishop of Ely: Algy PugBoy: AldorChorus: Elizabeth KlettConstable of France: Lars RolanderCourt: Dale BurgessDuke of Bedford: Dale BurgessDuke of Bourbon: Algy PugDuke of Burgundy: Algy PugDuke of Exeter: David GoldfarbDuke of Gloucester: Tadhg HynesDuke of Orleans: Ric FDuke of York: Algy PugEarl of Cambridge: Algy PugEarl of Salisbury: Algy PugEarl of Warwick: Algy PugEarl of Westmoreland: Timothy FergusonFirst Ambassador: Dale BurgessFluellen: Martin GeesonFrench soldier: Nadine Eckert-BouletGovernor of Harfleur: Dale BurgessGower: Bruce PirieGrandpre: Dale BurgessHenry V: Arielle LipshawHerald: Maria ThereseHostess Quickly: Elizabeth KlettJamy: lennichKatharine: ezwaKing of France: Paul AdamsLewis the Dauphin: Nadine Eckert-BouletLord Scroop: Bruce PirieMacmorris: Tadhg HynesMessenger: Elizabeth KlettMontjoy: Amy GramourNym: Sandra GPistol: Algy PugQueen Isabel: KalyndaRambures: Elizabeth KlettSir Thomas Erpingham: Dale BurgessSir Thomas Grey: Dale BurgessWilliams: Ty UnglebowerNarrator: Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, based on true events, concerns the conspiracy against Julius Caesar, his assassination in 44 BC, and its immediate aftermath. Probably written in 1599 and among the first of Shakespeare's plays to be performed at the Globe Theater, Julius Caesar is one of his best-known dramas and has received innumerable performances throughout the centuries. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden after Wikipedia)Cast:Julius Caesar Kim StichOctavius Caesar Glenn SimonsenAntony Barry EadsLepidus and Cicero David LawrencePublius, Poet, and Pindarus Nathan MillerPopilius Lena and First Commoner AndrewBrutus Denny SayersCassius Christopher SannerCasca mbTrebonius and First Soldier Mark I. SmithLigarius and Second Soldier om123Decius Brutus KalyndaMetellus Cimber and Dardanius Chris CaronCinna, Young Cato, Second Commoner, Claudius, and Messenger SonjaFlavius and Clitus Mark PenfoldMarullus and Messala Arielle LipshawArtemidorus AspergineSoothsayer AvailleCinna the Poet ElliLucilius Christian Al-KadiTintinius Chris SellersVolumnius and Servant Laurie Anne WaldenVarro and Third Soldier- Lucy PerryStrato PhilippaLucius MGVestalCalpurnia Miriam Esther GoldmanPortia Abigail BartelsFirst Citizen Bellona TimesSecond Citizen Mark PaarThird Citizen David ColeFourth Citizen wimberprincessStage directions Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by David Lawrence more

Shakespeare's plays are full of music: love songs, comic ditties, serious ballads, and songs for witches and spirits. Over the centuries musicians and composers have also created musical adaptations based on Shakespeare's plays. Composer Christopher Wilson's Shakespeare and Music (1922) documents the musical history of each play across various genres, including opera and incidental music. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett) more

In seventeenth century Venice, a wealthy and debauched man discovers that the woman he is infatuated with is secretly married to a Moorish general in the Venetian army. He shares his grief and rage with a lowly ensign in the army who also has reason to hate the general for promoting a younger man above him. The villainous ensign now plots to destroy the noble general in a diabolical scheme of jealousy, paranoia and murder, set against the backdrop of the bloody Turkish-Venetian wars.This timeless tale, Othello The Moor of Venice was one of the ten famous tragedies that William Shakespeare wrote. It is also one of his plays that has the best documented performance history. First staged on 1st November, 1604 at Whitehall Palace, it was regularly performed at the playwright's own Globe Theater and the Blackfriars Theater in London besides touring the country as part of the repertoire of the King's Men which was the theatrical company that Shakespeare belonged to for most of his career.Such is the power and appeal of the play that it has remained completely unchanged or unrevised over the centuries, while many other Shakespearean plays were adapted, rewritten or trimmed during the Restoration and the eighteenth century.The doomed figure of the lovely Desdemona who is murdered so cruelly by the ill-fated Othello based on a tragic misunderstanding continues to haunt playgoers and readers the world over even today. Modern performances have explored the race and class aspects of the play. Famous actors like Laurence Olivier have given legendary performances, while opera, ballet, television, film, stage, graphic novels and animation versions have kept the magnificent story alive today for audiences all over the world.Shakespeare was probably inspired by the sixteenth Italian writer Cinthio's story titled A Moorish Captain. Many scholars have deemed this to be based on a true incident that happened in Venice in around 1508. However, only the mere skeleton of the story has been used by Shakespeare and most of the characters and sub-plots are his own dazzling creations. He may have also been influenced by the delegations from Morocco to Elizabethan England in 1600. For other details like location and manners, he probably used Venetian history books and contemporary sources.Whatever the history and inspiration of the play, it remains one of the most powerful, compelling and towering works in English literature. This tale of deception, heroism, love, hatred and the demonic obsession called jealousy sparkles with brilliant lines that have entered the English language and become immortal.A majestic work by a supreme artist - Prepare to be overwhelmed! more

Shakespeare's great festive comedy, probably written and first performed around 1601, follows the adventures of twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated from each other by a shipwreck. Viola, believing her brother dead, disguises herself as a page in order to serve the lovesick Duke Orsino, who has been rejected by the Countess Olivia. The ensemble cast includes a roster of wonderfully comic characters: Olivia's drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch, his foolish friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, the witty serving woman Maria, the social-climbing steward Malvolio, and the clever, riddling clown Feste. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastDuke Orsino: Algy PugCurio/First Officer: Charlotte DuckettValentine/Second Officer: Nathaniel W. C. HigginsViola: Elizabeth KlettCaptain: Alan MapstoneSir Toby Belch: Bruce PirieMaria: Amanda FridaySir Andrew Aguecheek: mbClown: Chris MarcellusOlivia: Arielle LipshawMalvolio: Timothy FergusonAntonio: Ernst PattynamaSebastian: Caprisha PageFabian: Allison Walker EldersServant/Priest: Grace GarrettNarrator: Tiffany Halla ColonnaAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

Written around the middle of his career, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's great festive comedies. The men are back from the war, and everyone is ready for romance. The dashing young Claudio falls for Hero, the daughter of Leonato, governor of Messina, and his friend Don Pedro helps him secure her affection. These youthful lovers are contrasted with the more experienced (and more cynical) Benedick and Beatrice, who have to be tricked into falling in love. Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John, provides the intrigue, and the dimwitted constable Dogberry provides the laughs. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Don Pedro: JaniceDon John: Christie NowakClaudio: Lizzie DriverBenedick: Elizabeth KlettLeonato: StephenCAntonio: CalibanBalthazar: David O'ConnellBorachio: Troy BondConrade: James PritchardDogberry: Rosalind WillsVerges: Lamarr GulleyFriar Francis: SharontzuSexton: AleithiaBoy: Arielle LipshawHero: Karen SavageBeatrice: Kristin HughesMargaret: Gates MaruUrsula: Sibella DentonMessenger: Josh WilsonFirst Watch: Graham DaileySecond Watch: CalibanA Lord:Gilles LehouxNarrator: Laurie Anne WaldenAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

This is a collection of resource packs on National Theatre productions on Shakespeare texts. These packs are for teachers, students, researchers or anyone interested in discovering more about National productions. Each pack contains production images, articles, interviews and practical exercises. Productions included in this collection are A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest and The Merchant of Venice. more

Featuring interviews with both actors and academics, Shakespeare's Shadows delves into a single Shakespeare character in each episode. Perspectives from the worlds of academia, theater, and film together shape explorations of the Bard's shadows, his imitations of life — pretty good imitations, ones that reveal enough of ourselves that we're still talking about them four centuries later. more

Shakespeare's festive comedy combines classical Athenian characters (Duke Theseus and his conquered Amazonian bride Hippolyta) with four contentious lovers, a forest full of quarreling and mischievous fairies and adds a dose of amateur theatre for good measure. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastTheseus/Oberon: Algy PugHippolyta/Titania: Elizabeth KlettPhilostrate/Puck: Amy GramourEgeus: Bruce PirieHermia: Elizabeth BarrLysander: Dan RaynhamDemetrius: Bear SchachtHelena: KristingjPeter Quince/Prologue: Arielle LipshawFrancis Flute/Thisby: Jeff SchwabNick Bottom/Pyramus: Bob GonzalezTom Snout/Wall: GraceSnug/Lion: Katalina WattRobin Starveling/Moonshine/Cobweb: Nolan FountFairy: Tiffany Halla ColonnaPeaseblossom: Lucy PerryMoth: Psudonae VoxMustardseed: Laurie Anne WaldenNarrator: Ernst PattynamaAudio editing: Elizabeth Klett more

Shakespeare's Sonnets, or simply The Sonnets, comprise a collection of 154 poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. The poems were probably written over a period of several years. (Summary from wikipedia) more

LibriVox readers present the third collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. - William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (Summary by Shurtagal). more

LibriVox readers present the fifth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (summary by Shurtagal) more

A selection of Shakespeare's poems from The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250 1900. (Summary by Clarica)

Midsommer Flight, a Chicago theatre company dedicated to producing high quality, accessible productions in Chicago communities, invites you to join Chicago actors Julian Stroop and Margaret Kellas on an audio tour of Shakespeare in Chicago. They cover everything from text work and history to modern day practice and current trends for Shakespeare nerds and newbies alike. Enjoy performances and interviews from guest artists and some new perspectives on some very old plays. Also stay up to date with information about Midsommer Flight's performances and events to catch some free public Shakespeare in Chicago. more

Generally considered one of Shakespeare's problem plays, Measure for Measure examines the ideas of sin and justice. Duke Vincentio turns Vienna's rule over to the corrupt Angelo, who sentences Claudio to death for having impregnated a woman before marriage. His sister Isabella, a novice nun, pleads for her brother's life, only to be told that he will be spared if she agrees to relinquish her virginity to Angelo. (Summary by wildemoose)Cast:Abhorson: John D. NugentAngelo: Roger CliftonBarnardine: Pseudonae VoxClaudio: mbElbow: David NicolEscalus: Bellona TimesFirst Gentleman: L. Lambert LawsonFrancisca: SonjaFriar Peter: StephenCFriar Thomas: AvailleFroth: om123Isabella: Arielle LipshawJuliet: ElliJustice: Abigail BartelsLucio: Denny SayersMariana: Elizabeth KlettMessenger: Lucy PerryMistress Overdone: Ruth GoldingPompey: Simon PrideProvost: Mark PenfoldSecond Gentleman: StephenCServant: Pseudonae VoxVincentio: Bruce PirieNarrator: David LawrenceAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw more

LibriVox readers present the tenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres tragedy, comedy, romance, &c that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (Summary by Shurtagal) In a departure from previous collections we are including versions from the many languages to which his works have been translated. more

English Touring Theatre is one of the UK's most successful and exciting production companies, widely regarded as England's National Theatre of Touring. Led by Director Richard Twyman, the company works with leading artists to stage an eclectic mix of new and classic work for audiences throughout the UK and overseas; theatre that is thrilling, popular and, above all, entertaining. more

LibriVox readers present the fourth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts.William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (summary by Shurtagal) more

This personal anthology is my choice of speeches from Shakespeare that I enjoy reading (that I would like to have had by heart years ago!) and that seem to me to illustrate his unsurpassed use of language. He was a man who seemed to know everything about human nature and as Orson Welles said 'he speaks to everyone and we all claim him'. I know that it has been said that 'it is impossible to be a great Shakespearian actor without an idiosyncratic and extraordinary voice' and this may be so, but that does not preclude ordinary mortals from reading, hearing and enjoying Shakespeare. (Summary by Martin Clifton) more

This is Shakespeare's dutiful trubute to one of the most imposing and terrifying rulers in European history. The kingdom trembles as the giant monarch storms through his midlife crisis, disposing of the faithful Katharine of Aragon and starting a new life and, the king hopes, a line of succession with the captivating young Anne Bullen. Unlike his predecessors, Henry has no doubt about the security of his tenure on the throne, and dominates the royal court with absolute authority. The play has a surprising modern flavour: there is even a set of 'Royal watchers' - the three gossipy gentlemen! (Summary by Algy Pug)Cast:Anne Bullen: Arielle LipshawArchbishop of Cranmer: Martin GeesonBishop Lincoln: Dale BurgessBrandon: Algy PugCapucius: Algy PugCardinal Campeius: Lars RolanderCardinal Wolsey: Bruce PirieChorus: Ruth GoldingCrier: EzwaCromwell: Dale BurgessDoctor Butts: Matthew ReeceDuke of Buckingham: Peter BishopDuke of Norfolk: John FrickerDuke of Suffolk: Elizabeth KlettEarl of Surrey: Tricia GFirst Gentleman: ReadalotFirst Secretary: Amy GramourGardiner: Michael IrskensGarter: Arielle LipshawGentleman: Paul AndrewsGriffith: Ric FHenry VIII: Algy PugKeeper: Paul AndrewsLord Abergavenny: Paul AndrewsLord Chamberlain: Matthew ReeceLord Chancellor: Jason BortlesLord Sands: Timothy FergusonMan: David LawrenceMessenger: Arielle LipshawOld Lady: rashadaPage: Roseanne SchmidtPatience: Ruth GoldingPorter: Algy PugQueen Katharine: Elizabeth KlettScribe: Arielle LipshawSecond Gentleman: Amy GramourSergeant: Ernst PattynamaServant: AnaSir Anthony Denny: Ernst PattynamaSir Henry Guildford: Martin GeesonSir Nicholas Vaux: Algy PugSir Thomas Lovell: Paul AdamsSurveyor: AimiThird Gentleman: VeggrowerNarrator: Tricia GSong performed by EzwaAudio edited by: Algy Pug more

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is the earliest comedy written by Shakespeare (and possibly his first play), probably written around 1590-91. It focuses on two friends, Valentine and Proteus, whose friendship is disrupted by their mutual passion for the lovely Silvia. Proteus jilts Julia in order to pursue Silvia; she responds by enlisting the help of her maid Lucetta to dress as a boy and go after Proteus. The play also includes some wonderfully comic supporting characters, particularly Launce and his scene-stealing dog Crab. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Antonio: Ernst PattynamaDuke of Milan/First Outlaw: Algy PugEglamour: Amy GramourHost: Adrian PraetzellisJulia: Elizabeth KlettLaunce: Arielle LipshawLucetta: AvaillePanthino: Peter BishopProteus: Denny SayersSecond Outlaw: Christopher SannerSilvia: Elizabeth BarrSpeed: David GoldfarbThird Outlaw: Jared KlettThurio: Matthew ReeceValentine: mbNarrator: Elizabeth KlettAnd featuring Oscar as Crab the dog.Audio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

LibriVox volunteers bring you seventeen recordings of Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of October 15th, 2006. more

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Anne Page, Mistress Page's daughter: Elizabeth BarrBardolph, sharper attending on Falstaff: AlanDoctor Caius, a French physician: Marty KrisFalstaff: Mark F. SmithFenton, a gentleman: Peter BishopFirst Servant: Ted GarvinFord, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor: Timothy FergusonHost of the Garter Inn: TriciaGHostess Quickly, hostess of a tavern in Eastcheap: Amy GramourMistress Ford: Elizabeth KlettMistress Page: Arielle LipshawNym, sharper attending on Falstaff: SkythrockPage, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor: AlanPistol: Peter BishopRobert Shallow, country Justice: Algy PugRobin, page to Falstaff: Beth ThomasRugby, servant to Doctor Caius: Dale BurgessSecond Servant: SkythrockServant: TriciaGSimple, servant to Slender: Sarah HoltzSir Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson: Matthew ReeceSlender, cousin to Shallow: David LawrenceWilliam Page, a boy, son to Page: Elizabeth KlettNarrator: Denny SayersAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw more

In this podcast Dr Neema Parvini, Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Surrey, and author of several books, interviews various Shakespeare scholars and literary theorists from around the world in a bid to gain an understanding of the current state of play in Shakespeare studies and in literary criticism more generally. Through a series of candid talks, it will tackle the biggest theoretical and practical questions that have preoccupied scholars and readers of Shakespeare alike for generations: the idea that history is driven by human beings versus the idea that it is driven by forces beyond our control, the individual versus society, nature versus nurture, and freedom versus determinism. more

Love's Labour's Lost is an early comedy by William Shakespeare. The King of Navarre and his three friends take a vow of study and seclusion for three years, during which they are forbidden to see or speak to women. Their vows are immediately tested by the arrival of the Pricess of France and her three ladies to the King's court. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Biron: mbBoyet: Mark PenfoldCostard: John D. NugentDon Adriano de Armado: David GoldfarbDull:David LawrenceDumain: om123Ferdinand: Bruce PirieFirst Lord: Vicente Costa FilhoForester: PhilippaHolofernes: Denny SayersJaquenetta: Chelsea BakerKatharine: Nadine Eckert-BouletLongaville: Ric FMaria: AvailleMercade: Kim StichMoth: Karen SavagePrincess of France: Elizabeth KlettRosaline: Arielle LipshawSir Nathaniel: Robert FletcherNarrator: Dawn Krosnowski MalicsiAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Henry VI, Part 1 or The First Part of Henry the Sixth (often written as 1 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 2 Henry VI deals with the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, and the inevitability of armed conflict, and 3 Henry VI deals with the horrors of that conflict, 1 Henry VI deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Basset/Messenger/Queen Margaret/Second Sentinel/Second Serving Man: Elizabeth KlettBastard of Orleans/Master Gunner/General: lennichBoy/First Soldier/Officer/Scout/Sir William Lucy/Soldier: Christine BlachfordCaptain/Second Warder/Third Serving Man: Ty UnglebowerCharles, King of France: peacCountess of Auvergne: Maria ThereseDuke of Alencon: kenrgDuke of Bedford: Robert MitchellDuke of Burgundy: Sandra GDuke of Exeter: Andy MinterDuke of Gloucester: Sean RandallDuke of Somerset: ReadalotEarl of Salisbury: Michael IrskensEarl of Suffolk: Frank BookerEarl of Warwick: Mark F. SmithEdmund Mortimer: Bruce PirieFirst Gaoler/Lawyer/Legate/Lord Talbot/Watch/Woodvile: Algy PugFirst Sentinel/First Serving Man: John FrickerFirst Warder/Sir John Fastolfe: Dale BurgessHenry VI: Arielle LipshawJoan La Pucelle: Nadine Eckert-BouletJohn Talbot: ravenotationLord Mayor of London: Martin GeesonPorter: Lucy PerryReignier: Lars RolanderRichard Plantagenet: David GoldfarbSergeant: VeggrowerServant: EdenShepherd: AldorSir William Glansdale: Aidan BrackSir Thomas Gargrave: Ric FVernon: David LawrenceWinchester: Jason MillsNarrator: Roseanne SchmidtAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

LibriVox readers present the second collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 15 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. (Summary by Shurtagal) more

The Passionate Pilgrim was published by William Jaggard, later the publisher of Shakespeare's First Folio. The first edition survives only in a single fragmentary copy; its date cannot be fixed with certainty since its title page is missing, though many scholars judge it likely to be from 1599, the year the second edition appeared with the attribution to Shakespeare.This version of The Passionate Pilgrim, contains 15 romantic sonnets and short poems. The works contained, while disputed as to authorship, are in this writer's most humble opinion among the best of the age. (Summary by Caliban and Wikipedia) more

Shakespeare's sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems in sonnet form that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. (Summary from wikipedia.org) more

This is a collection of scenes from Shakespeare's plays, mainly comprising dialogues between two characters. The theme for this collection is 'Wooing, Wedding, and Repenting' (inspired by a line from Much Ado About Nothing). (Summary by Elizabeth Klett) Henry V, Act 5 Scene 2 read by: Tiffany Halla Colonna, Winston Tharp, Elizabeth Klett The Tempest, Act 3 Scene 1 read by: Algy Pug, Arielle Lipshaw, Elizabeth Klett more

This is the second LibriVox collection of scenes from Shakespeare's plays, mainly comprising dialogues between two characters. The theme for this collection is 'Women's Worlds,' as the excerpts are all scenes between female characters. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Coriolanus, Act 1 Scene 3 read by: Duan, Martin Geeson, Caprisha Page Love's Labor's Lost, Act 5 Scene 2 read by: Duan, Amanda Friday, Elizabeth Klett, Caprisha Page Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3 Scene 1 read by: Verity Kendall, Amanda Friday, Caprisha Page Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3 Scene 4 read by: Grace Garrett, Caprisha Page, April Gonzales, Elizabeth Klett Richard III, Act 4 Scene 4 read by: CaprishaPage, Arielle Lipshaw, Elizabeth Klett Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 3 read by: Duan, Arielle Lipshaw, Eden Rea-Hedrick more

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in each of his plays. Some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are very moving. Each monologue will touch everybody differently. Some people will be so moved by a particular monologue that they will want to record it. So here are the first fifteen monologues. (Summary by Shurtagal).A pdf file of of the monologues in this collection is available here. more

Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixth (often written as 2 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 1 Henry VI deals primarily with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, and 3 Henry VI deals with the horrors of that conflict, 2 Henry VI focuses on the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, the death of his trusted adviser Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, the rise of the Duke of York and the inevitability of armed conflict. As such, the play culminates with the opening battle of the War, the First Battle of St Albans. Henry VI may be viewed as a study in insurrection, which moves from the private and personal jostlings in the court in Part 1 to outright civil war in Part 3. In Part 2 the discord between prominent state officials, notably Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, spreads to the common people, fomenting an abortive rebellion, lead by the rascally Kentishman, Jack Cade. With the death of Humphrey, the period of regency for the naive Henry effectively comes to an end, and the unworldly monarch is helplessly exposed to the interminable strife between the factions of the houses of York and of Lancaster. The structure of the play differs from the other two parts in that there is a central rustic idyll (Act 4), populated by clownish characters, which recalls the idyllic centrepieces of comedies like A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It. The plays with the effective deposition of Henry, who is later re-installed as king in Part 3 by the influential Earl of Warwick. Henry VI, Part 2 has the largest cast of all Shakespeare's plays, and is seen by many critics as the best of the Henry VI trilogy. (Summary by Wikipedia and Algy Pug)Cast:Alexander Iden/Lord Say: amicrazy2uBeadle/Earl of Warwick/First Neighbor/George Bevis/Lord Scales/Post/Second Gentleman/Soldier/Spirit: Algy PugBolingbroke/Jack Cade: Martin GeesonCaptain/Herald/Simpcox: Sandra GClerk of Chatham/First Citizen/Messenger/Queen Margaret: Elizabeth KlettDick the Butcher/Mayor of St. Albans: JimOCRDuke of Buckingham/Richard Plantagenet the Younger: Lars RolanderDuke of Gloucester: Sean RandallDuke of Somerset: ReadalotEarl of Salisbury: Michael IrskensEarl of Suffolk: Frank BookerEleanor, Duchess of Gloucester: Musicalheart1Father John Hume: Christine BlachfordFirst Gentleman/Second Murderer/Second Petitioner/Townsman: David LawrenceFirst Murderer: rigbyjmFirst Petitioner/Third Neighbor/William Stafford: John FrickerHenry VI: Arielle LipshawJohn Holland/Peter: Denny SayersKing Edward IV/Thomas Horner/Walter Whitmore: Dale BurgessLord Clifford/Second Neighbor: Aidan BrackMargaret Jourdain: Nadine Eckert-BouletMaster/Sheriff: kenrgMichael: Bruce PirieRichard Plantagenet/Smith the Weaver: David GoldfarbServant/Vaux: EdenSimpcox's Wife: Lucy PerrySir Humphrey Stafford: Ric FSir John Stanley: VeggrowerWinchester: Jason MillsYoung Clifford: Amy GramourNarrator: Roseanne SchmidtAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Henry VI, Part 3 or The Third Part of Henry the Sixt (often written as 3 Henry VI) is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas 1 Henry VI deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, and 2 Henry VI focuses on the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, and the inevitability of armed conflict, 3 Henry VI deals primarily with the horrors of that conflict, as the once ordered nation is thrown into chaos and barbarism as families break down and moral codes are subverted in the pursuit of revenge and power.Among Shakespeare's history plays Henry VI Part 3 and Richard II contain the only intances in which a living monarch is displaced. However, unlike Richard who fell because of his misunderstanding of the limits of his sovereignty, the demise of Henry was due to his total incapacity to exercise his sovereign power. The inability of the king to deal with the brutal realities of regal life is dramatically displayed in Act 2 Scene 5 where Henry witnesses the agonies of the father who has killed his son and the son who has killed his father, and sadly acknowledges that this civil strife has been caused by the King's ineptitude. The crowning indignity comes in Act 3 Scene 1 where the king in hiding is easily detected and trapped by two rustics who triumphantly prepare to lead him before the man who has deposed him, Edward IV. Henry's death comes at the hands of the brother of Edward, the vicious and rampantly ambitious Richard, who later rises to the heights of supreme tyranny in Richard III. After Henry's son and heir, Edward, is murdered, also by the future Richard III, and Henry's most influential supporter, the Earl of Warwick, dies, the House of Lancaster lies in ruins.Henry VI, Part 3 features the longest soliloquy in all of Shakespeare (3.2.124-195), and has more battle scenes (four on stage, one reported) than any other of Shakespeare's plays. (Summary from Wikipedia with addition by Algy Pug)Cast:Bona: ckless1Duke of Exeter: Andy MinterDuke of Norfolk: kenrgDuke of Somerset: ReadalotEarl of Northumberland: ChewbobccaEarl of Warwick: Algy PugEarl of Westmoreland: Denny SayersEarl of Oxford: Lars RolanderEdmund, Earl of Rutland: Nadine Eckert-BouletFather who has killed his son: Denny SayersFirst Keeper: Algy PugFirst Messenger: Elizabeth KlettFirst Watchman: David LawrenceGeorge, Duke of Clarence: Jason MillsHenry VI: Arielle LipshawHuntsman: Algy PugKing Edward IV: Dale BurgessKing Lewis XI of France: Martin GeesonLieutenant: Elizabeth KlettLord Rivers: Denny SayersLord Clifford: Aidan BrackLord Hastings: Ric FMarquess of Montague: Nadine Eckert-BouletMayor of York: Denny SayersMessenger: Elizabeth KlettNobleman: Algy PugPost: Roseanne SchmidtPrince Edward: Corinna SchultzQueen Elizabeth: Elizabeth BarrQueen Margaret: Elizabeth KlettRichard III: Lars RolanderRichard Plantagenet: David GoldfarbSecond Keeper: ravenotationSecond Messenger: AvailleSecond Watchman: Nadine Eckert-BouletSir John Mortimer: Denny SayersSoldier: Algy PugSon who has killed his father: Amy GramourThird Watchman: Lucy PerryTutor of Rutland: Algy PugNarrator: Sandra GAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett and Algy Pug more

Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare's late romances, which (like The Tempest and The Winter's Tale) combines comedy and tragedy. Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline of Britain, angers her father when she marries Posthumus, a worthy but penniless gentleman. The King banishes Posthumus, who goes to Rome, where he falls prey to the machinations of Iachimo, who tries to convince him that Imogen will be unfaithful. Meanwhile, the Queen (Imogen's stepmother) plots against her stepdaughter by trying to plan a match between Imogen and her worthless son Cloten. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Arviragus: om123Attendant and First Gaoler: Bill MosleyBelarius: Algy PugCaius Lucius: Mark F. SmithCloten: mbCornelius: Amy GramourCymbeline: Bruce PirieFirst British Captain and Messenger: Elizabeth KlettFirst Brother: John FrickerFirst Gentleman and First Senator: Algy PugFirst Lady: rashadaFirst Lord: rfFirst Tribune and Roman Captain: Bill MosleyFrenchman and Soothsayer: Timothy FergusonGuiderius: Denny SayersIachimo: John FrickerImogen: Elizabeth KlettJupiter: Elizabeth KlettMother: SweetlilbirdyPhilario: RakenPisanio: Matthew ReecePosthumus Leonatus: David GoldfarbQueen: Arielle LipshawSecond British Captain, Second Gentleman, and Second Senator: John FrickerSecond Brother, Second Lord, and Second Gaoler: Arielle LipshawSicilius Leonatus: Jason BortlesNarrator: David LawrenceAudio edited by: mb more

The Life of Timon of Athens is a play by William Shakespeare about the fortunes of an Athenian named Timon (and probably influenced by the philosopher of the same name, as well), generally regarded as one of his most obscure and difficult works. Originally grouped with the tragedies, it is generally considered such, but some scholars group it with the problem plays. The play has caused considerable debate among scholars. It is oddly constructed, with several lacunae (gaps) and for this reason is often described as unfinished, multi-authored, and/or experimental. No precise date of composition can be given and, while most place it as close but prior to the late romances, theories posited have ranged broadly from Shakespeare's first work to his last. It is usually grouped with the tragedies (as in the First Folio), though some scholars have placed it with the problem comedies despite the death of its title character. Source material includes Plutarch's 'Life of Alcibiades' and Lucian's dialogue, Timon the Misanthrope. The play had not been published prior to its inclusion in the First Folio (1623). (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Apemantus: Martin GeesonAlcibiades: Marty KrisCaphis; Soldier: David NicolCupid; Timandra; Third Senator; Varro's Servant: Elizabeth KlettFirst Bandit; First Varro's Servant; Lucullus: Delmar H. DolbierFirst Lady; Phrynia: Sandra GFirst Lord; Others: Lars RolanderFirst Senator: Bruce PirieFirst Servant: Elaine WebbFlaminius: thebicyclethiefFlavius: Peter BishopFool; Titus; Ventidius: Amy GramourFourth Lord; Lucius Servant; Others: Max KörlingeHortensius; Jeweller: Timothy FergusonLucilius: TriciaGMerchant; Servilius: Sebastian StephensonMessenger; Page: ChyAnne DonnellPainter; Second Stranger; Others: Nigel BoydellPoet; Third Stranger; Others: Bob GonzalezSecond Bandit; Sempronius: Ric FSecond Lord; Others: David GoldfarbSecond Senator; Old Athenian; Third Servant; Isadore's Servant; Others: Algy PugSecond Servant; Second Varro's Servant: John FrickerThird Bandit; Philotus: Ron AltmanThird Lord; Others: DublinGothicTimon: Barty BegleyNarrator: KristingjAudio edited by: Algy Pug more

LibriVox volunteers bring you seventeen different readings of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. This sonnet offers a look into the Elizabethan ideal of womanly beauty, then turns it on its head with wry realism. Then as now, real beauty is inside. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of March 5, 2006.(Summary by Fox in the Stars) more

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corroding psychological and political effects produced when its protagonist, the Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become king and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging the country into civil war. In the end, he loses everything that gives meaning and purpose to his life before losing his life itself. (Summary by Wikipedia) CAST LISTFirst Witch: Charlotte DuckettSecond Witch; Servant: GraceThird Witch Gentlewoman: Libby GohnDuncan, King of Scotland; Old Man; Lords: Algy PugMalcolm, Son of Duncan: Cathy BarrattSergeant; Third Murderer; Soldier(s): ToddHWLennox, Nobleman of Scotland: Robin KingRoss, Nobleman of Scotland: Arielle LipshawMacbeth, General of the King's army: Phill BensonBanquo, General of the King's army: alanmapstoneAngus, Nobleman of Scotland; Second Murderer: Ernst PattynamaLady Macbeth: Bev. J. StevensMessenger; Attendant: CaprishaPageFleance, Son to Banquo; Young Siward, Siward's son: laurenburwellPorter: Jason MillsDonalbain, Son of Duncan; Caithness, Nobleman of Scotland: Frances BrownMacduff, Nobleman of Scotland: Alan WeymanFirst Murderer: Martin GeesonHecate: Eden Rea-HedrickDoctor: Beth ThomasApparititions: Elizabeth KlettLady Macduff: Meagon ArgoMacduff's Son: Emily JonesMenteith, Nobleman of Scotland; Seyton, An officer attending on MacbethToddHWSiward, Earl of Northumberland, general of English forces: alanmapstoneNarrator: Algy PugAudio Edited by Algy Pug more

The Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean tragicomedy co-written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, first published in 1634. Set in ancient Greece during a war between Athens and Thebes, the narrative follows the title characters, Palamon and Arcite, noble youths whose friendship is destroyed by their mutual love for the beautiful Emilia. The subplot deals with the love and eventual madness of the Gaoler's Daughter, who falls hopelessly in love with Palamon. The play is based on 'The Knight's Tale' by Chaucer, but also has echoes of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, as two of the major characters are Theseus and Hippolyta, who also appear in the earlier play. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastNarrator/Gaoler's Daughter: Elizabeth KlettFirst Queen/Nell: Arielle LipshawSecond Queen/Waiting-woman: Beth ThomasThird Queen/Taborer: Charlotte DuckettTheseus: Bruce PirieHippolyta: Libby GohnEmilia: Amanda FridayPirithous: ToddPalamon: David NicolArcite: mbValerius/Bavian/First Friend: Patti CunninghamHerald/Messenger: tovarischGaoler: Algy PugWooer: Eden Rea-HedrickFirst Countryman/Gentleman/Doctor: balaThird Countryman/Gaoler's Brother/Servant/Third Knight: Brett W. DowneyFourth Countryman/First Knight: Anna SimonGerrold/Second Knight: Alan MapstoneAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics. Much Ado About Nothing chronicles two pairs of lovers: Benedick and Beatrice (the main couple), and Claudio and Hero (the secondary couple). Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a very 'merry war'; they are both very witty and proclaim their disdain of love. In contrast, Claudio and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their love for one another. Although the young lovers Hero and Claudio provide the main impetus for the plot, the courtship between the wittier, wiser lovers Benedick and Beatrice is what makes Much Ado About Nothing so memorable. Benedick and Beatrice argue with delightful wit, and Shakespeare develops their journey from antagonism to sincere love and affection with a rich sense of humor and compassion. (Summary by Wikipedia) CastLeonato: Bob NeufeldMessenger: Ernst PattynamaBeatrice/Boy/Second Watch: Elizabeth KlettHero: Amanda FridayDon Pedro: Bruce PirieBenedick: mbDon John: Eden Rea-HedrickClaudio: Beth ThomasAntonio: Larry WilsonConrade: Brett DowneyBorachio: Chris CartwrightBalthazar: James SilversteinMargaret: Arielle LipshawUrsula: Sarah ParshallDogberry: Alan MapstoneVerges: Charlotte DuckettFirst Watchman: rookieblueFriar Francis: balaSexton/Lord: ToddNarrator: Libby GohnAudio edited by mb and gloriana more

LibriVox volunteers bring you 12 different recordings of Sonnet 28 by William Shakespeare. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of August 26th, 2007. more

Audiolibro 'Otelo: el moro de Venecia' de William Shakespeare, es una tragedia en la que Shakespeare invierte los papeles de los protagonistas y otorga al moro Otelo el carácter de hombre noble y aristocrático, mientras que reserva para el italiano Yago la perversidad y la hipocresía, desarrollando en él uno de los estudios más profundos del mal. Otelo se presenta como la tragedia de la incomprensión, en la que luchan el amor puro, la pasión, el orgullo, los celos, la venganza, y en la que al final, el protagonista, como un auténtico héroe trágico, consciente de su degradación y de su pérdida, escribe su propio epitafio, con la angustia del héroe destrozado. Realizado por Leilani Diaz de los Santos de UNID, Villahermosa para Editorial Digital UNID. (En idioma español) more

William Shakespeare's most well-known play is more than most people realize. While it is the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, it is also the story of two families in the middle of a bitter feud. Many people avoid the story because they believe it will be too difficult to read, but this is not true at all. Within a few paragraphs, the play captures your imagination and attention.Juliet is 13 years old and is love with the son of her father's enemy. Her father has promised that she will marry another boy when it is time, but she refuses to accept the suit. One night, Romeo sneaks into a ball in Juliet's home (in hopes of seeing a girl he is in love with) when he overhears Juliet speaking of her love for him. He steps out of the shadows and they decide to marry. They are married the next day in secret.It is discovered that Romeo snuck into the ball and Juliet's cousin is angry and challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, a man is killed and Romeo is banished from the country. Juliet is thrown into a depression and her father decides she needs to get married right away. However, the Friar who helped Juliet marry Romeo comes up with a plan to get Romeo back and to unite the families. The plan unravels quickly, though.The story of Romeo and Juliet has everything that a reader could want. Like many of Shakespeare's works, it has comedy and tragedy, but it also has love, family, duals, good and evil. Do not pick up the book assuming that knowing about the tragedy will ruin the story. The tale of how both families got to this point is one that will not soon be forgotten. The lessons of love and forgiveness are ones that are just as important more than 400 years after the play was written. more

William Shakespeare (Stratfort on Avon 1564-1616), poeta, dramaturgo y actor inglés. Por la fuerza de su palabra literaria y su inmensa capacidad para ahondar en los laberintos de la condición humana, está considerado como uno de los más importantes escritores en lengua inglesa y el más grande dramaturgo de todos los tiempos. La grandeza de su pluma se ve reflejada en numerosas piezas dramáticas como las tragedias: Romeo y Julieta, Hamlet, Otelo; las comedias, Trabajos de amor perdidos, Sueño de una noche de verano, El mercader de Venecia, Mucho ruido y pocas nueces, Como gustéis, La fierecilla domada o la obras históricas: Ricardo III, Enrique IV, El rey Juan y Enrique VIII, entre muchas otras. A continuación se presenta una breve selección de los 154 sonetos que Shakespeare publicó en vida y los cuales constituyen su obra más personal. A decir de Hernán Lara Zavala, estos sonetos representan un punto culminante en la carrera del poeta y dramaturgo y de los pocos trabajos que vieron la luz en vida de Shakespeare. Estas piezas son la historia de una pasión doble en las cuales el destinatario es tanto un joven como, en otros momentos, una mujer y muestran una tragedia íntima que se va revelando poco a poco hasta concluir con la idea de que su amor perdurará a través del tiempo en estas obras. La versión en inglés está leída por Raúl Ortiz y Ortiz y la versión en español por Hernán Lara Zavala. La traducción de los sonetos es de Fernando Marrufo y corresponde a la edición publicada por la Dirección General de Publicaciones y Fomento Editorial de la UNAM con la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán y la Fundación Fernando Marrufo, AC. D.R. © UNAM 2016 more

The Rape of Lucrece (1594) is a narrative poem by William Shakespeare about the legendary Lucretia. Lucrece draws on the story described in both Ovid's Fasti and Livy's history of Rome. In 509 BC, Sextus Tarquinius, son of Tarquin, the king of Rome, raped Lucretia (Lucrece), wife of Collatinus, one of the king's aristocratic retainers. As a result, Lucrece committed suicide. Her body was paraded in the Roman Forum by the king's nephew. This incited a full-scale revolt against the Tarquins led by Lucius Junius Brutus, the banishment of the royal family, and the founding of the Roman republic. (Summary by Wikipedia) more

To celebrate Shakespeare's birthday, LibriVox volunteers bring you ten different recordings of Sonnet 73. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of April 23rd, 2006.(Summary by Annie Coleman) more

This book contains a critical essay on Shakespeare by Leo Tolstoy. It is followed by another essay named 'Shakespeare's attitude to the working classes' by Ernest Crosby and extracts of a letter by George Bernard Shaw. (Summary by enko) more

Podcast by Oregon Shakespeare Festival

We will be starting up our podcast again soon... Stay tunedBaltimore Shakespeare Factory recreates, as closely as is possible, the staging conditions, spirit, and atmosphere created by Shakespeare's theatre company during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.http://baltimoreshakespearfactory.org more

Macbeth ble antagelig oppført første gang i 1606, og er sammen med Hamlet og Romeo og Julie et av hans mest spilte stykker. Shakespeare berører i dette stykket basale spørsmål som makt og moral, skyld og redsel, paranoia og galskap. Hva skjer når ambisjonen om makt overstyrer moralske dilemmaer? Vi kommer på innsiden av et forbrytersinn, og blir vitne til stigende moralsk anarki. Gjennom Lady Macbeths rolle, blir også spørsmål rundt kjønn og identitet løftet opp. Produsert av NRK Radioteatret.Forfatter: William Shakespeare.Hørespillet er basert på oversettelser av Morten Krogstad, Ragnar Olsen og Inger Hagerup.Komponist: Marius Christiansen,Lyddesign: Nils Jakob Langvik,Produsent: Øystein Kjennerud,Regi: Else Barratt-Due,Medvirkende:Macbeth: Nicolai Cleve Broch, Lady Macbeth: Charlotte Frogner, Duncan: Øystein Røger, Malcolm: Jonas Strand Gravli,Banquo: Morten Svartveit,Lennox: Frank Kjosås,Ross: Bartek Kaminski,Kapteinen: Espen Reboli Bjerke,Tjeneren.: Anders Mordal,Første Heks: Kjersti Dalseide,Andre Heks: Ingjerd Egeberg,Tredje Heks: Ulrikke Døvigen,Donalbain: Audun Sandem,Macduff : Kyrre Haugen Sydness,Fleance: Leonard Valestrand Eike,Portvakten: Per Christian Ellefsen,Første Morder: Fridtjov Såheim,Andre Morder: Svein Roger Karlsen,Siward: Sigurd Myhre,Unge Siward: Benjamin Helstad,Seyton: Mikkel Bratt Silset,Legen: Bjørn Skagestad,Kammerfruen: Lise Fjeldstad,Budbringeren: Olav Waastad,Soldaten: Øystein Kjennerud, Hør alle episodene i appen NRK Radio more

LibriVox volunteers bring you eight different readings of William Shakespeare's Sonnet 23, a weekly poetry project.(Summary by Annie Coleman) more

Anthony is memorizing all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets and discussing them with Melinda Hall. He's not an expert in Shakespeare. Lucky for him Melinda is an expert and is there to help. more

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice was probably written between 1596 and 1598, and was printed with the comedies in the First Folio of 1623. Bassanio, an impoverished gentleman, uses the credit of his friend, the merchant Antonio, to borrow money from a wealthy Jew, Shylock. Antonio pledges to pay Shylock a pound of flesh if he defaults on the loan, which Bassanio will use to woo a rich heiress, Portia. A subplot concerns the elopement of Shylock's daughter Jessica with a Christian, Bassanio's friend Lorenzo. In its focus on love and marriage, the play shares certain concerns with Shakespeare's other comedies. Yet its depiction of the tensions between Jews and Christians in early modern Venice - and its highly dramatic trial scene in Act 4 - create darker currents in the play. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Duke of Venice: Filippo GioachinPrince of Morocco: Mark F. SmithPrince of Arragon: David NicolAntonio: David O'ConnellBassanio: mbSalanio: Rosalind WillsSalarino: Laurie Anne WaldenGratiano: David LeesonLorenzo: Aaron ElliottShylock: etkTubal: Carolyn FrancesLauncelot Gobbo: L. Lambert LawsonOld Gobbo: David LawrenceLeonardo: Laurie Anne WaldenBalthasar: David LawrenceStephano: Lucy PerryPortia: Arielle LipshawNerissa: Megan KunkelJessica: Elizabeth KlettClerk in court: Ernst PattynamaPortia's servant: Joshua B. ChristensenNarrator: Dennis Sayers more

Richard III is an early history play probably written and performed around 1592-93. It is the culmination of Shakespeare's earlier three plays about Henry VI, and chronicles the bloody career of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. As the play opens, the Wars of the Roses are over, King Edward IV (Richard's brother) is on the throne, and all is ostensibly well. The problem? Richard wants to be king - and he'll stop at nothing to realize his ambition. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:King Edward IV: David ColeEdward, Prince of Wales: Sandra GRichard, Duke of York: Tricia GGeorge, Duke of Clarence: Bob ShermanRichard, Duke of Gloucester: David NicolSon of Clarence: Nadine Eckert-BouletHenry, Earl of Richmond; Lord Mayor of London: Mark F. SmithCardinal Bourchier; Sir James Blunt: NullifidianArchbishop of York; Daughter of Clarence; Page: AvailleDuke of Buckingham: mbDuke of Norfolk: Bruce PirieEarl of Surrey: Lucy PerryEarl Rivers: Denny SayersMarquis of Dorset; Second Citizen: StephenCLord Grey: om123Earl of Oxford; Fourth Messenger: Roger CliftonLord Hastings: Peter BloomfieldLord Stanley: Andy MinterLord Lovel; Sir Walter Herbert: L. Lambert LawsonSir Thomas Vaughan; Priest; First Gentleman: David LawrenceSir Richard Ratcliff: Filippo GiaochinSir William Catesby: ArixaSir James Tyrrel; Third Citizen; Ghost of Henry VI: 1evilmofoSir Robert Brakenbury: Garrett FitzgeraldChristopher Urswick: Christopher CaronSheriff of Wiltshire; Bishop of Ely; First Murderer: RismythQueen Elizabeth; Scrivener: Elizabeth KlettQueen Margaret: Ruth GoldingDuchess of York: Karen SavageLady Anne: Arielle LipshawSecond Murderer; First Citizen; Third Messenger: SonjaMessenger: KalyndaSecond Messenger: Veronica JenkinsPursuivant: Matt JuddGhost of Prince Edward: SnaefaxiNarrator: Diana MajlingerAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays, believed to have been written between 1592 and 1594. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, a near-seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and demonic possession. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Adriana / Second Merchant: Elizabeth KlettAegeon: Jason BortlesAemilia: Musicalheart1Angelo: bmkeenerAntipholus of Ephesus / Antipholus of Syracuse: mbBalthazar: Tim FerreiraCourtezan: Maria ThereseDromio of Ephesus / Dromio of Syracuse: John FrickerFirst Merchant / Solinus: Algy PugGaoler: Lucy PerryLuce: Diana MajlingerLuciana: Arielle LipshawOfficer: David LawrencePinch: Martin GeesonServant: ElliNarrator: AvailleAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Shakespeare was passionately interested in the history of Rome, as is evident from plays like Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. His tragedy Coriolanus was probably written around 1605-07, and dramatizes the rise and fall of a great Roman general, Caius Martius (later surnamed Coriolanus because of his military victory at Corioli). This play is unusual in that it provides a strong voice for the ordinary citizens of Rome, who begin the play rioting about the high price of food, and who continually clash with Coriolanus because of his contempt for plebians. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)CastCaius Martius Coriolanus: thebicyclethiefCitizen: Patti CunninghamFirst Citizen/Second Officer/Second Patrician: Chuck WilliamsonCominius: Bob GonzalezFifth Citizen: AvailleFirst Conspirator/First Officer/Lieutenant/Second Senator/Second Servingman: ToddFirst Lord/Sixth Citizen: Tricia GFirst Senator: DublinGothicFirst Servingman: Leonard WilsonFirst Soldier/Herald: John FrickerGentlewoman/Second Soldier/Third Lord/Young Coriolanus: Martin GeesonJunius Brutus: Ron AltmanMenenius Agrippa: Algy PugRoman/Second Conspirator/Seventh Citizen: KristingjSecond Citizen: Peter MakusSecond Lord: Chuck DonovanSicinius Velutus: Ric FThird Citizen: Joshua LetchfordThird Conspirator: Heather PhillipsThird Roman: Lucy PerryTitus Lartius/Aedile: Delmar H. DolbierTullus Aufidius: Arielle LipshawValeria: Tiffany Halla ColonnaVirgilia: Amy L. GramourVolsce: Max KorlingeVolumnia: Elizabeth KlettNarrator: Diana MajlingerOther roles (crowd voices, etc) read by members of the company.Audio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's famous tragedy of two 'star-crossed lovers' from rival houses. Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and fall instantly in love, realizing too late that their families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are mortal enemies. Braving parental opposition, the teenage lovers marry in secret, with the aid of the well-intentioned Friar Lawrence. Yet, as Shakespeare has often observed, the course of true love does not run smoothly, and Romeo and Juliet must risk death to be together. (summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Escalus: David MuncasterParis: mbMontague: Chris HughesCapulet: Andy MinterOld Man and Friar Lawrence: Alan Davis DrakeRomeo: Simon TaylorMercutio: Andrew LebrunBenvolio: David NicolTybalt: Joshua B. ChristensenFriar John: Sean McKinleyBalthasar: Scott D. FarquarSampson: EstherGregory: David O'ConnellPeter and Second Watchman: GesineAbraham and First Watchman: CalibanApothecary: Lucy PerryFirst Musician and Second Citizen: Laurie Anne WaldenSecond Musician: om123Third Musician: Aaron WaldenChorus: ancillaPage: C. J. NowakLady Montague: Christie NowakLady Capulet: Cori SamuelJuliet: Elizabeth KlettNurse: Kristin HughesFirst Servant: Abigail BartelsSecond Servant: Lizzie DriverThird Watchman: bryfeeFirst Citizen: Rhys LawsonNarrator: David LawrenceAudio Edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

This novel, which Shakespeare adapted in his pastoral comedy As You Like It, is the archetypal pastoral adventure. Two young persons of high birth, who have recently lost their fathers (one to death, one to banishment), fall in love but are separated almost at once and forced to flee to the Forest of Arden. There they meet again, but as Rosalynde is disguised for safety as a boy, named Ganymede, her lover Rosader does not recognize her. Once Rosader has confided his love to Ganymede, they play a game in which the 'boy' poses as Rosalynde to give Rosader practice in wooing. As the comic episodes, replete with dramatic irony, accumulate, minor characters with complementary romantic relationships fill in the spectrum of the sublime ludicrousness of sexual love until the shadow of death (which is not excluded from Arcadia!) brings matters to a happy conclusion. The various sets of lovers are appropriately joined, and once the corrupt seats of authority back home have been either purged or reformed, Rosalynde's banished father the Duke and the high-born lovers return to civilization, bringing with them a better understanding of what really matters in life. more

A podcast about Theatre, Shakespeare, performance, and the artists who love them.

Romeo and Juliet is perhaps the most famous of Shakespeare's plays and is thought to be the most famous love story in Western history. It concerns the fate of two very young lovers who would do anything to be togetherThe Montagues and the Capulets of Verona, Italy, are in the midst of a long-standing feud when Romeo Montague drops in on a masquerade party at the Capulets'. While there he meets and woos the daughter of the house, Juliet. She likewise returns his passion, and their secret meeting later that night on her bedroom balcony begins a series of tragic events that no one could have foretold. (Summary by Becky Crackel) more

Richard II by William Shakespeare is the first of eight plays that portray a historically-informed version of the War of the Roses - beginning in about 1365 and ending with Richard III's death in 1485. (Summary by Cori)Edited by J. M. Smallheer and John Gonzalez.Characters:Narration, Keeper, and Lord - read by Annie ColemanKing Richard II and First Servant - read by Peter YearsleyNorthumberland and Gaunt - read by ChipBolingbroke - read by Kayvan SylvanAumerle - read by John GonzalezHenry Percy - read by Michael SiroisYork - read by Martin CliftonMowbray - read by Mark F. SmithSurrey and Willoughby - read by Nikolle DoolinSalisbury - read by David BarnesBushy and Carlisle - read by Cecelia PriorBagot, Abbot, Scroop, and Exton - read by LintonGreen - read by deadwhitemalesQueen Isabel - read by Joy ChanDuchess of York - read by Kristen McQuillinBerkeley - read by RainerRoss - read by Mr. Baby ManFitzwater and Groom - read by Sean McKinleyMarshal - read by Lenny Glionna Jr.Captain and First Herald - read by Hugh MacDuchess of Gloucester - read by GesineLady - read by Maureen S. O'BrienGardener, Second Herald, and Second Servant - read by Kara Shallenberg more

Troilus and Cressida is Shakespeare's 'problem' play about the Trojan War. As the opening Chorus tells us, the play 'begins in the middle' of the epic conflict, and counterpoints the drama of battle with the romance of the title characters. Just as Agamemnon and his Greek forces (particularly the smooth-tongued Ulysses) attempt to woo the invincible Achilles to resume fighting on their side, the Trojan go-between Pandarus tries to bring together Troilus, a son of King Priam, with his niece, the lovely Cressida. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)Cast:Achilles: John FrickerAeneas: David RichardsonAgamemnon: Lars RolanderAjax: Arielle LipshawAlexander: David LawrenceAndromache: Amy GramourBoy: Arielle LipshawCalchas: Algy PugCassandra: Nadine Eckert-BouletChorus: Algy PugCressida: Elizabeth KlettDeiphobus: Ted GarvinDiomedes: Peter BishopHector: David GoldfarbHelen: Elizabeth BarrHelenus: Elizabeth KlettMenelaus: Tom CrawfordNestor: Andy MinterPandarus: Ted GarvinParis: Matthew ReecePatroclus: Timothy FergusonPriam: Ric FServant/Myrmidons: Chris DonnellyThersites: Algy PugTroilus: mbUlysses: Bruce PirieNarrator: Elizabeth KlettAudio edited by: Elizabeth Klett more

Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. Modern editors generally agree that Shakespeare is responsible for almost exactly half the play—827 lines—the main portion after scene 9 that follows the story of Pericles and Marina. Modern textual studies indicate that the first two acts of 835 lines detailing the many voyages of Pericles were written by a mediocre collaborator, which strong evidence suggests to have been the victualler, pander, dramatist and pamphleteer George Wilkins. (Summary by Wikipedia)Cast:Antiochus, king of Antioch: Ron AltmanBawd; Dionyza, wife to Cleon; Marshal; Third Fisherman: Elizabeth KlettBoult, Pandar's servant: Denny SayersCerimon, a lord of Ephesus: Timothy FergusonCleon, governor of Tarsus: Amy GramourDaughter of Antiochus: KalyndaDiana: Jean BascomEscanes, a lord of Tyre; First Knight; First Lord: ToddHWFirst Fisherman; Lysimachus, governor of Mytilene: Leonard WilsonFirst Gentleman; First Pirate; Lord; Pandar; Simonides, king of Pentapolis; Tyrian Sailor: Algy PugFirst Sailor: Tom CrawfordFirst Servant; Servant; Messenger: AvailleGower, as chorus; Knight; Philemon, servant to Cerimon; Second Pirate: Martin GeesonHelicanus, a lord of Tyre: Ric FLeonine, servant to Dionyza: KristingjLychorida, nurse to Marina: Psudonae VoxMarina, daughter to Pericles and Thaisa: Arielle LipshawPericles, Prince of Tyre: Delmar H. DolbierSecond Fisherman: Chuck WilliamsonSecond Gentleman; Second Sailor; Third Knight; Third Lord: Nolan FoutSecond Knight; Second Lord: Liberty StumpThaisa, daughter to Simonides: GraceThaliard, a lord of Antioch: Max KörlingeThird Pirate: Lucy PerryNarrator: David LawrenceAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw more

The History of King Lear is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare's King Lear. It first appeared in 1681, some seventy-five years after Shakespeare's version, and is believed to have replaced Shakespeare's version on the English stage in whole or in part until 1838. Unlike Shakespeare's tragedy, Tate's play has a happy ending, with Lear regaining his throne, Cordelia marrying Edgar, and Edgar joyfully declaring that 'truth and virtue shall at last succeed.' Regarded as a tragicomedy, the play has five acts, as does Shakespeare's, although the number of scenes is different, and the text is about eight hundred lines shorter than Shakespeare's. Many of Shakespeare's original lines are retained, or modified only slightly, but a significant portion of the text is entirely new, and much is omitted. The character of the Fool, for example, is absent. Although many critics — including Joseph Addison, August Wilhelm Schlegel, Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, and Anna Jameson — condemned Tate's adaptation for what they saw as its cheap sentimentality, it was popular with theatregoers, and was approved by Samuel Johnson, who regarded Cordelia's death in Shakespeare's play as unbearable. Shakespeare's version continued to appear in printed editions of his works, but, according to numerous scholars, including A.C. Bradley and Stanley Wells, did not appear on the English stage for over a hundred and fifty years from the date of the first performance of Tate's play Actors such as Thomas Betterton, David Garrick, and John Philip Kemble, who were famous for the role of Lear, were portraying Tate's Lear, not Shakespeare's. (Summary by Wikipedia)CastKing Lear: Bob GonzalezGloster: Martin GeesonKent: Arielle LipshawEdgar: Dublin GothicEdmund, the Bastard: Elizabeth KlettCornwall: David GoldfarbCornwall's Servant/Old Man/Gentleman/Servant: Algy PugAlbany: Noel BadrianBurgundy/Physician: VikingJamesGoneril's gentleman: KristingjAttendant/Messenger: CJacobAArante/Herald: Tiffany Halla ColonnaFirst Ruffian/Officer: Nathaniel W. C. HigginsSecond Ruffian/Captain: Robert HoffmanGonerill: Bev J. StevensRegan: Liberty StumpCordelia: Miss AvariceNarrator: Algy PugIntroduction/Prologue/Dramatis Personae: Martin GeesonAudio edited by Phil Chenevert more

The Reign of King Edward the Third is an Elizabethan play printed anonymously in 1596. It has frequently been claimed that it was at least partly written by William Shakespeare, a view that Shakespeare scholars have increasingly endorsed. The rest of the play was probably written by Thomas Kyd. The play contains many gibes at Scotland and the Scottish people, which has led some critics to think that it is the work that incited George Nicolson, Queen Elizabeth's agent in Edinburgh, to protest against the portrayal of Scots on the London stage in a 1598 letter to William Cecil, Lord Burghley. This would explain why the play was not included in the First Folio of Shakespeare's works, which was published after the Scottish King James had succeeded to the English throne in 1603.The plot of the play consists of two distinct parts. The first is centred on the Countess of Salisbury (the wife of the Earl of Salisbury), who, beset by rampaging Scots, is rescued by King Edward III, who then proceeds to woo her himself. In an attempted bluff, the Countess vows to take the life of her husband if Edward will take the life of his wife. However, when she sees that Edward finds the plan morally acceptable, she ultimately threatens to take her own life if he does not stop his pursuit. Finally, Edward expresses great shame, admits his fault and acquiesces.In the second part of the play, in several scenes reminiscent of Henry V, Edward joins his army in France, fighting a war to claim the French throne. The play switches between the French and English camps, where the apparent hopelessness of the English campaign is contrasted with the arrogance of the French. Much of the action is focused on young Edward, the Black Prince, who broods on the morality of war before achieving victory against seemingly insurmountable odds.(Summary by Wikipedia)CastEDWARD THE THIRD, King of England: Ron AltmanEDWARD, Prince of Wales, his Son: David Goldfarb1) Earl of WARWICK; 2) Earl of MONTFORT: Noel BadrianEarl of DERBY: Chuck Williamson1) Earl DOUGLAS; 2) Earl of SALISBURY: Robert HoffmanLord AUDLEY: Martin Geeson1) DAVID, King of Scotland; 2) Lord PERCY: Charlotte Duckett1) LODOWICK, Edward's Confident; 2) VILLIERS, a French Lord: Rhonda Federman1) Sir WILLIAM MOUNTAGUE; 2) King of BOHEMIA, Aid to King John; 3)Sir JOHN COPLAND: Jason Mills1) English ESQUIRE; 2) English HERALD: Aidan BrackROBERT, styling himself Earl, of Artois: Kristingj1) GOBIN DE GREY; 2) Another CAPTAIN: GraceJOHN, King of France: Bruce PirieCHARLES, son of JOHN, King of France: CaprishaPagePHILIP, son of JOHN, King of France: Amy GramourDuke of LORRAIN: alanmapstone1) First Poor FRENCHMAN; 2) First CITIZEN of Calais: MarcyT1) Second Poor FRENCHMAN; 2) Second CITIZEN of Calais: Anna Simon1) A CAPTAIN, of Calais; 2) A MARINER: David Evans and Dave Nicol1) Third Poor FRENCHMAN; 2) First FRENCH HERALD: Readalot1) Fourth Poor FRENCHMAN; 2) Second FRENCH HERALD: mb1) Third FRENCH HERALD; 2) A FRENCH WOMAN: Tiffany Halla Colonna1) First Scottish MESSENGER; 2) A POLISH CAPTAIN, Aid to King John; 1) Second Scottish MESSENGER; 2) A POOR INHABITANT of Calais: WupperhippoPHILIPPA, Edward's Queen: Cathy BarrattCountess of SALISBURY: Elizabeth KlettNarrator: Algy Pug more

The Law Against Lovers was a dramatic adaptation of Shakespeare, arranged by Sir William Davenant and staged by the Duke's Company in 1662. It was the first of the many Shakespearean adaptations staged during the Restoration era. Davenant was not shy about changing the Bard's work; he based his text on Measure for Measure, but also added Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing — 'resulting in a bizarre and fascinating combination.' He made Angelo from the former play, and Benedick from the latter, into brothers. (Summary by Wikipedia)CastThe Duke: Alan MapstoneAngelo: Arielle LipshawEschalus: ToddBeatrice/Friar Thomas/Bernardine: Elizabeth KlettBalthazar: David WarnerJulietta: Amanda FridayViola: Charlotte DuckettServant/Hangman/Page: RapunzelinaBenedick: mbLucio: Tricia GClaudio: balaProvost: Algy PugIsabella: Elizabeth BarrFrancisca: Grace GarrettFool: Beth ThomasMaid/Second Servant: Caprisha PageJailer/Second Page: KristingjNarrator: Michele EatonAudio edited by Elizabeth Klett more

In a tiny French dukedom, a younger brother usurps his elder brother's throne. Duke Senior is banished to the Forest of Arden along with his faithful retainers, leaving his lovely daughter Rosalind behind to serve as a companion for the usurper's daughter, Celia. However, the outspoken Rosalind soon earns her uncle's wrath and is also condemned to exile. The two cousins decide to flee together and join Duke Senior in the forest. Meanwhile, a young nobleman, Orlando is thrown out of his home by his cruel older brother Oliver. He too finds his way into the forest. What follows is absolutely captivating and a typical Shakespearean comedy!As You Like It was printed in the First Folio in 1623 though there is evidence to show that it was performed quite regularly after its presumed creation between 1598-1600. Though a very popular play and one that has been invariably brought to stage, As You Like It is not considered to be the finest of Shakespeare's works. George Bernard Shaw commented that it was devoid of the 'high artistry' that marked the great playwright.However, others like critic Harold Bloom have found Rosalind to be one of Shakespeare's great heroines. The complicated twists and turns in the plot, elaborate disguises and gender reversals, the importance of love and forgiveness, the contrast between court and forest and the antics of Touchstone, the Fool who accompanies Duke Senior to the forest all make this a delightful play to view and to read.This is also one of Shakespeare's most musical plays. There are plenty of songs incorporated into the body of the play, adding to the rural charm of the pastoral landscape. 'Under the Greenwood Tree,' 'Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind' and 'It was a Lover and his Lass' are some of the famous songs that feature in As You Like It.The play is also famous for one of the most widely quoted passages in literature: 'All the World's a Stage' spoken by the melancholy Jacques, who is Duke Senior's faithful lord and has vowed to stay with him throughout his troubles. The portrayals of the Seven Ages of Man, from birth till death is one of the immortal examples of Shakespeare's deep insight into the human condition.As You Like It is indeed a delightful and charming play and one that will provide hours of entertaining reading! more

Rory Kinnear and Lyndsey Marshal talk to Al Senter about their careers and performing as Iadgo and Emilia in Nicholas Hytner's 2013 production of Othello. more

Adrian Lester talks to Al Senter about playing the role of Othello in Nicholas Hytner's 2013 production, and how playing Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet influenced his performance. He also talks about acting and directing the BBC series of Hustle, performing for Stephen Sondheim and his future plans. more

Enjoy Shakespeare Lovers Cover art photo provided by Tyler Nix on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@jtylernix

Today i'm joined with Amani and i will be helping him view this play as a comedy

For class, if u wanna k ow my opinion make sure you listen????

Jacobean Roughs- A podcast of speeches and sonnets by William Shakespeare and others from the Golden Age of theatre, performed by the English actor and voiceover artiste Paul Carmichael. more

Shipwrecked on the shore of Illyria, Viola believes her twin brother Sebastian to be drowned. She disguises herself as a boy and enters the service of the love-sick Duke, Orsino, who proceeds to send her to woo Olivia on his behalf… This collection features content about the staging of the play and from the 2010 production directed by former Artistic Director of the National Theatre Peter Hall. more