Showing results by author "William Shakespeare" in All Categories

Join LibriVox readers as they present the eighth installment of captivating monologues from Shakespeare’s timeless plays. This collection features 20 diverse performances that showcase the brilliance of William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616), widely regarded as the greatest playwright in history. With works spanning tragedy, comedy, and romance, each monologue offers a unique emotional journey, whether it imparts a lesson, highlights Shakespeares masterful character portrayal, or evokes laughter and tears. Prepare to be moved, as each piece resonates differently with every ...

FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY The World’s Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, brings Othello to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition. In Othello...

Proteus loves Julia in Verona, Valentine loves Silvia in Milan. But when Proteus meets Silvia, he falls for her too, and the heartbroken Julia sets out in pursuit. This delightful and sometimes disquieting early comedy of love lost and found offers lyrical poetry, disguise, clowning, outlaws, and a most unreliable dog.

The young king of Navarre and three of his courtiers have vowed to lock themselves away for three years of study and fasting, and to forswear the company of women for this period. No sooner is their vow made than it is tested, however, as the princess of France and three of her ladies arrive in Navarre on a diplomatic mission. The young men fall instantly and hopelessly in love, and the tension between their vow and their passion forms the subject of this charming and sparkling early comedy.

A retelling of Shakespeare's most famous comedy, made accessible to younger listeners but still true to the Bard's verse and vocabulary. Mischief is in the air when the King and Queen of the Fairies quarrel, and Puck is left in charge of the love potion. Four young people are lost in the woods on midsummer's night. Will they find each other and true love, or will Puck's meddling leave them broken hearted and alone?

Dive into the enchanting world of A Midsummer Nights Dream, where love, magic, and mischief intertwine in a whimsical tale. Follow the adventures of four lovers and a troupe of comical fairies as they navigate the complexities of the heart under the spell of a midsummer night.

Dive into the dark world of ambition and betrayal with Librivoxs captivating recording of Macbeth, one of Shakespeares most iconic tragedies. Follow Macbeth, a valorous general in King Duncans army, who encounters a trio of mysterious witches that foretell his ascent to the throne. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his ambitious wife, he commits regicide, setting off a chain of bloodshed in his quest to secure power. As he grapples with guilt and paranoia, Macbeth learns that not all prophecies are as clear-cut as they seem. (Summary by Laurie Anne Walden) Cast Duncan – Joshua B. ...

A full-cast BBC Radio 3 production of Shakespeare’s quick-witted summer tragedy. In a town full of hatred, where the streets ring with the Capulet-Montague feud and swords are too easily drawn, Romeo and Juliet find each other--and love--and never let go. In Shakespeare’s famous play, first performed in 1595, the warring Capulets and Montagues have been sworn to keep the peace on pain of death. When Capulet’s daughter, Juliet, meets Montague’s son, Romeo, at a masked ball, they immediately fall in love.

Palamon and Arcite, cousins and bosom friends, are taken prisoner by Duke Theseus of Athens. While in captivity, they spy the beautiful Emilia. Both fall instantly in love with her, and their attachment to each other turns to hate. This dark-edged tragicomedy is now widely regarded as having been written by Shakespeare in collaboration with John Fletcher. Composed sometime in 1613-14, The Two Noble Kinsmen is the final play in Shakespeare's dramatic career.

King Henry is married to Katherine of Aragon, but he has been smitten by the charms of the queen's maid of honor, Anne Bullen, and is tempted to divorce his dignified and noble wife. Meanwhile, the lords of England resent the influence of Henry's trusted advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, who is gradually drawing power into his own hands. As Katherine and Wolsey suffer their tragic falls, new figures rise to fill their places, but they, too, will be brought low by the inexorable sweep of time and fortune.

...if you prick us do we not bleed? - Shylock. A Shakespeare Recording Society Production. The complete play in five acts. The beautiful Portia has many suitors within Venetian society, among them the young nobleman Bassanio, who has squandered his fortune. Desperate to win Portia’s heart...

Believing his wife, Hermione, to be unfaithful, King Leontes of Sicilia, orders her new-born child abandoned in the wilderness. But when Hermione’s fidelity is proven by the divinations of the Oracle of Delphi, Leontes is cursed to have no heir until his daughter is found. Sixteen years later...

The fabulously rich Timon believes all his friends to be as open-hearted and generous as himself. When his wealth suddenly evaporates, however, he discovers the truth and his altruism turns to a bitter hatred of mankind. Stirred up by the cynical Apemantus, Timon retreats to the woods where he plots the destruction of Athens, the city that had formerly seemed to embody everything pleasurable and civilized. The cosmic scope of his hatred is communicated in a series of powerful and disturbing dramatic tableaux.

Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" ("A Moorish Captain") by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. Othello revolves around four central...

William Shakespeares Macbeth is a haunting exploration of ambition and moral decay. Set against the backdrop of Scotland, this powerful tragedy reveals the devastating psychological and political consequences that arise when Macbeth, a noble lord, succumbs to his dark desires for power. After committing regicide to seize the throne, his descent into tyranny and madness spirals into a realm of violence and civil unrest. Ultimately, Macbeths insatiable hunger for control leads to his own downfall, stripping him of everything that once gave his life meaning. (Summary by Wikipedia)

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is set in Denmark, and recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness—from overwhelming grief to seething rage—and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

This collection contains the following works: Medea by Sophocles Antigone by Sophocles Agamemnon by Aeschylus Eumenides by Aeschylus The Choephori by Aeschylus The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.

A wonderful classic recording of some of the greatest actors performing Shakespeare for the first time release on digital download. Richard II is the main character of the play. The first Act begins with King Richard sitting majestically on his throne in full state. We learn that Henry...

The skies over ancient Rome blaze with terrifying portents, and soothsayers warn Julius Caesar of approaching doom. As conspiracy swirls through the city, Shakespeare explores the deep repercussions of political murder on the human heart. A classic tale of duplicity, betrayal and murder, masterfully performed by an all-star, all-American cast in this BBC co-production.

Friendship, betrayal, wisdom, humour, epic romance, jealousy, adventure, bravery and murder. There's everything in those iconic Shakespeare stories. His work transcends generations and appeals endlessly to other writers. His dramatic structures are both simple and complicated, intertwined with numerous relationships, which reappear in our lives again and again. This iconic collection of Shakespeare tales includes 20 of his most prominent works adapted by Edith Nesbit and transformed into modern English.