Showing results by author "William Shakespeare" in All Categories

An award winning Drama from SmartPass. Unabridged with guided description to set the scene and fill in visual moments.

The Tempest has the ingredients of a cracking good story - magic, power, and love - and they kick up a storm. The magician Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, are banished by his jealous brother, Antonio, with the help of Alonso, the king of Naples. Prospero conjures up a tempest than ensures justice is done.

King Lear has three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and the youngest, the good Cordelia. The King asks his daughters how much they love him. and thrives on excessive empty words of flattery from two of them and bristles with anger when plain speaking Cordelia does not wish to participate in such falsity. The King banishes her - and thereafter unfolds the tragedy of his own undoing.

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.

William Shakespeare, long hailed as history's greatest dramatic writer, has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition, and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters.

Shakespeare for Kids adapts and abridges Shakespeare's classic plays, presenting them in shorter versions in plain English. This conversion from Shakespearian language to today’s English, makes it easier to grasp the narrative structure of the play and appreciate Shakespeare's incredible gift for storytelling. This can be helpful for a younger audience, for those who are newer to the Shakespeare canon, and for those who simply looking for a fresh approach to the great works of Shakespeare.

Die berühmten 154 Sonette des weltbekannten Dichters William Shakespeare: Inhaltlich mit dem übergeordneten Thema Liebe an die Sonette des Italieners Petrarca angelehnt, jedoch als englische Sonette in der Form abweichend, gehört dieser Gedichtzyklus zu den Klassikern der Weltliteratur. Neben Liebe geht es u.a. um das Älterwerden und Eifersucht. Die Sonette 1-126 richten sich an einen jungen Mann ("fair boy"), der ab dem nächsten Sonett von einer dunklen Gegenspielerin, der "dark lady", abgelöst wird.

Alone in a strange country where it isn't safe to be a single girl, Viola disguises herself as a boy called Cesario and finds work as a servant. But dressing in boy's clothes doesn’t stop Viola falling in love with a man - who is in love with someone else. Will she ever manage to win his love for herself? And who is this other young man that appears, looking so like Cesario? What confusion will result from his arrival? Perhaps Viola's brother didn't drown after all.

Macbeth is a general for Scotland who has been prophesied to be the future King of Scotland. Rather than wait for this prophecy to take hold of its own accord, and after taking the advice of his power-hungry wife, he murders the current king and takes his place. But it doesn’t take long for tremendous guilt and fear to take hold of him, and turn his reign into one of tyranny and brutality as he and Lady Macbeth commit more and more crimes to avoid the consequences coming for them.

The Taming of the Shrew is a classic comedy by William Shakespeare featuring characters Petruchio and Katherina. The work is deeply laden with sexism and gender issues as Petruchio "tames" Katherina in an increasingly abusive relationship. A classic throughout the ages, you simply must hear this story.

Bassanio is a man in love, but he does not have much money to his name, and thus is unable to woo the rich heiress Portia. His friend Antonio suggests that they borrow money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who has had many dealings with Antonio in the past. Shylock, being of Antonio’s ability to repay, agrees to grant the loan with a difficult condition. If the loan is not repaid in full by the agreed date, Shylock will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Richard III completes the cycle of plays covering the Wars of the Roses. It’s the story of Richard, duke of Gloucester’s villainous plan to take the throne. It is a tale of jealousy, manipulation and deceit based on Sir Thomas More's unfinished - and largely untrue - History of King Richard III....

The duke leaves Angelo in charge of Vienna, where he quickly condemns Claudio to death for immoral behaviour. Angelo offers to pardon Claudio if his sister, Isabella, sleeps with him. Isabella agrees but has Angelo's fiancée switch places with her. The duke returns to spare Claudio, punish Angelo and propose to Isabella.

King Henry IV suffers from illness, so his youngest son, Prince John, fights the rebels, while Prince Hal prepares to be king. Meanwhile, Hal's friend Falstaff causes trouble, recruits and speaks ill of Hal. Henry dies and Hal becomes King Henry V. He banishes Falstaff from court, ready to wage war on France.

The ghost of the king of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet's uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a duel, during which the king, queen, Hamlet's opponent and Hamlet himself are all killed.

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites Shakespeare's "Sonnet 16".

Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 14".

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's 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. This edition of The Comedy of Errors is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare's work.

Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on the erroneous belief that she has been unfaithful. This edition of Much Ado About Nothing is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous comedy, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of Shakespeare's original drama.

William Shakespeare's classic comedy of the merciless Shylock, a Jew despised by Christians who gains power over his nemesis after a bond loan goes awry - with the forfeit of the bond being a pound of flesh.