Showing titles in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature

In this original adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel, an encounter in Florence and an offer to exchange rooms brings George Emerson to the attention of Lucy Honeychurch. Their flirtation is cut short by Lucy’s chaperone, but when they meet again back home in England, Lucy must negotiate the demands of her station with the desires of her heart.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known comedies and is arguably one of his most beloved plays. The play tells the tale of the misadventures of the people gathering to participate in their marriage of the duke of Athens and Hippolyta, former queen of the Amazons.

A collection of the greatest poetry from the Romantic period, read by some of the 20th century’s most renowned actors. Love, romance and portrayals of nature are played out in these timeless readings of poetry written during the Romantic period. Performed by Richard Burton, Peter Orr, William Squire, Richard Marquand, Peggy Ashcroft, Margaretta Scott, Tony Church, Derek Godfrey, Patrick Garland, Gary Watson and Janette Richer. This collection includes poems from: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Blake, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats.

Chekhov's masterful last play, The Cherry Orchard, is a work of timeless, bittersweet beauty about the fading fortunes of an aristocratic Russian family and their struggle to maintain their status in a changing world. Alternately touching and farcical, this subtle, intelligent play stars the incomparable Marsha Mason.

The 12 Lays of Marie de France offer one of the most striking collections of short narrative poems of the 12th century - two centuries before Chaucer. Written in Anglo-French, they contain beguiling and entertaining stories of love and romance, of chivalry and adventure with sometimes even a magical twist. They are especially unique in early literature by being ascribed to a female poet, Marie de France: in the very first Lay - 'Guigemar' - is the introductory line: ‘Hear my Lords, what Marie says, who does not wish to be forgotten in her time.’

Rome grew from a tiny community of small hill villages near the River Tiber in central Italy to one of the most powerful empires the world has seen. The Romans themselves believed that their great city was founded in the middle of the eighth century BCE. By the middle of the second century CE, Rome had a population of 1.5 million; Alexandria, in Egypt, 500,000; and Londinium, in Briton, 30,000.

In Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus discovers that he has been caught in his terrible destiny, unknowingly murdering his father and marrying his mother.

Astrophil and Stella is an enchanting English sonnet sequence composed by Sir Philip Sidney in the 1580s. This collection consists of 108 sonnets and 11 songs, each woven with poetic artistry and emotional depth. The title itself holds a celestial allure: Astrophil derives from the Greek words "aster" (meaning star) and "phil" (meaning lover). Stella is the Latin word for star. In this poetic journey, Astrophil represents the star lover, while Stella embodies the star itself. Their relationship unfolds through the sonnets and songs, capturing the complexities of love, desire, and longing.

Vis and Ramin is one of the world's great love stories. It was the first major Persian romance, written between 1050 and 1055 in rhyming couplets. This remarkable work has now been superbly translated into heroic couplets (the closest metrical equivalent of the Persian) by the poet and scholar Dick Davis.

Vis and Ramin had immense influence on later Persian poetry and is very probably also the source for the tale of Tristan and Isolde, which first appeared in Europe about a century later.

An all-star cast including John Gielgud, Edith Evans, Anthony Quayle, and Peggy Ashcroft come together to read all 154 Sonnets.

In search of an ideal civilization, Socrates leads Glaucon, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, and others in debates about various subjects, including justice, truth, class, and art. For without righteousness, tyranny and injustice give rise to oligarchy. The influential dialogues of The Republic helped shape all of Western literature and philosophical thought. It is as much a doctrine of ethics and politics now as it was for the ancient Greeks, and its dilemma remains: how to create a perfect society populated by very imperfect human beings.

Das herbstliche Thema eines abgeklärten Alterns und Hinübergangs beherrscht das Stück. Aber die Ruhe seiner Hauptperson, des namenlosen Herrn, wird noch einmal aufgewühlt von den Ausläufern einer schmerzlichen Vergangenheit. Die Frau, die ihn einst verlassen hat, tritt wieder in sein reglos gewordenes Leben ein.

The Swedish playwright August Strindberg was one of the founding fathers of naturalistic theater. A feature of many of his plays is the minute dissection of attitude and motivation by individuals within tightly bound groups. As in the present drama, such relentless inspection of behavior often has drastic consequences. Thekla, married to the needy Adolf, has a surprise encounter with her former husband, the lordly Gustav. Or is it really a surprise?

The Importance of Being Earnest is a play written by the renowned playwright and author, Oscar Wilde. It premiered in London on Valentines Day, 1895, and was an instant success. With The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde accomplished what he'd set out to do, which was to make light of the humorous behavior of British high society.

This highly regarded volume features a modern translation of all ten books of The Republic. Translated by Raymond Larson. The Republic is an explosion of thought; a ten-book brainstorm of one of the greatest minds of all-time.

Henry V defeats the French army at Agincourt to claim the throne of France and Catherine de Valois as his bride. This play contains Henry's famous "Feast of Saint Crispin" address, perhaps the greatest pep-rally speech ever given!

Piers Plowman, William Langland's visionary medieval work about one man's quest for the true Christian life, is an allegorical journey through dream visions and visions within dreams. During the course of his journey, the narrator (William Langland) meets Piers Plowman, who gradually reveals himself to be the son of God. Through Piers, William learns of the virtues in poverty, the temptations of wealth, and of the perfect society that is to come under the rule of Piers Plowman.

"If-" is a timeless classic, a masterpiece about keeping your balance in a topsy-turvy world and maintaining personal integrity. A phenomenal poem by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), written circa 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson, it is a literary example of Victorian-era stoicism. Among other nuggets, it advocates the idea of not allowing your successes to go to your head or allowing your failures to go to your heart.

One of the great works of medieval Europe, Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy translates the thought of the Middle Ages into a thrilling narrative. Seven centuries later it remains the most successful merger of theology and philosophy in epic poetry. In in this audio course, you'll gain a philosophical and literary understanding of Dante's masterpiece.

Sophocles' timeless drama is often considered the greatest of all surviving Athenian plays. Oedipus, king of Thebes, must save his ailing city by tracking down the murderer of its former king. Translation by F. Storr.