Showing results by author "William Shakespeare" in All Categories

In one of Shakespeares most provocative comedies, The Merchant of Venice, we follow the ambitious Bassanio as he devises an audacious plan to win the heart of the wealthy heiress, Portia, by borrowing money from the shrewd Jewish moneylender, Shylock. When the loan goes unpaid, Bassanios friend Antonio, the titular Merchant, finds himself in peril, facing a grim fate due to his friends extravagant schemes. As tensions rise and a court case unfolds, the plays heroines must step up to untangle the chaos created by their partners. Join us for this dynamic group recording, completed in just two ...

Step into a world of enchantment with A Midsummer Nights Dream, where magic and mischief abound! In this whimsical tale crafted by Shakespeare, we meet the Duke of Athens, Theseus, who is eagerly preparing for his wedding. However, chaos ensues when Egeus demands that his daughter Hermia marry Demetrius, despite her love for Lysander. Fleeing into the depths of a mystical forest, Hermia and Lysander are pursued by Demetrius, while Helena, hopelessly in love with Demetrius, trails behind. Amidst this romantic entanglement, the fairy king Oberon and queen Titania are locked in a fierce dispute, ...

Step into the world of William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, a compelling tale likely penned between 1596 and 1598 and included in the First Folio of 1623. At the heart of the story lies Bassanio, a down-on-his-luck gentleman, who enlists the help of his friend Antonio, a merchant, to secure a loan from the wealthy and vengeful Shylock. The stakes are high if Antonio fails to repay, he must forfeit a pound of flesh. This loan is intended to help Bassanio woo the beautiful heiress Portia. Meanwhile, a subplot unfolds as Shylocks daughter, Jessica, elopes with Lorenzo, a Christian friend ...

Dive into the enchanting world of Shakespeares early comedy, Loves Labours Lost, where the intricacies of romance and intellect collide. Set in the royal court of Navarre, the nobles lofty aspirations for scholarly pursuits are swiftly overshadowed when the charming Princess of France and her entourage arrive with a political agenda that ignites a whirlwind of romantic entanglements. This delightful clash of genders, wits, and social hierarchies unfolds through Shakespeares masterful wordplay, seamlessly blending high poetry, cheeky humor, and astute satire to critique both male romantic ...

For anyone who's in love - or hopes to be - what greater celebration could there be than to hear the world's greatest love poetry read lovingly by Richard Armitage? With 13 poems by William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and more, Classic Love Poems is a listening treat for Valentine's Day - or any day.

Experience Macbeth as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

In Shakespeare's most controversial play, the opposing values of justice and mercy must be resolved. Antonio promises money to help his friend Bassanio woo Portia. He borrows the sum needed from the cruel Shylock, but there will be a dreadful penalty if the loan is not repaid. The golden world of Portia's Belmont calls forth some of Shakespeare's most lyrical love poetry. But the dark shadow of Shylock is never far from the heart of this brilliant comedy as it moves toward its courtroom climax.

Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play. The wronged duke raises a tempest to shipwreck his old opponents on his island so that he can ensure justice is done. With Emilia Fox as Miranda, Scott Handy in the pivotal role of the sprite Ariel, and Ben Owukwe as Caliban.

Librivox recording of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare.Read by Becky Crackel.Source: https://archive.org/details/romeo_and_juliet_librivox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.

Here is the full-cast production of Shakespeare's classic love story, fully dramatized from the complete text, and starring Michael Sheen as Romeo and Kate Beckinsale as Juliet.

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

Shakespeare combined his love of theater with Greek mythology and the supernatural to create what is arguably his most playfully imaginative work. From love potions to bizarre transformations to the unforgettable play-within-a-play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a non-stop delight, and remains one of the milestones of the Bard’s canon.

This shattering drama of isolation and loss is one of the greatest tragedies in world literature. King Lear of Britain has three daughters: the hard-hearted Goneril and Regan, and the good and gentle Cordelia. He determines to divide his kingdom between them, giving the largest share to she who can say she loves him the best. Lear's tragic lack of judgment and self-knowledge is paralleled by the blindness of the loyal Gloucester who is persuaded to reject his virtuous son, Edgar, in favor of the villainous Edmund.

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

Two archive BBC Radio programmes in which Judi Dench and Michael Williams, accompanied by friends John Moffatt and Alec McCowen, read a cornucopia of poetry and prose. In this enchanting pair of programmes from 1991 and 1996, Dame Judi Dench and husband Michael Williams shared an eclectic selection of pieces that they loved, admired or simply found entertaining.

Shakespeare's most sophisticated comedy is a riotous tale of hopelessly unrequited passions and mistaken identity. Duke Orsino is in love with the noblewoman Olivia. She, however, has fallen for his servant Cesario, who is actually Viola, a woman disguised as a man, who loves Orsino: Confusion is rife. Meanwhile, Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio is cruelly tricked by her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the maidservant Maria into believing his mistress loves him.

Love triumphs in As You Like It, Shakespeare's joyous comic adventure! Rosalind, arguably Shakespeare's greatest female character, is banished from court and follows her exiled father into the untamed Forest of Arden. Disguised as a man for safety, Rosalind's great wit and good nature show through her male trappings as she engages with fools and philosophers adrift in the woods, and ultimately falls in love.

Rosalind, daughter of the deposed Duke Senior, is exiled from the court by her wicked uncle. Disguising herself as a young man and accompanied by her cousin Celia, she takes refuge in the Forest of Arden. In the forest Rosalind meets Orlando with whom she is in love, but her male disguise complicates matters, especially when Rosalind finds she has unwittingly attracted the shepherdess Phebe. But out of the confusion comes reconciliation and forgiveness, and all ends happily.

Introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these four iconic productions, dramatised with star casts, bring Shakespeare’s gripping histories to life in all their rich complexity.