Classic Plays

The Life and Death of King John was probably written in the 1590s but not published until the First Folio in 1623. Of Shakespeare's 11 history plays, King John is the one which deals with the story of a monarch most removed from Shakespeare's time. The historical remoteness of this ruler, and also the fact that he had no genealogical links with the Tudor dynasty, enabled Shakespeare to present him in a warts and allà fashion.

Julius Caesar triumphantly returns to Rome, where he is met by betrayal, conspiracy, and, ultimately, assassination, followed by Mark Antony's revenge on the plotters. The drama is also the story of Marcus Brutus and his struggle between the conflicting demands of his friendship with Caesar and his loyalty to Roman ideals.

In this, Shakespeare's most fantastical comedy, the fairy world wreaks havoc with the foolish mortal one as a lover's nightmare melts into an innocent dream. Under the canopy of a moonlit forest, pairs of lovers and five delightfully inept "mechanicals" weave a web of magic.

Hey nonny, nonny - the Bard’s "greatest hits" are all here! Performed with a lively full musical cast ,interspersed with engaging and informative introductory narrative, this imaginative recording uses song and sonnet from Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies to highlight his works, in his own words. Whether listeners are long-time Shakespearean aficionados or new students of the Englishman’s genius, this educational and entertaining new recording is certain to delight!

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

Troilus and Cressida is set during the latter years of the Trojan War, faithfully following the plotline of the Iliad from Achilles' refusal to participate in battle to Hector's death. This full-cast dramatization is performed by The Marlowe Society.

This full-cast dramatization is performed by The Marlowe Society.

The twin empires of Egypt and Rome mingle and clash in this towering tragedy. Impulsiveness, passion, mistaken identity and dark humor all color the fascinating dalliance between Antony and Cleopatra, the larger-than-life pair at the center of this play.

In this great tragedy, Macbeth's ambition to fulfill the three witches' prophecy that he will become King of Scotland spurs him and his wife to assassinate King Duncan. But for persistant ghosts, Lady Macbeth's conscience, and the vengeance of Duncan's son, they might have gotten away with murder!

King Lear divides his kingdom between his two duplicitous daughters, banishing the loving Cordelia and the steadfast Kent. These and other acts of folly launch a hugely moving search for dignity, self-knowledge and wisdom on the grandest of scales.

Petruchio arrives in Padua determined to gain his fortune by marrying the volatile Katherina. Their tempestuous meeting and marriage leads to a great love affair. This is perhaps the most famous play ever written about the battle of the sexes. (A full-cast production.)

From the Lady Macbeth to the Three Witches, AudioLearn is your complete study guide to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Download AudioLearn to your MP3 player and study at the gym. Pop in an AudioLearn CD and review key terms in the car. With its convenient format, AudioLearn fits your busy lifestyle, enabling you to study anywhere, anytime.

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

King Lear is one of Shakespeare's greatest and darkest works. Lear banishes his favorite daughter when she seemingly speaks out against him. However, he does not know that his two other daughters, who pay tribute to him, are in fact plotting against him. Shakespeare's observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship are never better defined than in this play.

Here is Shakespeare's 1599 tragedy, performed by The Marlowe Society. Julius Caesar portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator, his assassination, and its aftermath.

Shakespeare's King Lear ranks with Sophocles' Oedipus as a tragic hero destroyed by his own good intentions. From the moment when Lear unfolds his darker purpose, we are drawn into an ineluctable chain of events that leads through betrayal, deceit, destructive family conflict, reconciliation, despair, and death. Considered by many to be the most grueling of Shakespeare's tragedies.

William Squire, Corin Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, and Trevor Nunn perform Shakespeare's play about the fortunes of an Athenian named Timon. He loves to give parties and presents to friends, but when he cannot pay his creditors, his 'friends' refuse to help him, and he becomes a misanthropic hermit.

In presenting this selection of the Bard's stories to children, Edith Nesbit hopes to entice her young audience to read them in their later years when they can more appreciate the magic and richness of the language. Selections include: "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "The Tempest", "As You Like It", "The Winter's Tale", "King Lear", "Twelfth Night", "Romeo and Juliet", "Pericles", "Hamlet", "Cymbeline" and "The Taming of the Shrew".

The Marlowe Society perform Shakespeare's comedy 'As You Like It' which follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court to find safety and eventually love in the Forest of Arden with her cousin Celia and court jester, Touchstone.

A solo recording of King Lear in an American dialect.