Shakespeare Classics

A comedic romance of mistaken identity, Twelfth Night begins with a shipwreck, splitting up Viola and her twin brother, Sebastian. Alone in a strange land, Viola disguises herself as a male servant, Cesario, in order to work for the Duke Orsino. Orsino is in love with Lady Olivia, but it is Cesario whom Olivia falls for. A farcical tale of misplaced love, confusion, gender-swapping and aspiration, Twelfth Night remains one of Shakespeare’s best-loved and inventive comedies....

Shakespeare's plays have been beloved for so many years that his characters and words have shaped our world today. This collection has adapted these works adapted for younger listeners, introducing them to iconic characters such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.

Helen heals the king of France, and the king grants her permission to marry Bertram, the man she loves. Bertram rejects her and leaves a list of tasks that she must do to have him acknowledge their marriage. She follows him to Italy, completes all the tasks and Bertram accepts her as his wife.

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

King Cymbeline of Britain banishes his daughter Imogen's husband, who then makes a bet on Imogen's fidelity. Imogen is accused of being unfaithful, runs away and becomes a page for the Roman army as it invades Britain. In the end, Imogen clears her name, discovers her long-lost brothers and reunites with her husband while Cymbeline makes peace with Rome.

General Othello is the best soldier in Venice. But when he marries the beautiful Desdemona, one of the senator's daughters, he begins to discover that he is surrounded by enemies.

The finest voices reading a wonderful selection of poetry accompanied by selected classical music.

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.

Pride, justice, and vengeance. Aristocracy and democracy vie for ultimate power over Rome, and each faction violently erupts when Coriolanus takes the political stage. After receiving glorious accolades for taking an enemy city when the plebian soldiers cowered without the gates, the common people find his arrogance and pride offensive. Now, banished from the very city for which he was prepared to lay down his life, he strikes up an unholy alliance with his country's enemies.

Introduce your kids to the timeless magic of Shakespeare's writing. Here, we introduce Shakespeare and explain what he did and then tell the story of five of his, perhaps, most important plays in ways that kids can relate to. We stay focused on the narrative, avoiding themes unsuitable for children. The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth are all told in a concise way, emphasizing the magic of Shakespeare's storytelling.

Othello, a Moor and the Commander of the Venetian army, elopes with Desdemona. The evil Iago plants the seed of jealousy in Othello's mind, resulting in tragic consequences.

This remarkable collection contains some of William Shakespeare's most famous speeches, soliloquies, and sonnets, as performed by Sir John Gielgud, the preeminent Shakespearean actor of the 20th century. Ages of Man is a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for the uninitiated and a thrilling treat for aficionados.

Comedy, tragedy and folklore are played out in this quartet, all of which utilise the masque in unique and revelatory ways. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Ian McKellen, Prunella Scales, Michael Hordern and Patrick Wymark can be heard in these recordings.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, encounters his father's ghost. When he learns that his uncle, now King and married to his mother, was responsible for the death of his royal father, he sets out to avenge the murder.

Their battles of wits are legendary, but Benedick has sworn off women and Beatrice has vowed that she will never marry a man. It's a good job that they don't like each other then... or might they be persuaded with a little help from their friends?

Paul Scofield, Siobhan McKenna and John Neville perform Twelfth Night. This is Shakespeare's comedy of gender confusion, in which a girl disguises herself as a man to be near the count she adores - only to be pursued by the woman he loves.

As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's comedies featuring women dressed as men, brothers reconciling, and wrongs put to right.

The fair Rosalind falls in love with the strong Orlando and Rosalind's companion to Orlando's brother. Told here as a fairy tale, it makes a perfect introduction to Shakespeare for youngsters and the uninitiated alike.

Shakespeare was heavily influenced by Holy Writ. Bible lines, characters, and narratives are "verbal characters" in his plays, poems, and sonnets, sometimes subtly and sometimes blatantly. But they are there, revealing the deep scriptural well that was the culture from which Shakespeare drew and reminding us of scenes and stories in the Bible.

A morte de um querido pai, um amor incerto, um fantasma pedindo vingança, traição, loucura. Hamlet é um clássico universal, e justamente por isso não é uma obra simples, com cada fio narrativo desta tapeçaria complexa nos puxando para um lado diferente e incerto. A peça dramática mais conhecida de Shakespeare ganha uma adaptação primorosa em prosa, com linguagem atualizada por Fernando Nuno e convida o leitor a explorar esta obra-prima do bardo inglês.

Universally admired and quoted, Shakespeare’s Sonnets have love, beauty and the passing of time at their heart. Featuring some of the best-known and best-loved lines in the history of poetry (‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’, ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds’), these evocative sonnets explore passion, the fleeting nature of beauty and the essence of true and everlasting love.