A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Tempest

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 7 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

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.

Othello: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 59 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

In Othello, Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Yet most audiences believe the couple’s strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who sets out to destroy Othello.

The Taming of the Shrew

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 18 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By uncredited

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.)

Twelfth Night

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 8 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Paul Scofield, Siobhan McKenna, John Neville
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

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.

Romeo and Juliet: The Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 56 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a tragic world in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud. This play, set in an extraordinary world, has become the quintessential story of young love. This new full-cast recording - based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare's classic - expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener.

Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 12 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, is among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king in order to succeed to the throne. Tortured by his conscience and fearful of discovery, he becomes fatally enmeshed in a web of treachery and deceit.

The Merchant of Venice

• UNABRIDGED (2 hrs and 29 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Antony Sher

Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, agrees to lend Antonio, a Venetian merchant, three thousand ducats so that his friend Bassanio can afford to court his love, Portia. However, Shylock has one condition: Should the loan go unpaid, he will be entitled to a pound of Antonio's own flesh. Meanwhile in Belmont, according to the terms of her father's will, Portia's many suitors must choose correctly from three caskets. Bassanio arrives at Portia's estate and they declare their love for one another before he picks the correct casket.

Romeo and Juliet

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 53 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Calista Flockhart, Matthew Wolf, Julie White, and others

The most iconic love story of all time, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is an epic-scale tragedy of desire and revenge. Despite the bitter rivalry that exists between their families, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet have fallen madly in love. But when the long-running rivalry boils over into murder, the young couple must embark on a dangerous and deadly mission to preserve their love at any cost. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Calista Flockhart as Juliet.

Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 32 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

Hamlet, Shakespeare's most popular, and perhaps most puzzling play, follows the form of a "revenge tragedy", in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties. This new full-cast recording - based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare's classic - expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener.

Henry V: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 10 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Jamie Glover, Brian Cox, Elizabeth Spriggs

Henry V is a study of kingship, patriotism, and heroic determination tempered by tender comedy as Henry courts Katherine, princess of France. Henry, the noble and courageous young king of England, decides to invade France, believing he has a rightful claim to the throne. At Agincourt he leads his army into battle against the powerful French forces and, against all the odds, wins a famous victory.

Much Ado about Nothing: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 8 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Saskia Reeves, Samuel West, Paul Jesson, and others

Young Claudio has fallen for the lovely heiress Hero, who also loves him. Their path to the altar looks smooth, until the evil Don John intervenes. All ends happily, thanks to his incompetent assassins and the lucky discoveries of the bungling constable Dogberry. Central to the play, one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies, are Beatrice and Benedick, masters of wit and sworn foes to marriage - until a plot is hatched to bring them together.

As You Like It: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 27 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Niamh Cusack, Stephen Mangan, Victoria Hamilton, and others

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.

Richard II: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 52 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Rupert Graves, Julian Glover, John Wood

The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard's right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he meets his death heroically.

Julius Caesar: A Fully-Dramatized Audio Production From Folger Theatre

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 21 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection, brings Julius Caesar to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.

Henry IV, Part 1: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 46 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Jamie Glover, Julian Glover, Richard Griffiths

While King Henry's England is threatened by rebellion, the king's scapegrace son Hal haunts the taverns of London, his companions a crew of rogues and thieves let by Falstaff. The earl of Northumberland and his fiery son Hotspur scheme to overthrow the crown. Can Hal be brought to a sense of duty as Prince of Wales? Or will the influence of Falstaff prove too strong? The issue is decided when Hal, Hotspur, and Falstaff come together at the climactic battle of Shrewsbury.

The Winter's Tale: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 52 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Sinead Cusack, Ciaran Hinda, Eileen Atkins, and others

King Leontes of Sicilia is seized by sudden and terrible jealousy of his wife Hermione, whom he accuses of adultery. He believes the child Hermione is bearing was fathered by his friend Polixenes, and when the baby girl is born he orders her to be taken to some wild place and left to die. Though Hermione's child escapes death, Leontes' cruelty has terrible consequences. Loss paves the way for reunion, and life and hope are born out of desolation and despair.

Richard III: A Fully-Dramatized Audio Production From Folger Theatre

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 22 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast

In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on a moral holiday. The play draws us to identify with Richard and his fantasy of total control of self and domination of others. Not yet king at the start of the play, Richard presents himself as an enterprising villain as he successfully plans to dispose of his brother, Clarence. Richard achieves similar success in conquering the woman he chooses to marry. He carves a way to the throne through assassination and executions.

The Tempest: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 11 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Jennifer Ehle, Adrian Lester, Bob Peck, and others

This haunting drama of vengeance and forgiveness crowns the group of tragicomic romances that Shakespeare composed at the end of his career. Sometimes read as his farewell to the stage, the play contains some of Shakespeare's most lyrical verse. Prospero, wise Duke of Milan, has been deposed by Antonio, his wicked brother, and exiled with his daughter Miranda to a mysterious island. But Prospero possesses supernatural powers. Aided by the spirit Ariel, Prospero uses his magical art to bring his enemies under his control.

Twelfth Night

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 1 min)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By full cast, David Tennant, Naomi Frederick

David Tennant stars as Malvolio in Shakespeare's comedy of disguise, madness and love. One of Shakespeare's happiest plays, Twelfth Night is both a comedy of misrule and a trenchant attack on puritanism. Disguise and deceit leads to misadventure, madness and mistaken love. Orsino loves Olivia, but she loves Cesario, who really does love Orsino (for Cesario is actually Viola).

Hamlet: The Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 25 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Simon Russell Beale, Imogen Stubbs, Jane Lapotaire, and others

Distressed by his father's death and his mother's over-hasty remarriage, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is faced by a specter from beyond the grave bearing a grim message of murder and revenge. The young prince is driven to the edge of madness by his struggle to understand the situation he finds himself in and to do his duty. Many others, including Hamlet's beloved, the innocent Ophelia, are swept up in his tragedy.

Macbeth

• ORIGINAL (1 hr and 59 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By James Marsters, Joanne Whalley, Josh Cooke, and others

Infamously known as the cursed Scottish play, Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way – including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia.

Othello: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (3 hrs and 1 min)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Don Warrington, David Threlfall, Anne-Marie Duff, and others

Othello, a Moorish general in the service of Venice, has married Desdemona, beautiful daughter of a Venetian senator. But Iago, Othello's malignant ensign, is determined to destroy their happiness. Cunningly bending Othello to his own purposes, Iago persuades the Moor that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Tormented in a hell of jealousy, Othello moves inexorably toward the destruction of his innocent wife and himself.

The Merchant of Venice: Arkangel Shakespeare

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 16 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Trevor Peacock, Bill Nighy, Haydn Gwynne, and others

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.

King Richard III

• UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 20 mins)
• By William Shakespeare
• Narrated By Kenneth Branagh, Geraldine McEwan, Nicholas Farrell, and others

Written in 1593, King Richard III is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. This play differs from its predecessors, being amore structured piece, examining the development and motivations of a single character, Richard Duke of Gloucester, who will stop at nothing to gain control of the throne occupied by his brother Edward IV.