The Tempest Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

The Tempest

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The Tempest

By: William Shakespeare
Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, Ben Owukwe
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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, this new production, directed by John Tydeman, balances the magic and the earthiness, with music playing a key role.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2004 Naxos AudioBooks Classics Drama & Plays European Literary History & Criticism Shakespeare World Literature

Featured Article: All the World's a Stage—The Best Shakespeare Plays in Audio


If there’s one writer whose work translates spectacularly to audio format, it’s the Bard. Hearing Shakespeare’s dialog masterfully performed by professionals with the correct emphasis and tone can make all the difference in catching every clever joke and innuendo, picking up on subtle foreshadowing, and sometimes even understanding the plot itself. Here are our choices for the best Shakespeare audiobooks to add to your library today.

Featured Article All the World's a Stage The Best Shakespeare Plays in Audio
Compelling Characters • Masterful Performances • Excellent Prospero • Engaging Drama • Supernatural Qualities

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The Tempest is a play, and here it is so well executed by all actors that one doesn't even need to be watching the stage.
I felt like if I was just reading the book I wouldn't have gotten half of the context, especially me not being a native speaker.
Very enjoyable from the beginning, the play it's just ready and go, no deep background needed for the characters and I'd say, none needed. Each character takes form on their own. All in all, this is a great investment of your time.

The way it is meant to be

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Cool when seen through the lense of Shakespeare saying goodbye. Also interesting when seen through the lense of colonialism. Without a lense this story is quite boring however. Easy reading and don’t need the text in front of u to understand.

Good

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I decided to listen to this play as part of an intro to English Lit class and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and the cast that told it so marvelously. I felt that I was just as attentive as Miranda was listening to Prospero's tale. Definitely give this version a listen if you want a top tier audible experience.

A true masterpiece of poetry

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If you enjoy Shakespeare's comedies you should not miss out on this edition of The Tempest. Sir Ian McKellen as Prospero is everything you might hope for and more, which is no surprise from an actor of his caliber. The remainder of the cast excels similarly and the recording is produced seamlessly. This audio performance is a real treat.

A stellar performance by a stunning cast

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What do you expect? It's Shakespeare, it's a comedy, and it's his finale. It's good. I especially love the drunk king-making scenes.

A Shakespeare Play

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This was a great production. Sir Ian McKellen presented a powerful and engaging Prospero. My only complaint was that the dialogue got a bit too quiet at times, making it difficult to hear even with the sound cranked way up. Overall, very well done, though.

Great performance; a little too quiet at times

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One of my favorite Shakespeare plays. The performance was well done and very enjoyable to listen to.

Excellent

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I really enjoyed the sound effects and the actors did such a great job! My only complaint is that sometimes the sound effects were so loud that it was difficult to fully understand what was being said. Otherwise a great audiobook!

Great Recording!

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Tempest to be better than the print version?

I purchased this to "hear along" as I read the text. Although the performances really bring the characters to life, it may be hard to follow without the text in front of you.

Any additional comments?

I hesitated to buy this because other reviewers complained about storm noise, etc. That is really only an issue in the very first scene, and the speech is clear enough over the storm. (And, let's be honest: the play is "The Tempest"; the title incident deserves to be heard a bit, right?) The bulk of it is good, clear speech with music interspersed to indicate scene changes and/or the coming and going of spirits (especially Ariel).

Excellent audio edition

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This is one of my favorites and hearing it thusly read a true treat. The casting brought the characters and story to light beautifully.

such a treat

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