William Shakespeare
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William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire and was baptised on 26 April 1564. Thought to have been educated at the local grammar school, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he went on to have three children, at the age of eighteen, before moving to London to work in the theatre. Two erotic poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece were published in 1593 and 1594 and records of his plays begin to appear in 1594 for Richard III and the three parts of Henry VI. Shakespeare's tragic period lasted from around 1600 to 1608, during which period he wrote plays including Hamlet and Othello. The first editions of the sonnets were published in 1609 but evidence suggests that Shakespeare had been writing them for years for a private readership. Shakespeare spent the last five years of his life in Stratford, by now a wealthy man. He died on 23 April 1616 and was buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. The first collected edition of his works was published in 1623. (The portrait details: The Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. NPG1, © National Portrait Gallery, London)
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Patrick Stewart Performs the Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare

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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

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  • Patrick Stewart Performs the Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare Audiobook By William Shakespeare, Patrick Stewart cover

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  • Shakespeare: The Complete Works Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • King Lear Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Shakespeare's Sonnets (AmazonClassics Edition) Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Romeo and Juliet Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • The Two Gentlemen of Verona Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Hamlet Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Othello Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Much Ado about Nothing Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Classic Love Stories: A BBC Radio Drama Collection Audiobook By Leo Tolstoy, Charlotte Brönte, Gustave Flaubert, William

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  • SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to King Lear (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options) Audiobook By William Sha

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  • Henry VI, Part 1 Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Julius Caesar: The Arkangel Shakespeare Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Classic Love Poems Audiobook By William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Elizabeth Barrett Browning cover art

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  • BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Eight Comedies Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Romeo and Juliet Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Popular Poetry, Popular Verse Audiobook By William Shakespeare, John Milton, more cover art

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  • Shakespeare's Sonnets Audiobook By William Shakespeare cover art

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  • Henry V Audiobook By William Shakespeare, Mike Reeves, Phil Viner cover art

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