King Lear
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
King Lear
Buy for $13.69
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Paul Scofield
-
Alec McCowen
-
Kenneth Branagh
About this listen
The tragedy of King Lear receives an outstanding performance in an all-star cast led by Britain’s senior classical actor, Paul Scofield. He is joined by Alec McCowen as Gloucester, Kenneth Branagh as The Fool, Harriet Walter as Gonerill, Sara Kestelman as Regan and Emilia Fox as Cordelia. This is the 9th recording of Shakespeare plays undertaken by Naxos AudioBooks in conjunction with Cambridge University Press, and is directed by John Tydeman. It was released to mark the 80th birthday of Paul Scofield in January 2002.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2002 CUP (P)2002 Naxos AudioBooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Tempest
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 745
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 643
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 637
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gandalf is great
- By Justin on 11-10-15
-
King Richard III
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, Geraldine McEwan, Nicholas Farrell, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 193
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 130
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end
- By Darwin8u on 03-16-17
-
All the Sonnets of Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare, Paul Edmondson - editor, Stanley Wells - editor
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, Lolita Chakrabarti
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 14
How can we look afresh at Shakespeare as a writer of sonnets? What new light might they shed on his career, personality, and sexuality? Shakespeare wrote sonnets for at least 30 years, not only for himself, for professional reasons, and for those he loved, but also in his plays, as prologues, as epilogues, and as part of their poetic texture.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
peaceful
- By resol on 12-04-23
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 767
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 763
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent
- By Laura W. on 05-25-18
-
Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,185
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,001
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 992
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Loved the voice actors
- By Kenni on 11-25-15
-
Othello: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 294
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good cast
- By Becky on 06-06-17
-
The Tempest
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 745
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 643
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 637
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gandalf is great
- By Justin on 11-10-15
-
King Richard III
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, Geraldine McEwan, Nicholas Farrell, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 193
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 130
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end
- By Darwin8u on 03-16-17
-
All the Sonnets of Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare, Paul Edmondson - editor, Stanley Wells - editor
- Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh, Lolita Chakrabarti
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 14
How can we look afresh at Shakespeare as a writer of sonnets? What new light might they shed on his career, personality, and sexuality? Shakespeare wrote sonnets for at least 30 years, not only for himself, for professional reasons, and for those he loved, but also in his plays, as prologues, as epilogues, and as part of their poetic texture.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
peaceful
- By resol on 12-04-23
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 767
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 763
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent
- By Laura W. on 05-25-18
-
Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,185
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,001
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 992
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Loved the voice actors
- By Kenni on 11-25-15
-
Othello: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 360
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 294
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good cast
- By Becky on 06-06-17
-
Timon of Athens
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Alan Howard, Norman Rodway, Damian Lewis
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
The fabulously rich Timon believes all his friends to be as open-hearted and generous as himself. When his wealth suddenly evaporates, however, he discovers the truth and his altruism turns to a bitter hatred of mankind. Stirred up by the cynical Apemantus, Timon retreats to the woods where he plots the destruction of Athens, the city that had formerly seemed to embody everything pleasurable and civilized. The cosmic scope of his hatred is communicated in a series of powerful and disturbing dramatic tableaux.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Here lies a wretched corse of wretched soul bereft
- By Darwin8u on 11-01-17
-
Cymbeline: The Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sophie Thompson, Ben Porter, Jack Shepherd, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline, is persecuted by her wicked stepmother, the Queen, and by Cloten, the Queen's doltish son. Disguised as a boy, she sets out to find her husband, the banished Posthumus. On her journey, she unwittingly meets her two brothers, stolen from the court as infants. Posthumus, meanwhile, has been convinced by the villainous Iachimo that Imogen is unchaste and agrees to a test of her faithfulness.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Has its moments but it has a lot less than I hoped
- By Darwin8u on 12-21-17
-
Julius Caesar
- A Fully-Dramatized Audio Production From Folger Theatre
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 453
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 375
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 373
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
good play, difficult to distinguish characters
- By Christian R. Unger on 05-17-18
-
Romeo and Juliet
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Calista Flockhart, Matthew Wolf, Julie White, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 390
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 332
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 339
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Listening to Shakespeare is easier than reading
- By A. Yoshida on 04-19-14
-
Hamlet (Classic Radio Theatre)
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ronald Pickup, Maxine Audley, Angela Pleasance
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
Ronald Pickup, Angela Pleasance, and Maxine Audley star in this BBC Radio 4 1971 production of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. Written over 400 years ago, Hamlet still remains one of the most powerful, influential, and thrilling tragedies in the English language.
-
Troilus and Cressida
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ian Pepperell, Julia Ford
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Troy is besieged by the invading Greeks, but the young Trojan prince Troilus can think only of his love for Cressida. Her uncle Pandarus brings the two together, but after only one night news comes that Cressida must be sent to the enemy camp. There, as Troilus looks on, she yields to the wooing of the Greek Diomedes. The tragic story is undercut by the commentary of Thersites, who provides a cynical chorus.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wounds Heal Ill That Men Do Give Themselves
- By Darwin8u on 08-30-17
-
King John: The Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Michael Feast, Michael Maloney, Eileen Atkins
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
King John of England is pitted against the united powers of France, Brittany, Austria, and the Papacy. Will England be destroyed by his fatal indecision? As alliances are made, broken, and remade, the paranoid and erratic John reveals his weakness and reliance on those around him - including his powerful mother, Queen Elinor, and Faulconbridge, the cynical and witty bastard son of the dead King Richard I.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale
- By Darwin8u on 05-08-17
-
Twelfth Night
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Niamh Cusack, Jonathan Firth, Amanda Root, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 201
Shakespeare's most sophisticated comedy is a riotous tale of hopelessly unrequited passions and mistaken identity. Duke Orsino is in love with the noblewoman Olivia. She, however, has fallen for his servant Cesario, who is actually Viola, a woman disguised as a man, who loves Orsino: Confusion is rife. Meanwhile, Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio is cruelly tricked by her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the maidservant Maria into believing his mistress loves him.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
If you be not mad, be gone
- By Darwin8u on 08-24-17
-
The Merchant of Venice
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Trevor Peacock, Bill Nighy, Haydn Gwynne, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 349
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 294
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 292
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
One Of Shakespeare's Best
- By M. J. Christensen on 06-07-15
-
Romeo and Juliet: The Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 768
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 637
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 643
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great Dramatization!
- By Karen Mitchell Smith on 04-26-16
-
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 643
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 555
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 547
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare stages the workings of love in unexpected ways. In the woods outside Athens, two young men and two young women sort themselves into couples - but not before they form first one love triangle, and then another. The king and queen of fairyland, Oberon and Titania, battle over custody of an orphan boy. Oberon uses magic to make Titania fall in love with a weaver named Bottom, in an effort to distract Titania from the custody battle.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
wow
- By Giovanni Panaro on 02-15-19
-
Julius Caesar
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Andrew Buchan, Sean Barrett
- Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,500
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,345
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,345
Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare’s most compelling Roman plays. The plot against Caesar and the infamous assassination scene make for unforgettable listening. Brutus, the true protagonist of the play, is mesmerizing in his psychological state of anguish, forced to choose between the bonds of friendship and his desire for patriotic justice.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
- By David on 04-05-14
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.
Related to this topic
-
Lear
- The Great Image of Authority
- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
King Lear is perhaps the most poignant character in literature. The aged, abused monarch is at once the consummate figure of authority and the classic example of the fall from majesty. He is widely agreed to be William Shakespeare's most moving, tragic hero. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom writes about Lear with wisdom, joy, exuberance, and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Bloom being Bloom
- By C. Yuen on 10-05-23
By: Harold Bloom
-
Troilus and Cressida
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ian Pepperell, Julia Ford
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Troy is besieged by the invading Greeks, but the young Trojan prince Troilus can think only of his love for Cressida. Her uncle Pandarus brings the two together, but after only one night news comes that Cressida must be sent to the enemy camp. There, as Troilus looks on, she yields to the wooing of the Greek Diomedes. The tragic story is undercut by the commentary of Thersites, who provides a cynical chorus.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wounds Heal Ill That Men Do Give Themselves
- By Darwin8u on 08-30-17
-
King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Rachel Roberts, Cyryl Cusak, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
I am a man more sinned against than sinning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A true classic
- By Stanley Hauer on 07-09-08
-
Falstaff
- Give Me Life
- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Falstaff is both a comic and tragic central protagonist in Shakespeare's three Henry plays. He is companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), who loves him, goads him, teases him, indulges his vast appetites, and commits all sorts of mischief with him. Award-winning author and esteemed professor Harold Bloom examines Falstaff with the deepest compassion and sympathy and also with unerring wisdom. He uses the relationship between Falstaff and Hal to explore the devastation of severed bonds and the heartbreak of betrayal.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Falstaff brooks no rebuttal.
- By Darwin8u on 02-06-20
By: Harold Bloom
-
Don Quixote (Adapted for Modern Listeners)
- By: Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 178
Quixotic is a word that the dictionary defines as "extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary...." and that is a fitting definition, indeed, for this charming retelling of Don Quixote, the 17t- century Spanish classic by Miguel de Cervantes, now updated for the modern listener. The gallant and fragile Quixote will touch listeners, as will his faithful squire Sancho Panza and the tragically beautiful heroine of the gentle Don’s chivalries, the fair Dulcinea.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great way in
- By pxriver on 07-12-18
-
Don Quixote
- By: John Ormsby - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 36 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,075
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 917
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 912
The most influential work of the entire Spanish literary canon and a founding work of modern Western literature, Don Quixote is also one of the greatest works ever written. Hugely entertaining but also moving at times, this episodic novel is built on the fantasy life of one Alonso Quixano, who lives with his niece and housekeeper in La Mancha. Quixano, obsessed by tales of knight errantry, renames himself ‘Don Quixote’ and with his faithful servant Sancho Panza, goes on a series of quests.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
More than funny
- By Colin on 08-21-11
By: John Ormsby - translator, and others
-
Lear
- The Great Image of Authority
- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
King Lear is perhaps the most poignant character in literature. The aged, abused monarch is at once the consummate figure of authority and the classic example of the fall from majesty. He is widely agreed to be William Shakespeare's most moving, tragic hero. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom writes about Lear with wisdom, joy, exuberance, and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Bloom being Bloom
- By C. Yuen on 10-05-23
By: Harold Bloom
-
Troilus and Cressida
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Ian Pepperell, Julia Ford
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 53
Troy is besieged by the invading Greeks, but the young Trojan prince Troilus can think only of his love for Cressida. Her uncle Pandarus brings the two together, but after only one night news comes that Cressida must be sent to the enemy camp. There, as Troilus looks on, she yields to the wooing of the Greek Diomedes. The tragic story is undercut by the commentary of Thersites, who provides a cynical chorus.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wounds Heal Ill That Men Do Give Themselves
- By Darwin8u on 08-30-17
-
King Lear
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Rachel Roberts, Cyryl Cusak, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
I am a man more sinned against than sinning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A true classic
- By Stanley Hauer on 07-09-08
-
Falstaff
- Give Me Life
- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Falstaff is both a comic and tragic central protagonist in Shakespeare's three Henry plays. He is companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), who loves him, goads him, teases him, indulges his vast appetites, and commits all sorts of mischief with him. Award-winning author and esteemed professor Harold Bloom examines Falstaff with the deepest compassion and sympathy and also with unerring wisdom. He uses the relationship between Falstaff and Hal to explore the devastation of severed bonds and the heartbreak of betrayal.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Falstaff brooks no rebuttal.
- By Darwin8u on 02-06-20
By: Harold Bloom
-
Don Quixote (Adapted for Modern Listeners)
- By: Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 178
Quixotic is a word that the dictionary defines as "extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary...." and that is a fitting definition, indeed, for this charming retelling of Don Quixote, the 17t- century Spanish classic by Miguel de Cervantes, now updated for the modern listener. The gallant and fragile Quixote will touch listeners, as will his faithful squire Sancho Panza and the tragically beautiful heroine of the gentle Don’s chivalries, the fair Dulcinea.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great way in
- By pxriver on 07-12-18
-
Don Quixote
- By: John Ormsby - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 36 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,075
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 917
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 912
The most influential work of the entire Spanish literary canon and a founding work of modern Western literature, Don Quixote is also one of the greatest works ever written. Hugely entertaining but also moving at times, this episodic novel is built on the fantasy life of one Alonso Quixano, who lives with his niece and housekeeper in La Mancha. Quixano, obsessed by tales of knight errantry, renames himself ‘Don Quixote’ and with his faithful servant Sancho Panza, goes on a series of quests.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
More than funny
- By Colin on 08-21-11
By: John Ormsby - translator, and others
-
Waverley
- By: Sir Walter Scott
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
Waverley by Sir Walter Scott is an enthralling tale of love, war and divided loyalties. Taking place during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the novel tells the story of proud English officer Edward Waverley. After being posted to Dundee, Edward eventually befriends chieftain of the Highland Clan Mac-Ivor and falls in love with his beautiful sister Flora. He then renounces his former loyalties in order actively to support Scotland in open rebellion against the Union with England. The book depicts stunning, romantic panoramas of the Highlands.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Loved it
- By Tad Davis on 04-12-18
By: Sir Walter Scott
-
Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a retelling of 20 of Shakespeare’s most beloved stories. Within the pages of this book, the 19th-century authors bring to life the Shakespearean plots and characters of another age in an easy-to-understand prose of a newer generation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A classic
- By Jacque Eddy on 10-07-19
By: Charles Lamb, and others
-
Samson Agonistes
- By: John Milton
- Narrated by: David de Keyser, Philip Madoc, Matthew Morgan, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Samson Agonistes, the 'dramatic poem' by John Milton, was published in 1671, three years before the poet's death. Written in the form of a Greek tragedy, with the Chorus commenting on the action, it follows the biblical story of the blind Samson as he wreaks his revenge on the Philistines who have imprisoned him. A powerful subject, with a personal resonance for the blind Milton, it is a perfect work for the medium of audiobook where poetry and drama can be balanced equally.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unbelievable
- By Anonymous User on 11-06-20
By: John Milton
-
Don Quixote
- By: Tobias Smollett - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 36 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,096
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 659
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 655
Don Quixote, the world's first novel and by far the best-known book in Spanish literature, was originally intended by Cervantes as a satire on traditional popular ballads, yet he also parodied the romances of chivalry. By happy coincidence he produced one of the most entertaining adventure stories of all time and, in Don Quixote and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, two of the greatest characters in fiction.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A MUST READ CLASSIC
- By Randall on 04-25-09
By: Tobias Smollett - translator, and others
-
Don Quixote
- By: Miguel de Cervantes, Gerald J. Davis - translator
- Narrated by: John Hanks
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 177
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 149
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, follows the adventures of Alonso Quijano, a hidalgo who reads so many chivalric novels that he decides to set out to revive chivalry, under the name Don Quixote. This is the story that a Nobel Prize Committee survey of one hundred of the world's best writers named "the greatest book of all time."
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A wonderful, magical listen
- By K on 12-01-13
By: Miguel de Cervantes, and others
-
The Plays of Sophocles
- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in about 496 BC and is considered to be one of the premier playwrights of Greek tragedy. His stories may have been filled with strife, but Sophocles himself was prosperous and came from a good family. It is said that he was handsome, wealthy, and a highly respected citizen of Athens. During his life, he wrote over 120 plays and was instrumental in how plays would eventually be performed, including the addition of stage props.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Bad Dialogue
- By Zoe Olvera on 08-12-18
By: Sophocles
-
The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 260
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 229
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
-
The Misanthrope
- By: Molière, Richard Wilbur - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Bedford, J. D. Cullum, Sarah Drew, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
This timeless comedy of manners is considered one of Molière's most probing and mature works. While it's still an exemplar of 17th century farce, Molière went beyond his usual comic inventiveness to create a world of rich, complex characters, especially in the cynical title character Alceste, played here by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good play, great translation, good performance
- By Timoteo on 03-08-18
By: Molière, and others
-
Oroonoko
- By: Aphra Behn
- Narrated by: Clare Wille
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 39
A vivid love story and adventure tale, Oroonoko is a heroic slave narrative about a royal prince and his fight for freedom. The eponymous hero, Oroonoko, deemed royalty in one world and slave in another, is torn from his noble status and betrayed into slavery in Surinam, where he is reduced to chains, fetters, and shackles. But his high spirit and admirable character will not be suppressed.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding Narration, Story Less So
- By Carsley on 07-14-18
By: Aphra Behn
-
The Talisman
- By: Sir Walter Scott
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
The Talisman revolves around the Third Crusader's camp in the Holy Land whereby there exists a truce between the Christians and the Muslims. The camp, which is led by King Richard I of England (the Lion-heart) who is grievously ill, is being torn apart by tensions between rival leaders.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
a simple story but a joy to listen to
- By Adele Lemmon on 08-23-19
By: Sir Walter Scott
-
The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Keith Moore, Toby Leonard Moore, Colin McPhillamy, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
Medea
- By: Euripides
- Narrated by: Jonathan Waters
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the actions of Medea, a former princess of the "barbarian" kingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason; she finds her position in the Greek world threatened as Jason leaves her for a Greek princess of Corinth. Medea takes vengeance on Jason by murdering Jason's new wife as well as her own children, after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Narrator makes this story work
- By cosmitron on 08-02-18
By: Euripides
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
King Lear
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Trevor Peacock, Clive Merrison, full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 810
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 718
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 710
This shattering drama of isolation and loss is one of the greatest tragedies in world literature. King Lear of Britain has three daughters: the hard-hearted Goneril and Regan, and the good and gentle Cordelia. He determines to divide his kingdom between them, giving the largest share to she who can say she loves him the best. Lear's tragic lack of judgment and self-knowledge is paralleled by the blindness of the loyal Gloucester who is persuaded to reject his virtuous son, Edgar, in favor of the villainous Edmund.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
tragedy par excellence
- By turbopro on 08-10-16
-
The Tempest
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall