The Tempest

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: Barry Morse, Sonja Lanzener, Paul Sparer, Ira Burton, John Glover, Brian Murray, Nicholas Kepros, Susan Osborn Mott, Pat Terry

Length: 1 hr and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

In The Tempest, long considered one of Shakespeare’s most lyrical plays, Prospero, a sorcerer, and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded on an enchanted island for 12 years. When a shipwreck—caused by the eponymous tempest—brings enemies to the island, the stage is set for comedy, romance, and reconciliation.

The Tempest embodies both seemingly timeless romance and the historically specific moment in which Europe began to explore and conquer the New World. Its poetic beauty, complexity of thought, range of characters—from the spirit Ariel and the monster Caliban to the beautiful Miranda and her prince Ferdinand—and exploration of difficult questions that still haunt us today make this play wonderfully compelling.

Public Domain (P)2002 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Couldn't hear

There was soo much atmospheric sound that the words were drowned out, let alone its Shakespeare! Didn't get past the first 5 mins.

Shakespeare...Wait a minute. Did that say Sonya??

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

All Shakespeare should be read aloud. There is a rhythm to Shakespeare that you just don't get when you read it silently. (Hence, at least part of the problem with High School English classes,) But, when you have the chance to listen to some really fine actors playing the parts, you have the ability to watch the story unfold before you
Tempest was the first professional theatrical production I ever saw and this audiobook brings back all the magic of that experience.
Besides which...I actually knew Sonya Lanzener.

A Wonderful Rendering.

I had never read ‘The Tempest’ before, so I’m so glad I got to experience this audible version. I feel like I got to enjoy the next best thing to seeing a live performance on stage. All of the vocal actors were wonderful in their parts. This classic story had a lot of humor and reminded me very much of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ which has always been a favorite of mine.

5 Stars for Shakespeare

Thank you to the National Endowment for Humanities for the free recording. No complaints when free.

short and very entertaining

The performance was top notch, the story is very entertaining. The actors did a very good job.

insufferable

performance sometimes hard to understand with certain characters, & was grating to listen to at some parts. the main source of my ire was how wretched the plot is . i appreciate the theatricality of the performance but it shouldn't get in the way of audio comprehension

Human weakness is overcome with forgiveness.

Trying to recall the character Ariel made me listen and read this play again.
This time, the story is much differently perceived. Prospero, a multi-faceted character, sets the stage for revenge but then softens - at the suggestion of a magical, invisible being.
Overall, pleasurable and got the job done. Recommended.

okay

Prospero, Stephano and Trinculo were great but the voice effects on Ariel were very obnoxious.

This is not the full play but an abridged version.

This is an abridged version. Much of the text has been cut out. It's free but not helpful if you want the full play.

Unclear

This production was hard to understand and follow. It is not worth the time .