Classic Plays

A fickle public is fully supportive of Caesar's would-be assassins - until they actually do assassinate him. Discover wher political back-stabbing really got its start in this timeless tale of murder and revenge.

Henry VIII folis a plot by the scheming Cardinal Wolsey and rejects his 20-year marriage with the tragic Katherine of Aragon. All the while he is keeping his wandering eye on the beautiful Anne Boleyn.

In Verona, Italy, two young people in love defy the demands of their families and pursue their love for one another above societal expectations. Their decisions and pursuit of love send ripples throughout their family and friend circles, causing controversy and consequences. For centuries, the tale of the young star-crossed lovers has been a mainstay of both the literary canon and popular culture. This is one of William Shakespeare’s most known and beloved works with timeless themes and prose.

Oscar Wilde's Salome was originally published in French in 1891 and translated into English by Lord Alfred Douglas. This one-act play, a sinister tale of a woman scorned and her vengeance, has become a landmark of Decadent literature. The play tells the biblical story of Salome, stepdaughter of the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who, to her stepfather's dismay but to the delight of her mother Herodias, requests the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter as a reward for dancing the dance of the seven veils.

A solo recording of Twelfth Night in an American dialect.

Twin brothers and their twin manservants, separated as infants by a shipwreck and unaware of each other, cross paths in Epheus when they are adults. What could possibly go wrong?

Helen heals the king of France, and the king grants her permission to marry Bertram, the man she loves. Bertram rejects her and leaves a list of tasks that she must do to have him acknowledge their marriage. She follows him to Italy, completes all the tasks and Bertram accepts her as his wife.

King Henry IV suffers from illness, so his youngest son, Prince John, fights the rebels, while Prince Hal prepares to be king. Meanwhile, Hal's friend Falstaff causes trouble, recruits and speaks ill of Hal. Henry dies and Hal becomes King Henry V. He banishes Falstaff from court, ready to wage war on France.

Wealthy and popular, Timon of Athens helps his friends, gives many gifts and holds a feast. After ignoring his true friends' warnings, Timon runs out of money and none of his 'friends' will help him. He runs away to a cave where he curses humanity, finds gold, funds someone to destroy Athens and dies.

Magical and dreamlike in its tone, Shakespeare’s The Tempest begins with a storm of epic proportions and a shipwreck. Banished from Italy, Prospero lives on a remote island with his daughter. Using his magic, he vows to seek revenge on the injustice dealt to him by his brother, but in doing so, Shakespeare questions the difficulty of distinguishing ‘men’ from ‘monsters’, and the realities of justice.

King Cymbeline of Britain banishes his daughter Imogen's husband, who then makes a bet on Imogen's fidelity. Imogen is accused of being unfaithful, runs away and becomes a page for the Roman army as it invades Britain. In the end, Imogen clears her name, discovers her long-lost brothers and reunites with her husband while Cymbeline makes peace with Rome.

Shakespeare’s darkest psychological thriller. Three witches tell the Scottish General Macbeth that he will be king of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the new king and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.

SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality instructional study guides for challenging works of literature. This audio study guide for Macbeth by William Shakespeare includes detailed summary and analysis of each chapter and an in-depth exploration of the book’s multiple symbols, motifs, and themes such as ambition and corruption, violence begetting violence, and masculinity and femininity. Featured content also includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay questions, and discussion topics.

Sir Michael Morpurgo retells two of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest, in this stunning audio collection in association with the RSC, featuring readings by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Michael himself. Translating these iconic plays into thrilling prose, the nation’s favourite storyteller preserves all the imaginative genius and spark of the originals, while bringing a contemporary and vibrant voice to their retelling.

Zhizn' puritanskoj sem'i amerikanskih kolonistov menjaetsja pod natiskom vojny za nezavisimost'. Nekotorye chleny sem'i eshhe pytajutsja zhit' po obychnym normam svoego sushhestvovanija, no politika uzhe vmeshalas' i vtjanula glavnogo geroja v paradoksal'nuju situaciju. No final jetoj istorii budet samym neozhidannym.

P'esa rasskazyvaet o zhizni Vassy Zheleznovoj, bogatoj sudovladelicy. Razmerennoe techenie zhizni Vassy narushaet neozhidannyj priezd iz-za granicy nevestki Rashel'. Syn Vassy, Fjodor, tjazhelo bolen i umiraet za granicej. Rashel' priehala zabrat' syna Nikolaja, kotoryj zhivjot s Vassoj. Vnuk Kolja - nadezhda Vassy, ejo osnovnoj naslednik, imenno emu ona sobiraetsja peredat' kompaniju.

Eto poslednee avtobiograficheskoe proizvedenie pisatelja. Proza Osipa Mandel'shtama otnositsja k vershinam russkoj izjashhnoj slovesnosti. Malen'kij chelovek v vodovorote revoljucii. Intelligent - malen'kij, robkij, bednyj pytaetsja ostanovit' letom 1917 goda samosud ozverevshej revoljucionnoj tolpy nad karmannikom. Strashno, no nikuda ne det'sja - sovest'... Etot shedevr jarkoj intellektual'noj prozy razvivaet klassicheskuju temu pushkinskogo i gogolevskogo Peterburga.

«Mertvaja hvatka» postroena na ostrom konflikte mezhdu predstaviteljami anglijskoj aristokratii i krupnoj burzhuazii. Golsuorsi othodit ot prisushhego emu jepicheskogo stilja, satiricheski razoblachaet grjaznoe deljachestvo i korystoljubie.

The duke leaves Angelo in charge of Vienna, where he quickly condemns Claudio to death for immoral behaviour. Angelo offers to pardon Claudio if his sister, Isabella, sleeps with him. Isabella agrees but has Angelo's fiancée switch places with her. The duke returns to spare Claudio, punish Angelo and propose to Isabella.

Depicting a once-great ruler's descent into madness, King Lear is one of the most powerful tragedies ever staged. King Lear divides his kingdom among the two daughters who flatter him and banishes the third one who loves him. His eldest daughters both then reject him at their homes, so Lear goes mad and wanders through a storm. His banished daughter returns with an army, but they lose the battle and Lear, all his daughters and more, die.