Classic Plays

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.

While his son Price Hal spends time in the taverns, King Henry IV argues with his former ally Hotspur. Angry, Hotspur gathers a rebellion and Henry and Hal go to battle to stop him. Henry's army wins the battle, while Hal redeems himself from his wild youth and kills Hotspur.

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.

Universally admired and quoted, Shakespeare’s Sonnets have love, beauty and the passing of time at their heart. Featuring some of the best-known and best-loved lines in the history of poetry (‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’, ‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds’), these evocative sonnets explore passion, the fleeting nature of beauty and the essence of true and everlasting love.

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.

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.

«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.

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.

From the Mercutio to Rosaline, AudioLearn is your complete study guide to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. With its convenient format, AudioLearn fits your busy lifestyle, enabling you to study anywhere, anytime.

Valentine sets off from Verona for Milan to see the world. Proteus stays at home because of his love for Julia. She is in love with him, but neither knows of the other's love until Lucetta shows Julia a love letter from Proteus. He is reading her reply when his father, Antonio, sends him to the Duke's court to join Valentine. The lovers take their leave and swear eternal constancy.

Shakespeare's King John is a rarely performed history which tells the story of John's turbulent reign from 1199 to 1216. King John goes to war against the French after claims that his nephew should be king instead. John has conflict with the church, orders his nephew's death and turns the nobles against himself. In the end, John dies from poison, the French retreat and his son becomes king.

This adaptation of Charles Dickens's beloved novella, A Christmas Carol, attempts to convey this wonderful story of a covetous old sinner's redemption into a two hour long performance. In its narration, some slight liberties have been taken to make accessible obscure words and references that some modern listeners may find challenging. The retained dialogues and dialects are those of Charles Dickens and remain faithful to his writing.

Greybeards at Play is a short collection of humorous poetry by celebrated British writer and social commentator, Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936). Published in 1900, it was Chesterton's first publication. These rhymes and sketches spin witty lyrics around themes such as aestheticism, the philosopher's love of nature, and ill-directed altruism, in true Chestertonian style.