Classic Plays

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.

Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's best dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major language, and are the most performed ever. His work contains stunningly modern insight, witty jokes and soaring passion; it is an endless source of amazement and inspiration. Romeo and Juliet is perhaps his most famous and beloved; this heartbreaking tale of impossible love has marked every generation since its publication, and it is an essential part of Western culture.

Against the wishes of the nobles, King Henry marries the penniless Margaret, who plots against him with her lover. As tensions between York and Lancaster build, the duke of York gathers supporters for his claim to the throne. York secretly leads a rebellion, his supporters proclaim him king and Henry is forced to flee.

Shakespeare was heavily influenced by Holy Writ. Bible lines, characters, and narratives are "verbal characters" in his plays, poems, and sonnets, sometimes subtly and sometimes blatantly. But they are there, revealing the deep scriptural well that was the culture from which Shakespeare drew and reminding us of scenes and stories in the Bible.

Prince Kreon, enforcing an arbitrary mandate, is enraged that Antigone would abide by a natural law of sisterly respect in contradiction of his will. As neither can be reconciled with the other's acts, the drama grows devoutly tenebrous. This translation is iambic, as is most of the text in Greek.

Prince Hal leaves the company of the knave Falstaff and his revelers in order to command his father's troops and fight the rebels at the Battle of Shrewsbury.

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.

Award winning narrator Mike Vendetti recites Shakespeare's Sonnet 19, where the poet expresses his fear of the ravages of time upon his lover.

Rómeó er í öngum sínum yfir stúlku sem vill ekkert með hann hafa, svo vinur hans tekur hann með sér í veislu í von um að aðrar fallegar stúlkur muni leiða hugann frá henni. Það tekst svo sannarlega. Þegar Rómeó læsir augunum við unga Júlíu er ást við fyrstu sýn. Til allrar óhamingju uppgötva Rómeó og Júlía brátt að þau tilheyra fjölskyldum sem eiga í ættardeilum og verða þau að halda rómantík sinni leyndri. Frægasta ástarsaga sem skrifuð hefur verið, Rómeó og Júlía, er vísun í bæði hreina sanna ást og harmleik.

Decoding Romeo and Juliet comprehensively analyzes the play's key elements, including its literary techniques, historical background, plot summary, themes, characters, and conflicts. It discusses the intricate narrative structure, explores Shakespeare's use of language and poetic devices, and examines the socio-cultural context of the Elizabethan era.

At the center of each of the four great Shakespearean tragedies - Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello - is a powerful figure who is led to destruction by a fatal character flaw. In the case of Macbeth it is ambition. Initially a valiant warrior, and staunch servant of his regal overlord Duncan, Macbeth succumbs to the lure of absolute political domination, which leads to murder, revolt, and comprehensive defeat.

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.

Full-cast performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the novel. Dickens' tale of Pip, a young man "removed from his present sphere of life" and cast into a Victorian nightmare, is a powerful audio drama to be enjoyed and appreciated as an important piece of social criticism.

The predominant theme in this Shakespearean tragedy, believed to have been written in about 1603, is jealousy and the destruction it causes when allowed to run rampant. It features one of Shakespeare's most compelling villains, Iago, who skillfully manipulates his commander, Othello, into believing that he has been betrayed by his wife, Desdemona, and his closest friend, Cassio.

Prospero and his lovely daughter Miranda live alone on the tiny island where they were marooned years ago, with only the island creatures for company - that is, until a powerful storm brings a boat full of strangers to the island. As the story unfolds, magic and mystery fill the island in this retelling of Shakespeare's classic play.

War and intrigue define the court of the young King Henry VI, who must struggle to maintain dominion of France now that forces have been rallied against him by a young maiden, known by the people as Joan of Arc. The first part of William Shakespeare's War of the Roses tetralogy.

Ghosts is a play by the legendary Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Written in 1881, the play is a scathing commentary on 19th-century morality. Its controversial subject matter includes frank discussions of incest, euthanasia, criticism of religion, and venereal disease, a basket of deplorable themes that scandalized Victorian society. Ghosts is the story of Helen Alving, a widow who is haunted by the many mistresses of her deceased husband and by her troubled son. The theme is a refutation of the idea that one ought to sacrifice one’s dreams on the altar of duty.

A magical tale of enchantment, retribution and love. Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, is betrayed by his brother and exiled to a desert island with his daughter Miranda. With the help of Ariel, a spirit, he uses his supernatural powers to shipwreck his brother and others on the same island. With a series of illusions, he regains his rightful place and finds a husband for his daughter.

The Merchant of Venice (by William Shakespeare) starring David Serero as Shylock. Adapted in a Jewish Sephardi style.

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.