King Richard III
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About this listen
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.
Richard III is a self-motivating character who defies determinism (a life preordained by God) and sets his life on a course chosen by his own will and desire, as he puns in the opening soliloquy: "I am determined to be a villain. Determined by birth and God, and determined in the other sense, by his own will."
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2001 NAXOS AudioBooks (P)2001 NAXOS AudioBooksListeners also enjoyed...
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- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In the years leading up to 1606, since the death of Queen Elizabeth and the arrival in England of her successor, King James of Scotland, Shakespeare's great productivity had ebbed, and it may have seemed to some that his prolific genius was a thing of the past. But that year, at age 42, he found his footing again, finishing a play he had begun the previous autumn - King Lear - then writing two other great tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.
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Detailed and satisfying
- By Tad Davis on 02-24-16
By: James Shapiro
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Keats
- A Brief Life in Nine Poems and One Epitaph
- By: Lucasta Miller
- Narrated by: Sally Scott
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Miller, through Keats’s poetry, brilliantly resurrects and brings vividly to life, the man, the poet in all his complexity and spirit, living dangerously, disdaining respectability and cultural norms, and embracing subversive politics. Keats was a lower-middle-class outsider from a tragic and fractured family, whose extraordinary energy and love of language allowed him to pummel his way into the heart of English literature; a freethinker and a liberal at a time of repression, who delighted in the sensation of the moment.
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A Romantic Life
- By David on 05-03-22
By: Lucasta Miller
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Love Letters of Great Men
- By: John C. Kirkland
- Narrated by: Chris Patton
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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When words of love do not come to you on their own, then listen to these letters. Complete, actual love letters of great men like Lord Byron, John Keats, and Voltaire. Leaders like Henry VIII, George Washington, and Napoléon, who wrote to his beloved Joséphine, "I awake consumed with thoughts of you...." Artists like van Gogh, Mozart, and Beethoven, who famously penned, "Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved...."
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For all us hopeless romantics!
- By Stitch on 04-12-13
By: John C. Kirkland
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The Roman Way
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Edith Hamilton shows us Rome through the eyes of the Romans. Plautus and Terence, Cicero and Caesar, Catullus, Horace, Virgil, and Augustus come to life in their ambitions, their work, their loves and hates. In them we see reflected a picture of Roman life very different from that fixed in our minds through schoolroom days, and far livelier.
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Not so bad
- By steve on 04-25-11
By: Edith Hamilton
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Shakespeare for Children
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Introduce your children to the magic of Shakespeare with these 20 favorite tales. Although simplified, these lively stories don't underestimate young readers; they keep the complexity, twists of plot, and turns of fate found in the originals.
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NOT unabridged
- By Erica on 11-06-07
By: Charles Lamb, and others
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Don Quixote
- By: Tobias Smollett - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 36 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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A MUST READ CLASSIC
- By Randall on 04-25-09
By: Tobias Smollett - translator, and others
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Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- By: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The first volume of Will Durant's Pulitzer Prize-winning series, Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I chronicles the early history of Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia.
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Wonderful
- By Michael on 11-30-13
By: Will Durant
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Richard III
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In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on a moral holiday. The play draws us to identify with Richard and his fantasy of total control of self and domination of others. Not yet king at the start of the play, Richard presents himself as an enterprising villain as he successfully plans to dispose of his brother, Clarence. Richard achieves similar success in conquering the woman he chooses to marry. He carves a way to the throne through assassination and executions.
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Brilliantly manipulative and entirely amoral, the hero-villain Richard is one of Shakespeare's greatest roles. The Yorkists have emerged victorious from the civil wars and Edward IV wears the English crown. But Edward's misshapen brother Richard harbors kingly ambitions and will stop at nothing to achieve the throne. In a fatal battle on Bosworth Field, Richard meets the ghosts of all whom he has murdered and the Earl of Richmond, the future King Henry VII.
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Spectacular acting
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The Tempest
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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.
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Gandalf is great
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Shakespeare: The Histories
- Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, Henry V, Henry VI Part I, Henry VI Part II, Henry VI Part III, Henry VIII, King John, Richard II, Richard III
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Politics, power and the tragedy of war are played out in these sweeping histories that continue to surprise and entertain. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Prunella Scales, William Squire and Timothy West can be heard in these recordings.
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Missing Act V of King John
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Shakespeare: The Tragedies
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Power, excess and betrayal are played out in these tragedies that continue to hold modern resonance. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Ian McKellen, Diana Rigg, Derek Jacobi and Prunella Scales can be heard in these recordings.
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This isn’t the creator’s fault but if you have a hearing loss you probably won’t be able to enjoy this collection
- By AmericanDreamer on 12-04-20
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Julius Caesar
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- By: William Shakespeare
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Overall
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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.
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good play, difficult to distinguish characters
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In Richard III, Shakespeare invites us on a moral holiday. The play draws us to identify with Richard and his fantasy of total control of self and domination of others. Not yet king at the start of the play, Richard presents himself as an enterprising villain as he successfully plans to dispose of his brother, Clarence. Richard achieves similar success in conquering the woman he chooses to marry. He carves a way to the throne through assassination and executions.
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Need
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Richard III
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Brilliantly manipulative and entirely amoral, the hero-villain Richard is one of Shakespeare's greatest roles. The Yorkists have emerged victorious from the civil wars and Edward IV wears the English crown. But Edward's misshapen brother Richard harbors kingly ambitions and will stop at nothing to achieve the throne. In a fatal battle on Bosworth Field, Richard meets the ghosts of all whom he has murdered and the Earl of Richmond, the future King Henry VII.
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Spectacular acting
- By Claire on 02-27-18
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The Tempest
- By: William Shakespeare
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Overall
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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.
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Gandalf is great
- By Justin on 11-10-15
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Shakespeare: The Histories
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Politics, power and the tragedy of war are played out in these sweeping histories that continue to surprise and entertain. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Prunella Scales, William Squire and Timothy West can be heard in these recordings.
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Missing Act V of King John
- By picky buyer on 06-17-24
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Shakespeare: The Tragedies
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Power, excess and betrayal are played out in these tragedies that continue to hold modern resonance. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Ian McKellen, Diana Rigg, Derek Jacobi and Prunella Scales can be heard in these recordings.
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This isn’t the creator’s fault but if you have a hearing loss you probably won’t be able to enjoy this collection
- By AmericanDreamer on 12-04-20
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Julius Caesar
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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.
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good play, difficult to distinguish characters
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BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Four History Plays
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Introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these four iconic productions, dramatised with star casts, bring Shakespeare’s gripping histories to life in all their rich complexity.
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The narrators are outstanding here.
- By Jennifer Baratta She/Her on 02-13-21
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King Lear
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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 ninth 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.
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This cold night will turn us all to fools & madmen
- By Darwin8u on 11-01-17
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'Venus and Adonis' and 'The Rape of Lucrece'
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These two great poems date from Shakespeare’s early years and are full of passion and invention. In Venus and Adonis, the goddess of love pleads with the beautiful boy to submit to her advances and become her love - but he only wants to hunt boar. In the more serious Rape of Lucrece, Shakespeare draws on the Roman tale of the Emperor Tarquin’s desire for Lucrece and its tragic consequencies. These poems give prominent parts to the two heroines, and Clare Corbett and Eve Best shine.
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All the iambs in the world
- By Darwin8u on 12-27-17
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King Lear
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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.
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tragedy par excellence
- By turbopro on 08-10-16
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Hamlet
- Two Complete Full Cast Performances of Original Shakespeare Text & Modern English
- By: William Shakespeare, SparkNotes
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- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Don’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.
By: William Shakespeare, and others
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Shakespeare: The Complete Works
- Argo Classics
- By: William Shakespeare
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- Length: 98 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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All of the Shakespeare plays within the Argo Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations.
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Great collection marred by a few missing sections
- By J. T. Woosley on 02-27-21
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The Winter's Tale
- Arkangel Shakespeare
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King Leontes of Sicilia is seized by sudden and terrible jealousy of his wife Hermione, whom he accuses of adultery. He believes the child Hermione is bearing was fathered by his friend Polixenes, and when the baby girl is born he orders her to be taken to some wild place and left to die. Though Hermione's child escapes death, Leontes' cruelty has terrible consequences. Loss paves the way for reunion, and life and hope are born out of desolation and despair.
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A Snapper-Up of Unconsidered Trifles
- By John on 06-10-17
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BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Six Tragedies
- By: William Shakespeare
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- Unabridged
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A collection of BBC Radio 3's iconic Shakespeare productions: six tragedies with all star casts including Michael Sheen, Juliet Stevenson, Kenneth Cranham, Corin Redgrave, Ken Stott, Geraldine James, Bill Wallis, Siân Phillips and Sophie Dahl.
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missing important parts
- By raphael turra sprenger on 11-10-21
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Henry V
- Arkangel Shakespeare
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Henry V is a study of kingship, patriotism, and heroic determination tempered by tender comedy as Henry courts Katherine, princess of France. Henry, the noble and courageous young king of England, decides to invade France, believing he has a rightful claim to the throne. At Agincourt he leads his army into battle against the powerful French forces and, against all the odds, wins a famous victory.
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The Best Version of the Best Thing Ever Written
- By Millerhaus on 02-04-17
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Julius Caesar
- By: William Shakespeare
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- Unabridged
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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.
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The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
- By David on 04-05-14
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Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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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.
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excellent
- By Laura W. on 05-25-18
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Richard II
- Richard II (Dramatized)
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Samuel West, Joss Ackland, Full Cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Original Recording
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In this BBC full-cast production of Richard II, the male ego and narcissism of monarchs are hung out to dry.... Written entirely in verse, the rhythms of the language in this epic tragedy encompass its themes of dignity and kingship with fitting grandeur and pathos, as the capricious and narcissistic Richard is brought to his own destruction. Starring Samuel West as Richard II.
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Hard to tell which character is speaking
- By Laurie on 10-02-10
What listeners say about King Richard III
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Julie
- 02-11-11
Awesome Performance
Kenneth Branagh and the entire cast are phenomenal. Highly recommend this one for any Shakespeare fan.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Reuven Nisser
- 06-08-14
Out Of This World
Out of all the plays I listened to, this was by far the best. This version is just perfect. It brings the play to life in an unbelieveable way. Some seens stuck in my head. The acters and actresses were great. I would just like to know who was who. Is there a way?
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- Margot Vigeant
- 10-13-11
Sound quality
This is a marvelous (and relevant) political thriller and the cast are first rate. BUT it sounds like it was recorded with a cell phone. This is particularly challenging in scenes where many characters are present - the sound quality obscures who's speaking.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Linda
- 02-05-15
Great, but read with accompaniment
Would you listen to King Richard III again? Why?
Fantastic reading by an all star cast. I am an actor and to hear the way that these actors, specifically Kenneth Branagh aka Richard, interpret these characters and live in their words is absolutely phenomenal. I would highly recommend reading this with an accompaniment of the play itself to better understand who is speaking and who is on stage as I'm sure it could be very difficult to tell if you don't know the play already. However, it is a great tool to understanding how this tale is supposed to be told.
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Overall
- Donald
- 06-18-04
Another NAXOS masterpiece!
The NAXOS productions of Shakespeare's plays are ALL very well done. There is never a hint of overacting, and the lines are always read in a way that makes the language seem natural and the emotions genuine.
This should not be regarded as a Branaugh play so much as a NAXOS play. He is not the only amazing actor in this cast. Geraldine McEwan steals many scenes as the rotten old deposed Queen Margaret. This is no small feat, considering the one-dimensionality of Margaret's character. John Shrapnel is also fantastic in the role of Lord Hastings, as is Nicholas Farrell in the role of Buckingham, and Barrie Jaimeson is always fun to listen to, no mater which role he's reading.
I absolutely love this production of this play. I own this version as well as the Caedmon production, and the contrast is just remarkable. The NAXOS characters seem so alive and natural in contrast to the Caedmon cast, which seems quite artificial and grandiose. Shakespeare wrote plays about humans, and he intended these plays to be enjoyed by all people, not just the nobles and the snobs. NAXOS has certainly succeeded in that mission.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Kelleen Browning
- 12-02-18
LOVED IT
The cast does a fantastic job and the extra acoustic features, storms and the like are wonderful.
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- Darwin8u
- 03-16-17
Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end
“Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end;
Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend.”
― William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act IV.4
Shakespeare's first Masterpiece. I find it hard to not think of this as the beginning of Shakespeare's real reign. His characters are amazing. His images are haunting. His monologues are beautiful. Yes, certainly I still think his best is yet to come, but if he died only producing this, we would still sing his name for the next 1000 years. King Richard is a beast, but one you can't take your eyes off of. Many of Shakespeare's best characters are fools and murderers. I also think this is the play where William Shakespeare has grown up and thrown off many of this earlier, more childish crutches. Most of the action in this play takes place off stage. We are left transfixed not by swords and blood, but by sharper and scarier things -- words and mother's curses.
There were also several nice lines, specifically:
- “Now is the winter of our discontent.”
- “Dispute not with her: she is lunatic.”
- "All springs reduces their currents to mine eyes,
That I, being governed by the watery moon,
May send forth plenteous tears to drown the World."
- “So wise so young, they say, do never live long.”
- “Shine out fair sun, till I have bought a glass,
That I may see my shadow as I pass.”
- "Come, lead me to the block; bear him my head.
They smile at me who shortly shall be dead."
- "Be the attorney of my love to her:
Plead what I will be, not what I have been -"
- “I have set my life upon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the die.”
I could go on and on, for there are multitudes.
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kathleen
- 02-02-05
Richard III - Kenneth Branaugh
Excellant!! Great for students of Shakespeare. Follows exactlly Oxford printing of Richard III.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Lisa Tritico
- 06-13-23
Outstanding!
Kenneth Branagh never disappoints. Sweeping historical story with fast-paced dialogue. Really enjoyed it! Excellent!
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Overall
- Keith E. Bergstrom
- 07-08-03
Branagh does it again
Kenneth Branagh, one of the most well known contemporary Shakespearean actors, once again leads a wonderful cast in one of my personal favorite plays. The tormented, and tormenting, Richard is brought to life with great zeal by Branagh. The rest of the cast supports this unabridged production with excellent timing and diction. Although occasionally the voices are a little low for listening on airplanes or while driving over rough roads, the recording is excellent. Very professionaly done.
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8 people found this helpful