
Measure for Measure
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $13.79
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
About this listen
Measure for Measure is one of darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies. Written in about 1603 and first performed in 1604, it immediately preceded the composition of the major tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.
Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtue, as temporary ruler.
On assuming power, Angelo inaugurates draconian provisions regarding sexual propriety. One of the first victims of this new regime is young Claudio, who has impregnated his lover Juliet, and is accordingly sentenced to death.
Claudio’s sister, Isabella, who is preparing to enter religious life, is encouraged to approach Angelo and plead for her brother’s life. Angelo is immediately smitten with the beautiful Isabella and makes her an offer: her brother will be spared if she yields to Angelo’s sexual advances. Isabella indignantly rejects this proposal, but finds herself unable to reveal Angelo’s hypocrisy publicly, as she fears her accusations will lack credence.
Fortunately, the Duke, who has not left Vienna, befriends Isabella in his assumed role of friar, and hatches a plan to both save Claudio and to unmask Angelo.
Featuring the voices of Denis Daly, Gary D. MacFadden, David Shears, Graham Scott, Josh Innerst, Kendra Murray, Blaise Doran, Simon Paxton, Roberta Jackson, Alexandra Lee Smith, and Alan Weyman.
Audio edited by Denis Daly.
Tunes for songs provided by Alan Weyman.
The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com.
Public Domain (P)2024 Voices of TodayPeople who viewed this also viewed...
-
Measure for Measure: The Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Roger Allam, Stella Gonet
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Telling his followers he is leaving the city on affairs of state, the Duke of Vienna appoints the puritanical Angelo to govern in his absence. Will Angelo prove as virtuous as he seems once power is in his hands? Roaming the city disguised as a friar, the duke looks on as Angelo's lust for the virtuous Isabella sweeps him into the corruption he has so sternly condemned in others. The duke's manipulation at last produces a happy ending for this dark comedy, with its brilliant exploration of the themes of justice and mercy.
-
-
Seeking death, find life
- By Darwin8u on 09-07-17
-
He Knew He Was Right
- By: Anthony Trollope
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 30 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Louis Trevelyan's young wife meets an old family acquaintance, his unreasonable jealousy of their friendship sparks a quarrel that leads to a brutal and tragic estrangement.
-
-
Nigel Patterson as the narrator is great
- By NH on 10-31-16
By: Anthony Trollope
-
The Birds
- And Other Stories
- By: Daphne du Maurier
- Narrated by: Michael Sinclair, Barbara Rosenblat, Katherine Kellgren, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalized by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of "Monte Verità" promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life.
-
-
A good collection of short stories
- By Adeliese Baumann on 12-05-16
-
Measure for Measure
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Royal Shakespeare Company
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A performance of the tragi-comedy by the Royal Shakespeare Company. When a young woman is offered the choice of saving a man's life at the price of her own chastity, what should she do? The political and moral corruption of Vienna has driven Duke Vincentio into hiding while his deputy governor, Angelo, is left to revive the old discipline of civic authority. Angelo's first act is to imprison Claudio, a young nobleman who has gotten his betrothed, Juliet, with child.
-
-
Highly recommended
- By Todd on 10-16-08
-
Midnight Blue
- A Novel
- By: Simone van der Vlugt
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the sudden death of her husband, 25-year-old Catrin leaves her small village and takes a job as a housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. Amsterdam is a city at the peak of its powers: Science and art are flourishing in the Golden Age, and Dutch ships bring back exotic riches from the Far East. Madam Van Nulandt passes her time taking expensive painting lessons from a local master, Rembrandt van Rigin....
-
-
Beach or trip read
- By CSL on 07-17-23
-
The Wonder
- By: Emma Donoghue
- Narrated by: Tara Egan Langley
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now a Netflix film starring Florence Pugh: In this “old-school page turner” (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review) by the bestselling author of Room, an English nurse is brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle—a girl said to have survived without food for months—and soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life.
-
-
Excellent in Every Way
- By Erika on 03-12-23
By: Emma Donoghue
-
Measure for Measure: The Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Roger Allam, Stella Gonet
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Telling his followers he is leaving the city on affairs of state, the Duke of Vienna appoints the puritanical Angelo to govern in his absence. Will Angelo prove as virtuous as he seems once power is in his hands? Roaming the city disguised as a friar, the duke looks on as Angelo's lust for the virtuous Isabella sweeps him into the corruption he has so sternly condemned in others. The duke's manipulation at last produces a happy ending for this dark comedy, with its brilliant exploration of the themes of justice and mercy.
-
-
Seeking death, find life
- By Darwin8u on 09-07-17
-
He Knew He Was Right
- By: Anthony Trollope
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 30 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Louis Trevelyan's young wife meets an old family acquaintance, his unreasonable jealousy of their friendship sparks a quarrel that leads to a brutal and tragic estrangement.
-
-
Nigel Patterson as the narrator is great
- By NH on 10-31-16
By: Anthony Trollope
-
The Birds
- And Other Stories
- By: Daphne du Maurier
- Narrated by: Michael Sinclair, Barbara Rosenblat, Katherine Kellgren, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalized by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of "Monte Verità" promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life.
-
-
A good collection of short stories
- By Adeliese Baumann on 12-05-16
-
Measure for Measure
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Royal Shakespeare Company
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A performance of the tragi-comedy by the Royal Shakespeare Company. When a young woman is offered the choice of saving a man's life at the price of her own chastity, what should she do? The political and moral corruption of Vienna has driven Duke Vincentio into hiding while his deputy governor, Angelo, is left to revive the old discipline of civic authority. Angelo's first act is to imprison Claudio, a young nobleman who has gotten his betrothed, Juliet, with child.
-
-
Highly recommended
- By Todd on 10-16-08
-
Midnight Blue
- A Novel
- By: Simone van der Vlugt
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the sudden death of her husband, 25-year-old Catrin leaves her small village and takes a job as a housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. Amsterdam is a city at the peak of its powers: Science and art are flourishing in the Golden Age, and Dutch ships bring back exotic riches from the Far East. Madam Van Nulandt passes her time taking expensive painting lessons from a local master, Rembrandt van Rigin....
-
-
Beach or trip read
- By CSL on 07-17-23
-
The Wonder
- By: Emma Donoghue
- Narrated by: Tara Egan Langley
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now a Netflix film starring Florence Pugh: In this “old-school page turner” (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review) by the bestselling author of Room, an English nurse is brought to a small Irish village to observe what appears to be a miracle—a girl said to have survived without food for months—and soon finds herself fighting to save the child's life.
-
-
Excellent in Every Way
- By Erika on 03-12-23
By: Emma Donoghue
-
I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are
- By: Rachel Bloom
- Narrated by: Rachel Bloom
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the charming and wickedly funny cocreator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a collection of hilarious personal essays, poems, and even amusement park maps on the subjects of insecurity, fame, anxiety, and much more.
-
-
Not worth using a "credit"
- By Lynn on 12-08-20
By: Rachel Bloom
-
Jellyfish Age Backwards
- Nature's Secrets to Longevity
- By: Nicklas Brendborg
- Narrated by: Joe Leat
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Recent advances in medicine and technology have expanded our understanding of aging across the animal kingdom, and our own timeless quest for the fountain of youth. Yet, despite modern humans living longer today than ever before, the public’s understanding of what is possible is limited to our species—until now. In this spunky, effervescent debut, the key to immortality is revealed to be a superpower within reach.
-
-
Interesting for the non-scientist
- By Andrew Lim on 03-31-23
-
Shield Maiden
- By: Sharon Emmerichs
- Narrated by: Victoria Fox
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself. The last thing Fryda wants is to be forced into a political marriage. However, as foreign kings and chieftains descend upon her home to celebrate Beowulf's fifty years as the king of Geatland, the partnership begins to seem inevitable.
-
-
Couldn’t put it down
- By Score623 on 10-26-23
By: Sharon Emmerichs
-
Climbing the Dragon's Tower Omnibus, Books 1-3
- LitRPG Fantasy
- By: Han Yang
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski, Elizabeth Plant
- Length: 30 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inside the Dragon's Tower, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. To win, climbers from all corners must brave the harrowing floors one by one. Each floor is tougher and the higher the floor, the less success there is. After a hundred floors filled with unique challenges, a prize awaits—a dragon's egg. To Tem, the Dragon's Tower seems simple from his distant farmland on the frontier. The harsh truth of the situation involves politics, personal sacrifices, and unfathomable struggles to keep advancing.
-
-
Bad ending
- By Anonymous User on 06-11-24
By: Han Yang
-
The Waking Late Trilogy
- By: Laura Montgomery
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 29 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contains all three books in the Waking Late trilogy: Sleeping Duty, Out of the Dell, and Like a Continental Soldier.
-
-
By far one of the most enjoyable series.
- By Kevin on 07-30-20
By: Laura Montgomery
-
Measure for Measure
- By: William Shakespeare, Edith Nesbit
- Narrated by: Josh Verbae
- Length: 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Justice, mortality, mercy in Vienna, dichotomy between corruption and purity. Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. Mercy and virtue prevail, as the play does not end tragically, with virtues such as compassion and forgiveness being exercised at the end of the production. This edition of Measure for Measure is an adaptation of Shakespeare's eponymous drama, narrated in plain modern English, capturing the very essence and key elements of the original Shakespeare work.
By: William Shakespeare, and others
-
Shakespeare: The Problem Plays
- All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure For Measure, The Merchant of Venice, Timon of Athens, Troilus and Cressida, The Winter’s Tale
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Roy Dotrice, Prunella Scales, Ian McKellen, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mystery, power and malevolence are present in these plays, all of which subvert the happy endings that one would expect in a comedy and the tragic effect one would expect in a tragedy, to pose deeper moral questions that echo modern society. Performed by an incredible array of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlowe alumni including Roy Dotrice, Prunella Scales, Ian McKellen, Michael Hordern and Derek Jacobi can be heard in these recordings.
-
Measure for Measure
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned Shakespearean actors John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson lead a full-cast performance of this beloved Shakespeare play. Dealing with issues of mercy, justice, and truth, and their relationship to pride and humility, this is Shakespeare at his most complex and rewarding.
-
-
wonderful production
- By KSK5 on 01-26-19
-
The Great When
- The Long London Quintet, Book 1
- By: Alan Moore
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1949, the city London. Amidst the smog of the capital stumbles Dennis Knuckleyard, a hapless eighteen year-old employed by a second-hand bookshop. One day, on an errand to acquire books for sale, Dennis discovers a novel that simply does not exist. It is a fictitious book, a figment from another novel. Yet it is physically there in his hands. How? Dennis has stumbled on a book from the Great When, a magical version of London beyond time and space, where reality blurs with fiction and concepts such as Crime and Poetry are incarnated as wondrous, terrible beings.
-
-
Extraordinary.
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-25
By: Alan Moore
-
The Doors of Eden
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 18 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back. Lee thought she'd lost Mal, but now she's miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal's reappearance hasn't gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn't the only one with questions. Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power - and they may or may not be human.
-
-
Boring
- By Kindle Customer on 08-23-20
-
Little Weirds
- By: Jenny Slate
- Narrated by: Jenny Slate
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You may "know" Jenny Slate from her Netflix special, Stage Fright, as the creator of Marcel the Shell, or as the star of Obvious Child. But you don't really know Jenny Slate until you get bonked on the head by her absolutely singular writing style. To see the world through Jenny's eyes is to see it as though for the first time, shimmering with strangeness and possibility.
-
-
softness is earned and it is wonderful
- By Van on 12-09-19
By: Jenny Slate
-
Geneva
- By: Richard Armitage
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Nicola Walker, Jane Perry
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has taken a step back from work to spend more time with her family. Movie nights with her husband Daniel and their daughter Maddie are a welcome respite from the scrutiny of the world’s press. As much as it hurts, it’s good to be able to see her father more too. He’s suffering from Alzheimer’s and needs special care. Sarah has started to show tell-tale signs of the disease too. She’s been experiencing blackouts and memory loss. It’s early days but she must face the possibility that she won’t be there to see her daughter grow up.
-
-
Well done, Mr. Armitage!
- By Betty B. on 10-25-22
By: Richard Armitage