Shakespeare's Greatest Monologues, Volume II
Volume II
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Shakespeare's Greatest Monologues, Volume II
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About this listen
William Shakespeare, long hailed as history's greatest dramatic writer, has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition, and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters.
These skills are perhaps best encapsulated in the monologues he gives his various protagonists, villains and bit players. From the ambitious Scottish general Macbeth contemplating the assassination of his sovereign king to the saintly Joan of Arc from Henry VI inspiring soldiers to follow her into battle, to Richard III's evil and traitorous plotting, to the mischievous sprite Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream celebrating his bewitching of the Fairy Queen, Shakespeare's monologues are short distillations of his larger themes - love and loss, fairness and inequity, power and envy, lust and purity.
Fort Raphael Publishing is proud to present, in this first volume, some of Shakespeare's greatest monologues, each of which captures a shining, brilliant moment from his plays that gives us a deeper understanding of each character, whether flattering, damning or inspiring.
Enjoy this collection of monologues from the greatest theatrical writer in the English language - William Shakespeare.
©2021 Fort Raphael Publishing Company (P)2021 Kevin TheisListeners also enjoyed...
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Coriolanus
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Amazing
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Timon of Athens
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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The fabulously rich Timon believes all his friends to be as open-hearted and generous as himself. When his wealth suddenly evaporates, however, he discovers the truth and his altruism turns to a bitter hatred of mankind. Stirred up by the cynical Apemantus, Timon retreats to the woods where he plots the destruction of Athens, the city that had formerly seemed to embody everything pleasurable and civilized. The cosmic scope of his hatred is communicated in a series of powerful and disturbing dramatic tableaux.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Here lies a wretched corse of wretched soul bereft
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Romeo and Juliet
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- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 391
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 333
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The most iconic love story of all time, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is an epic-scale tragedy of desire and revenge. Despite the bitter rivalry that exists between their families, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet have fallen madly in love. But when the long-running rivalry boils over into murder, the young couple must embark on a dangerous and deadly mission to preserve their love at any cost. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Calista Flockhart as Juliet.
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
William Shakespeare, long hailed as history's greatest dramatic writer, has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition, and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters.
-
Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection
- By: Stephen Fry, Washington Irving, M.R. James, and others
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 640
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 550
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 550
As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
-
Shakespeare's Greatest Monologues
- The Complete Collection
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Full Cast
- Length: 2 hrs and 49 mins
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
William Shakespeare has been lauded for his mastery of poetic expression, his insight into the human condition, and his deep exploration into the psyche and motivations of his characters. Shakespeare's monologues are short distillations of his larger themes—love and loss, fairness and inequity, power and envy, lust and purity. Here are the best of Shakespeare's greatest monologues, each of which captures a shining, brilliant moment from his plays that gives us a deeper understanding of each character, whether flattering, damning, or inspiring.
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- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 24
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5 out of 5 stars
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- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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The fabulously rich Timon believes all his friends to be as open-hearted and generous as himself. When his wealth suddenly evaporates, however, he discovers the truth and his altruism turns to a bitter hatred of mankind. Stirred up by the cynical Apemantus, Timon retreats to the woods where he plots the destruction of Athens, the city that had formerly seemed to embody everything pleasurable and civilized. The cosmic scope of his hatred is communicated in a series of powerful and disturbing dramatic tableaux.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Here lies a wretched corse of wretched soul bereft
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- Length: 2 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 391
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 333
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 340
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Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate? The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.
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Problem play
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- Original Recording
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 120
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The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England, but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard's right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he meets his death heroically.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.
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Julius Caesar
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,500
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,345
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,345
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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4 out of 5 stars
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The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
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Macbeth
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 123
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 54
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By the time Shakespeare came to write Macbeth - almost certainly in 1605/1606 - he had already completed three of the great tragedies with which modern audiences are so familiar: Hamlet (1601), Othello (1603), and King Lear (1605). Each of those plays gives us an eponymous hero who is in some significant way flawed, but for whom we also inevitably feel deep sympathy, whatever his errors or crimes. But in MacBeth, Shakespeare has chosen for his tragic hero a man guilty of the most terrible crime imaginable to a Jacobean audience, that of regicide - the murder of a king.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fire burn and cauldron bubble - an excellent stew
- By Marius on 04-06-04
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The Comedy of Errors
- Arkangel Shakespeare
- By: William Shakespeare
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- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 159
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 156
Chaos and confusion mount to a crescendo in a wild and fast-paced comedy of mistaken identity, one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. Young Antipholus of Syracuse is searching the world for his identical twin brother, separated from him at birth. With him is his servant Dromio, who lost his twin brother at the same time. The pair arrive in Ephesus where, unbeknownst to them, their twins are living.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Ill deeds is doubled with an evil word
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The Two Gentlemen of Verona
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Proteus loves Julia in Verona, Valentine loves Silvia in Milan. But when Proteus meets Silvia, he falls for her too, and the heartbroken Julia sets out in pursuit. This delightful and sometimes disquieting early comedy of love lost and found offers lyrical poetry, disguise, clowning, outlaws, and a most unreliable dog.
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3 out of 5 stars
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For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it
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Love's Labor's Lost: The Arkangel Shakespeare
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
The young king of Navarre and three of his courtiers have vowed to lock themselves away for three years of study and fasting, and to forswear the company of women for this period. No sooner is their vow made than it is tested, however, as the princess of France and three of her ladies arrive in Navarre on a diplomatic mission. The young men fall instantly and hopelessly in love, and the tension between their vow and their passion forms the subject of this charming and sparkling early comedy.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Honorificabilitudinitatibus!
- By Darwin8u on 03-29-17
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Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Tragedies
- Hamlet; Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: full cast, Paul Scofield, Peggy Ashcroft, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
Three powerful radio productions from the BBC archives starring Ian McKellen, Ronald Pickup and Paul Scofield and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Abridged
- By Kindle Customer on 07-08-17
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Twelfth Night
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- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Niamh Cusack, Jonathan Firth, Amanda Root, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 249
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 204
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 201
Shakespeare's most sophisticated comedy is a riotous tale of hopelessly unrequited passions and mistaken identity. Duke Orsino is in love with the noblewoman Olivia. She, however, has fallen for his servant Cesario, who is actually Viola, a woman disguised as a man, who loves Orsino: Confusion is rife. Meanwhile, Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio is cruelly tricked by her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the maidservant Maria into believing his mistress loves him.
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3 out of 5 stars
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If you be not mad, be gone
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Henry V
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 204
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 185
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 183
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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5 out of 5 stars
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The Best Version of the Best Thing Ever Written
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4 out of 5 stars
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Falstaff brooks no rebuttal.
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3 out of 5 stars
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- By: Harold Bloom
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
Falstaff is both a comic and tragic central protagonist in Shakespeare's three Henry plays. He is companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), who loves him, goads him, teases him, indulges his vast appetites, and commits all sorts of mischief with him. Award-winning author and esteemed professor Harold Bloom examines Falstaff with the deepest compassion and sympathy and also with unerring wisdom. He uses the relationship between Falstaff and Hal to explore the devastation of severed bonds and the heartbreak of betrayal.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Falstaff brooks no rebuttal.
- By Darwin8u on 02-06-20
By: Harold Bloom
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Tales from Shakespeare
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a retelling of 20 of Shakespeare’s most beloved stories. Within the pages of this book, the 19th-century authors bring to life the Shakespearean plots and characters of another age in an easy-to-understand prose of a newer generation.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A classic
- By Jacque Eddy on 10-07-19
By: Charles Lamb, and others
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The Plays of Sophocles
- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 56
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in about 496 BC and is considered to be one of the premier playwrights of Greek tragedy. His stories may have been filled with strife, but Sophocles himself was prosperous and came from a good family. It is said that he was handsome, wealthy, and a highly respected citizen of Athens. During his life, he wrote over 120 plays and was instrumental in how plays would eventually be performed, including the addition of stage props.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Bad Dialogue
- By Zoe Olvera on 08-12-18
By: Sophocles
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The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Keith Moore, Toby Leonard Moore, Colin McPhillamy, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 77
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
Author Peter Ackroyd has won the Somerset Maugham Award, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, and the Guardian Fiction Prize, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s immortal work, this retelling of The Canterbury Tales follows a party of travelers as they tell stories amongst themselves about love and chivalry, saints and legends, travel and adventure. Through allegory, satire, and humor, the tales help pass the time during their journey.
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5 out of 5 stars
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WOW
- By Mitchell Drimmer on 02-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
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Oedipus the King
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 46 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 352
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 298
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 295
In Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus discovers that he has been caught in his terrible destiny, unknowingly murdering his father and marrying his mother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Superb
- By Mark on 11-24-09
By: Sophocles
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Mythology
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,740
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,503
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,511
Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial best-seller in its various available formats. Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good reading of classical myths
- By Kathi on 03-18-13
By: Edith Hamilton
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Idylls of the King
- By: Alfred Tennyson
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 201
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 132
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 132
The Arthurian legend of Camelot has been told many times, but never better than by Alfred Tennyson. Employing some of the most stirring and beautiful blank verse ever written, Tennyson crafted his version of the Knights of the Round Table over the course of nearly fifty years, completing it in 1885. Despite the length of time, Tennyson managed to maintain a high level of style and continuity throughout.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful poetry
- By Roger on 01-15-08
By: Alfred Tennyson
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The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 250
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 220
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 221
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
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Tales from Shakespeare
- The Lambs' Tales (Puffin Classics)
- By: Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Nigel Davenport, Andrew Sachs, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
A perfect introduction for all ages to the breadth and beauty of Shakespeare's work, Tales from Shakespearehas become a classic work in its own right. The tales bring vividly alive the power of Hamlet and Macbeth, the fun of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the drama of The Tempest. Blending detailed narrative with original dialogue and poetic language, they fully convey the wit, wisdom, and imagination of Shakespeare's magnificent plays.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not all of the stories
- By GPH on 08-22-18
By: Charles Lamb, and others
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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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Overall4 out of 5 stars 51
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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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1 out of 5 stars
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NOT unabridged
- By Erica on 11-06-07
By: Charles Lamb, and others
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Greek Mythology
- A Captivating Introduction to Greek Myths of Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Dryw McArthur
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 21
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
This comprehensive collection introduces you to Greek mythology and will also captivate your attention and imagination, so you can relive the tales of the most fabulous Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Listen before reading the actual works
- By Paul on 07-11-18
By: Matt Clayton
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The Legend of Ragnar Lodbrok
- Viking King and Warrior
- By: Christopher Van Dyke
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
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Story4 out of 5 stars 63
Millions love the hit television show Vikings - but how many fans know that its main character, Ragnar, is based on an actual Viking king whose ambitious and terrifying exploits have been legend since the ninth century? The Legend of Ragnar Lothbrok presents fascinating new translations of ninth, 12th, and 13th-century writings - including sagas, poems, and historical accounts - that describe, in vivid detail, the adventures of Ragnar, his sons, and his formidable wives.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Sages of Ragnar
- By Kristina M McDaniel on 02-17-17
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Mythology: Captivating Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic and Roman Myths of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Randy Whitlow, Dryw McArthur
- Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4 out of 5 stars 37
This audiobook collection includes five captivating books, a huge collection of the best myths and stories of gods, goddesses, monsters, and mortals.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not what I expected
- By Wayne Willmore on 12-11-18
By: Matt Clayton