Julius Caesar (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare) [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

William Shakespeare (Author), Various (Contributor)

Book Description

Age Level: 1 and up | Series: Arkangel Complete Shakespeare

In this striking tragedy of political conflict, Shakespeare turns to the ancient Roman world and to the famous assassination of Julius Caesar by his republican opponents. The play is one of tumultuous rivalry, of prophetic warnings--"Beware the ides of March"--and of moving public oratory "Friends, Romans, countrymen!" Ironies abound and most of all for Brutus, whose fate it is to learn that his idealistic motives for joining the conspiracy against a would-be dictator are not enough to sustain the movement once Caesar is dead.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Arkangel; A fully-dramatized recording edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014086783X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140867831
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,272,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Shakespeare, William
  • #96 in Books > Books on Cassette > Literature & Fiction > Poetry, Drama & Short Stories

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10th grade English, October 26, 2001

By 

J. Smith (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Julius Caesar (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare) (Audio Cassette)

I have purchased this version of the play and I have listened to it to compare it the the public library version I am using in class. That version is the Caedmon cassette. I like the production values of this one over the one I am using. The Caedmon version is good too, so don't think about buying this if you already have it. But if you are buying this for your class, it is worth the investment. Good acting, emotional, good music. A good way to communicate the text to the kids without video.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Recording of a Great Play, March 20, 2002

By 

Joseph "jck09" (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Julius Caesar (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare) (Audio Cassette)

_Julius Caesar_ is one of those Shakespeare plays that you read in high school, forget about, and then have the joy of rediscovering years later. The Archangel recording will (re)introduce you to one of Shakespeare's great plays.

As others have commented, this play is primarily about Brutus, Shakespeare's dearest friend, who must decide how to lead a noble life. Is it right to kill his friend to preserve Rome as a republic? With the deed done, how can he remain true to his ideals, even as Rome itself threatens to shatter?

Other characters also come to life, largely in comparision or contrast to Brutus's: the scheming Cassius; Caesar, trapped between his own ego and his sense of justice; Marc Antony, driven by passion to smash Rome itself to revenge himself on the conspirators; and Brutus's and Caesar's wives, each of whom can see what is happening but is helpless to prevent the tragedy.

At one level, this is a play about politic and ethics. At another, it's a play about words and the power of stagecraft. In one of the play's finest moments, Brutus and Marc Antony use their best rhetoric to try to sway the Roman people for and against the conspirators. Hearing each speech performed, I can't help but think that we are being given a view into Shakespeare's own understanding of how to fill a crowd with passion or horror.

The Archangel recording of this play is excellent. It's very much a radio-style production instead of a simple reading, and the sound effects and interscene music are excellent, as are the performances. In particular, Adrian Lester steals the show as Antony, and the actor playing Cassius also does a remarkable job.
...

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the Old!, November 30, 2010

By 

Et Tu Brute? - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Julius Caesar (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare) (Audio Cassette)

I love the version of the drama Julius Caesar! It has taken me forever to find the cassettes of the performance. With the cassettes I'm able to just press play for my students and stop when we finish for the day. I don't have to hassle with the CDs. Love it!