Customer Reviews

Romeo and Juliet (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love the Arkangel series of Shakespeare on tape. As to this one, I may not be the best judge of sound but this production on tape never made me pull my earphones away and wince in pain as an over loud music interlude started. That is the primary reason I would like to collect all of the Arkangel productions. Romeo is well chosen for his voice, he sounds rash and young. I can well believe that he would kill himself. The Friar is the best vocal choice; he's exactly how I thought he should sound. Juliet sounds beautiful and the nurse is truly wonderful.

I just purchaced the tape and I think it to be one of the best productions of Shakespeare I have ever heard. Joseph Fiennes is a simply delightful Romeo, remenicent of his older brother Ralph Fiennes yet much gentler and heartbreaking. I strongly recomend this to all lovers of the play and Shakespeare in general. It lifts the soul and breaks the heart, a feast for the mind and spirit!!!

This is a terrific recording. My son's teacher recommended he buy this to listen while he read the written words. It made Shakespeare so much more accessible.

My copy did not come from Arkangel but Greathall Productions, Inc. ISBN was the same, but rather than 3 cd's, I received only 1 with a running time of 1 hour rather than the 3 hours in the description. Can't really imagine this being unabridged, especially after looking at how it is set up, and the fact that it received a creative TOY award. May be great for introducing Shakespeare to young children, but not for high schoolers. I don't know when the substitution came in, but I wish I had known before I wasted my time on this.

The acting is fine and very true to the script. However, the audio CD is unreliable. I oredered two copies of this CD and discovered that both copies had scenes (different scenes were flawed, not the same for each CD) that would not play. I tried both copies on different CD players, but had the same result.

I received this after my freshman classes had already started reading "Romeo and Juliet". Once I popped the CD in and pressed play, my kids were sold on it. Many of them said that this version made it much easier to understand and the emotional display is absolutely wonderful--I got goosebumps! The clarity is great and the sound effects help students (especailly those who can't seem to read the stage directions) to know what's taking place.
All around . . .it's wonderful!

May 13, 2009
We recently finished "R & J" and I have to say that this production really was a huge aid. Students who missed a day would just have to listen to the CD and they would be caught up--no problem. While sitting in on one of our classes another freshman teacher (who has been teaching for 15+ years) said this was the best production he has ever heard and is getting his own set for next year.
Again, it's wonderful, and I love it!

This is a performed audio play, not just read by one voice. It is very easy to follow along, and distinguish the different characters.

Before I listened to this play, I had read the Folgers Shakespeare Library version. I believe that helped me enjoy the play much more.
I am not going to review the play, only this audio version.
The music set the mood of the scenes, and the sound effects brought the landscape to life in my imagination. The cast acted out the parts superbly! The only complaint I have is, When Romeo says, "He jest at scares that never felt a wound," I didn't feel he conveyed enough emotion on that part. After all, in the previous scene, or the same scene depending on how you interpret the scenes, MERCUTIO was mocking his love for Rosaline harshly.
If you are not familiar with the play I highly recommend reading it first, that will make it easier to follow.

It's worth the price just to hear an unabridged version. Capulet is wonderful. The friar is the best ever. Juliet is understandable but has the passion in her voice of a person who's been there a few times too many. But Romeo...a one-emotion three-hour agony to listen to. I've taught teens for thirty years; they don't languish in one emotion. If wallowing were an art form, Fiennes would be the grand master. He obviously doesn't remember how it was long ago when he was a teen.

This set of three CDs contains a really great dramatization of Shakespeare's classic play, Romeo and Juliet. Arkangel brought together a battery of great actors (including Clive Swift and David Tennant - the 10th Doctor Who), who really brought the story to life. My one and only complaint is that they story is produced straight out of the book - which means that there is very little introduction of the cast of characters or of the scenes. When you read the play, you see the scene described and the characters listed, and when you see the play performed you see the scenery and see the faces of the actors. But, in this purely audio play you have to get to know the characters from their voices alone, and sometimes it is a little hard to imagine where the action is actually taking place.

But, in spite of that little problem, I really did enjoy the play and had little problem following the broad outline of what was happening to whom and why. Yep, I found this to be a very enjoyable dramatization, and I do not hesitate to recommend it!