Shakespeare, His Life & Work [Audio Cassette]

Richard Hampton (Author), David Weston (Author), Judi Dench (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2000

This entertaining introduction to Shakespeare's work weaves biographical information with excerpts from 33 of his plays. Informative, well-researched commentary written by two Royal Shakespeare Company actors provides a glimpse of the man and little-known lore about his work.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Barely three minutes are needed to recite the known facts of William Shakespeare's life, but this excellent blend of narration and performance selections more than fulfills its promise to "discover Shakespeare in his plays and trace the course of his life through them." Hampton and Weston's narration is brisk, factual, with just the right blend of legend, speculation, and scholarly reconstruction. The passages chosen, many of them old favorites, do more than fill the gaps in Shakespeare's biography; they capture its emotional volume as well--as in the lines describing a dead child's clothes, written about the time of the death of Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet. The great Judi Dench is singularly impressive here, as convincing as a Cockney barmaid or a young girl expressing her first passion, as she is compelling as a guilt-ridden queen. Richard Hampton, a well-known British stage actor, is her perfect complement for Shakespeare's roster of melancholy kings, boasting villains, and tippling rogues. Outstanding in selection, editing, and production, this fine compilation is ideal for students and for Shakespeare lovers alike. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Partners (November 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572701781
• ISBN-13: 978-1572701786
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Books on Cassette > Literature & Fiction > Literary Classics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works on all levels, January 29, 2001

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shakespeare, His Life & Work (Audio Cassette)

What motivated me to hear <Shakespeare: His Life & Work> (Audio Partners) was the presence of Judi Dench and Timothy West in "performances from 33 plays," as the cover states. I have long admired Mr. West ever since an old Masterpiece Theater portrayal of Edward VII and many appearances on other British TV imports. Of Ms. Dench, little has to be said--she is the supreme actress.

I really doubted if the contents of these two cassettes or CDs with a running time of only 2.5 hours could do justice to either Shakespeare's life or work; and of course it does not. What it does accomplish works on two levels. For both beginner and Ph.D. holder, there are the readings of the two stars. Granted, each selection is very short indeed, sometimes only two or three lines. But what a joy it is to hear Mr. West take on so many roles with so many voices from the young Coriolanus to the ancient Lear. And Dame Judi's enunciation should be a lesson to all actresses who are taught to mumble and whisper by recent directors who wish to keep the dialogue a secret from the audience.

There is little new for the advanced English major in the portions that are narrated by the authors, Richard Hampton and David Weston, both of whom are actors and directors with the Royal Shakespeare Company. At best, their script is a miracle of concision, telescoping both the life and works into a cohesive narrative that must leave out so much of the life to leave time for the works. Yes, every one of the plays (except "Two Noble Kinsmen") is treated with varying degrees of brevity; and a listener totally unfamiliar with any (or all) of them can get a decent idea of what the play is about both in plot and theme. Those thoroughly familiar with the plays might smile at some of the simplifications required to carry off this recording (is Iago really the most evil villain in the plays?) while still admiring how the writers got right down to the essential points without too much editorializing.

All in all, I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in our language's greatest poet or in the art of reading his lines. Thank you, Audio Partners.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare Audio Book, March 9, 2006

By 

Margaret L. Griffin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shakespeare: His Life & Work (Audio CD)

This audio book provides biographical information about William Shakespeare, background information about Elizabethan England and a short, succinct synposis for each play with bonus readings by Timothy West and Judi Dench, one of the very best Shakespearean actors of the latter part of the 20th century. Good Shakespearean actors "obey the metre." The dramatic readings from the plays allow you to hear spoken Shakespeare while learning about each play, one bonus being that you can listen as you drive.