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Hamlet
- Shakespeare Appreciated (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
- Narrated by: Joan Walker, Stephen Elder, Paul Clayton
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Performance
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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4 out of 5 stars
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Nice format and performance
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5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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Makes Shakespeare understandable
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4 out of 5 stars
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SmartPass Plus Audio Education Study Guide to Macbeth (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)
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The multi-award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. Full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Compelling performances
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A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord siezes the throne with the help of his scheming wife - and a trio of witches. Anthony Quayle, Robert Hardy, Ian Holm, Stanley Holloway, and Jill Balcon star in an unabridged performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
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The brave warrior Macbeth allows himself to be persuaded by Lady Macbeth, his wife, to slay good King Duncan and seize the throne of Scotland for himself. Macbeth achieves his ambition, but one murder proves not to be enough as he desperately attempts to eliminate all who might threaten his ill-gotten power. Descending into paranoia, Macbeth achieves his ambition but ravages his soul.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare's more brilliantly populated plays and remains among the most widely read. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom investigates Macbeth's interiority and unthinkable actions with razor-sharp insight, agility, and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character. The book also becomes an extraordinarily moving argument for literature as a path to and a measure of our humanity.
Editor reviews
Summary
If school turned you off Shakespeare, find out what you've been missing all these years with this beautifully crafted audio presentation.
From the creators of SmartPass audio education study guides, voted third in a national poll to find the UK's favourite audibook (2008). Winners of three Spoken Word Awards for Best Drama (2004), Best Original Audio, and Best Publishing Initiative (2005).
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What listeners say about Hamlet
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 01-04-17
Education and Entertainment
Excellent audio play of Hamlet intersected with historical notes and explanations of the dialogue. I will certainly look out for more of these as I found to combination very attractive, of course if you don't want this option, you can simply listen to the play without the additional commentary.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 29-05-14
Learn to appreciate and understand this classic!
What did you like most about Hamlet?
Being from India, where English is a second language, I found new appreciation for this Shakespeare classic via the excellent commentary.
What did you like best about this story?
Hamlet is a complex character and it was difficult for me to earlier understand his psychology. I found new ways to understand and appreciate the grey, uneven texture of the human condition.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
I was born and brought up in a traditional Hindu household in India where I was exposed more to dramatisation of the Hindu myths and legends. So, it was exciting to feel like a fly on the wall in a time when Europe was ruled by monarchy.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The scene where Hamlet spurns Olivia to make her hate him was particularly moving. So is the emotional and philosophical charge of the grave digger's scene when they unearth a skull of an old courtier and Hamlet realises aloud the futility of vanity and desire for material things.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paula09
- 29-11-18
Good commentary poorly delivered
This is a very interesting and useful commentary, which makes the play much more accessible. Highly recommended for students. I will definitely buy more in this series. However, while the performance of the play itself is good, the reading by Joan Walker is poor by comparison. She delivers the commentary in an overly emotional and affected fashion, much more overwrought than the play itself. The mixing also leaves something to be desired - the commentary is often much louder than the play. This is not a major problem on speakers, but it is very annoying on earphones; I kept fiddling with the volume controls. It was particularly annoying when a somber, quiet moment in the play was followed by Ms Walker all but yelling in my ear, often Emphasising Every Second Word. The play with commentary is about 7 hours, and the commentary-free version (about 4 hours) follows from Chapter 26.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LC
- 08-11-20
Great format and excellent performance
This audiobook contains two versions. The first with explanation, including historical context, and the seconds without.
I found the version with the explanations really helpful and adds to the enjoyment. Then listening to the second version I was able to understand it better and was aware of the historical context.
As well as a great format and excellent performances, it is also clear to see why Hamlet has become a classic.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 03-02-19
excellent
great production narration description , rivetting performance ,definately worth listening to. I'm off to see what other performances they have .....
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Annelies Schouppe
- 24-03-20
Excellent method if English not your first language
Finally it’s possible for a non-native English speaker to read and understand Shakespeare thanks to the most interesting commentary in between the lines, interrupting the actors every now and then.
This audio book can be combined with reading the lines in an e-book or paper novel to enhance your understanding.
If I’ll read another Shakespeare play, I’ll definitely download an audiobook in these series.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- bhavna
- 08-11-11
This book is good one
this book is good one and worth reading it as it is one of the books which deals with all types of characters.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Shaun
- 23-09-10
Performance great; commentary lacking
This is the second "Shakespeare Appreciated" recording I have listened to. The first was "Julius Caesar". The performance was just as good but the commentary was almost non-existent. Pretty much "Hamlet enters..." or "Hamlet exits...” If you have no concern for the commentary you will enjoy this.
14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Carlos
- 18-04-10
Commentary Appreciated
This is an excellent narration of Hamlet. The performance keeps the story moving. The version with commentary gives great insight into the play. I enjoyed listening to both versions of the play. Great for students reading Hamlet for the first time as well as for those who have read it many times over. A must buy for your collection.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Eleanor Corner
- 11-05-10
Shakespeare revealed!
While I have loved the poetry of Hamlet, it wasn't until I listened to this performance of the play - powerfully well done - with commentary that I was able to transcend 21st century culture and immerse myself in the depths of Hamlet. The program unveiled my brain to the beauty which had been previously obscure.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sher from Provo
- 09-04-13
What a great way to "read" Shakespeare
Let's admit it, Shakespeare is daunting! I have a goal to read all of the plays, and then perhaps the sonnets, etc., but sometimes I don't know where to start. When I found this audio book that includes a commentary, I snapped it up. I could listen to and enjoy the fabulous play, but when I got lost or just didn't understand something, the commentator was there to help. She helped me understand word usage of the time, symbolism, and other useful things that are jam-packed in this play and make it the classic that it is. For me it was perfect. You can listen without the commentary as well, for people who would rather not have those comments going on but want to hear some great readers performing this play. I will definitely pick up other titles in this series.
14 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Carole T.
- 13-06-12
Good Introduction, with Reservations
This could be helpful for an introductory student of Shakespeare and "Hamlet". There is some dramatization (carefully and rightfully described as being "speculative", as are all details of Shakespeare's life and literary motives) of Shakespeare's possible thinking when he wrote "Hamlet". Then there's a complete version of the play, done very well, but with extensive commentary. Anyone interested in getting to know Shakespeare but unfamiliar with the language of the time could find all this interruption helpful.
My reservation is that it can also be somewhat confusing. I believe this might be better done (and perhaps has been done) in a video format. This is a noble effort, and I hope it might bring more people to an appreciation of "Hamlet".
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue
- 09-07-14
Love this series
Any additional comments?
Listen to the version with commentary, then the one without, for a fantastic experience, as you will then understand every utterance! This would have been time-consuming in print, but it goes by quickly with Audible. Thanks for a great series. The actors are very professional and do the master justice.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan Croucher
- 25-10-11
Very Comprehensive and Engaging
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this book to any students who may be studying Hamlet, both for the insight into how it is performed and the integrated commentary which fills in an enormous amount of background detail without slowing down the story too much.
What did you like best about this story?
The most outstanding feature was the research and insight that went into the commentary. This is not a cheap cash in on a famous title.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
The book is very dense and may give you a bit of indigestion if listened to quickly. That said, I was in a hurry and used the 2x speed on the iPhone and was still able to follow it well.
Any additional comments?
An important note: if you just want to listen to the dramatized reading of the play, just play Part 2. It doesn't have any commentary.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine R. Reynolds
- 21-06-13
Great for a Shakespeare beginner!
Any additional comments?
I have always been afraid of Shakespeare because the language and meanings are so different. I didn't think I would be able to understand what the "true" meaning was. This audio was set up perfectly. The first part the narrator interrupts and explains the back story or the particular meaning of a phrase. Once I listened to that I was able to listen to just the dramatized play and I got so much more out of it than I would have listening on my own.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bex
- 17-11-11
Great way to listen to the play
Plays are a visual thing for us, even for those who went to "hear a play" back in Shakespeare's time - they at least looked at people occasionally to sort everyone out (if they were paying attention). Reading a play is easier as well compared to having to listen to an audio version.
I was preparing to direct Hamlet and wanted to drown myself in the play as much as possibel so I got this to listen to while in the car. Wonderful attempt at performing the play tho as a fan of Shakespeare, the commentary did get in the way a bit. It's great for beginners and those who have issues with Shakespeare's language!
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Laurel
- 13-01-22
Wow! Finally, I can follow Hamlet!
Knowing only the general story of Hamlet, and not wanting to lumber through passages that I cannot understand because "I know not" of this earlier language or the fads in the days of Shakespeare (Edward de Vere?), I leaped at this "Appreciated" version, and plan to go through all the rest of this series. Hurray!
