I Love the Commentary

I'm a high school teacher and bought this to sue with my class. I don't find the commentary distracting but helpful. My students quickly figured out that when a particular voice was talking that was explanation. Also, there is a version of the play without any commentary in the file as well.

11 people found this helpful

Now I get it...

The narration and explanations are helpful. I have always struggled through Shakespearean plays.

Don't fret.

This production also comes with a performance that is uninterrupted. Start on Chapter 6 of the audio book for it.

9 people found this helpful

Very well done

This is a really great audio program. Very high quality sound, narration is very useful and I came away with more knowledge of Shakespeare's history, the circumstances behind writing the play, and an understanding of what the classical language is trying to say. Highly recommended if you are at all interested in Shakespeare.

8 people found this helpful

Excellent for Yr 11 Study

I bought this novel for my daughters Year 11 study, l cannot say how helpful this was, it made Macbeth interesting and exciting. She was one of the top students in Macbeth studies because of this audio novel where normally she struggles with English. Just Excellent also with the background on why this story was written, it made all the difference.

6 people found this helpful

MacBeth

Eureka, after 25 years i decided to re-read Macbeth, my confused understanding of the play was transformed into an understanding i will never forget. The narration was exquisit i have finally conquored MacBeth.

3 people found this helpful

Best accidental purchase I've ever made

I just wanted a good dramatization of Macbeth and this one had high ratings so I bought it. I didn't realize until it started that it was filled with commentary every 5 or 10 lines. I've studied Shakespeare at a high level under Paul Cubeta and I expected this commentary to be distracting and written at the lowest possible level. Neither is remotely the case. It is excellent work.

More importantly, the woman who does the narrating is quite an actor herself and sets the emotional pitch of her commentary to match the scene. She almost sounds like another character in the play.

This is a remarkable achievement.

1 person found this helpful

Wonderful!

The narration and explanations in the first half are wonderful! Not having the patience to sit with a textbook, and wanting to read all the Shakespeare I didn’t have time for when I was younger, I’m finding Shakespeare Appreciated truly wonderful!!

Glad I discovered this

Studying Shakespeare in school, we always had the teacher to lead us through it. This is like that, but more entertaining. The narration and commentary weren't the distraction I feared they might be, but very helpful. Without them, frankly, I'd have been lost, but I understood all that was going on in every scene. And I loved the historical info about England at the time, the Globe Theater, and how MacBeth ties in with King James, for whom Shakespeare wrote it.

Shakespeare Appreciated is Wonderful!

This was my first purchase of Shakespeare Appreciated. I bought it because we were planning to see Macbeth on stage and I wanted my family to have a good understanding of the story beforehand. I have since bought several other productions. These recordings have helped my high schoolers (and myself) as we dove into various works of Shakespeare. The commentary is insightful and well placed. We have listened to the recordings over and over, first with, then without the commentary. I only wish there were more productions to choose from

Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare tragedy. This performance does not disappoint. “Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry”.

Makes Macbeth understandable and enjoyable!

Something reminded me lately of my failure to comprehend Macbeth in my high school days. Always making an easy A in english, I remember being frustrated that I just couldn't understand the content of the play and therefore made a low grade because of it.
I tried a sample of this version with explanatory narration, and quickly knew that I had to buy it.
I enjoyed it very much, and now since I now understand the story and characters completely, I look forward to watching a performance of the play in the near future.
I recommend this audio book for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with Macbeth.