Showing titles in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature

Homer's Odyssey is the thrilling and moving tale of the wanderings of the hero Odysseus after the end of the Trojan war. For ten years he experiences storms, shipwrecks, and seductions as he tries to find a way home to Ithaca, contending with the wrath of Poseidon but protected by Pallas Athena. Meanwhile, his wife Penelope is beset by suitors who believe him dead.

The Völsunga saga is a legendary saga, a late 13th-century poetic rendition in Old Norse of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and the destruction of the Burgundians). It is one of the most famous legendary sagas and an example of a "heroic saga" that deals with Germanic heroic legend. The saga covers topics including the quarrel between Sigi and Skaði, a huge family tree of great kings and powerful conquerors and the quest led by Sigmund and Sinfjǫtli to save princess Signý from the evil king Siggeir.

Parzival is a romantic poem written by Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, the romance was the most popular vernacular verse narrative in medieval Germany. Dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, the poem tells the story of the Arthurian hero Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail. The most notable elements of the work are an emphasis on the importance of humility, compassion, and sympathy. Richard Wagner based his famous opera Parsifal on Parzival.

Meditations is former US President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor AD 161-180, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.

Il Canzoniere di Francesco Petrarca è uno dei capolavori della poesia di tutti i tempi, rappresentando la linfa vitale per tutta la storia letteraria dell’occidente. L’antologia propone una sostanziosa scelta di rime capaci ancora oggi di parlarci con immutata, universale intensità.

The Odyssey is an epic poem, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Homer, and considered to be the second oldest piece of western literature still in existence. Scholars believe it was written at the end of the eighth century BC. Still heavily used in schools because of its unique literary makeup and historical value, the poems follow Greek hero Odysseus, as he journeys home after the 10-year long Trojan War. His journey home takes another 10 years, and Odysseus encounters many obstacles.

David Weir explores the conflicting attitudes towards modernity present in decadent culture by examining the difference between aesthetic decadence - the excess of artifice - and social decadence, which involves excess in a variety of forms, whether perversely pleasurable or gratuitously cruel. Such contrariness between aesthetic and social decadence led some of its practitioners to substitute art for life and to stress the importance of taste over morality, a maneuver with far-reaching consequences. 

Oliver Twist is the well-loved tale of an orphan, who starts life in a workhouse and finds himself embroiled in London's criminal underworld, before being saved by a kind gentleman who knows something of his surprising family history. A satire and social commentary as well as a page-turning yarn, full of grit, wit, and some of the most memorable characters in English Literature. The second published serialised novel by Charles Dickens, The British Library remarks that "it has proven to be one of the best-loved novels in the history of literature".

Gulliver is washed from his ship and lands on an island inhibitated by very tiny people. Tony Church, Derek Hart, and John Wood perform Part I of Gulliver's Travels.

An adaptation of William Shakespeare's 1603-1604 play Measure for Measure adapted and in plain English to a 20-minute production by Charlie Creed. The original was first published in the First Folio in 1623. It was originally classified as a comedy, though is now considered more of a problem play. The play is set in Vienna and focuses on the themes of relationships, integrity, and legal complications. This is a full cast, abridged production of the play in plain English.

Perfect for any listener who is searching for a deceptively simple yet powerful approach to life, this book offers you a source of inner strength and guidance, allowing you to enrich your life and face your challenges with a renewed level of insight.

Christopher Marlowe wrote this spectacularly subversive play in 1589/1590. The setting is the island of Malta as a bone of contention between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in their struggle for supremacy in the Mediterranean. The ghost of Machiavelli appropriately introduces this tale of murder and mayhem which unfolds in flamboyant episodes of blackmail, betrayal, revenge, scheming, theft, and poisoning on a breathtaking scale.

The Wild Duck (Vilanden) is a tragedy with comic episodes. Ibsen himself characterized the play as a tragicomedy. It depicts ordinary life realistically instead of romantically and sentimentally, a revolutionary concept in Ibsen's time. The play is now generally acknowledged as one of Ibsen's supreme accomplishments.

"Le Tartuffe ou l'Imposteur" est une comédie de Molière en cinq actes et en vers créée le 5 février 1669 sur la scène du Théâtre du Palais-Royal. Orgon est l'archétype du personnage de cour tombé sous la coupe de Tartuffe, un hypocrite et un faux dévot. Il est, ainsi que sa mère, Madame Pernelle, dupe de Tartuffe. Ce dernier réussit à le manipuler en singeant la dévotion et il est même parvenu à devenir son directeur de conscience. Il se voit proposer d'épouser la fille de son bienfaiteur, alors même qu'il tente de séduire Elmire, la femme d'Orgon, plus jeune que son mari.

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born at Field Place near Horsham, Sussex, England, on August 4th, 1792, and was drowned in the sea off Leghorn on July 8th, 1822, within a month of completing his 30th year. Here, Margaretta Scott reads a selection of his finest work.

The multi-award winning SmartPass full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play.

Are you looking for love poems? If so, you will really enjoy The Poems of Sappho: An Interpretative Rendition into English. While very little remains of Sappho's poetry, existing fragments suggest that she had a romantic interest in those of her own sex. Her poems are written as words spoken from one person to another and speak about the joys and difficulties of romantic love. In modern times, she has come to be known as a great lesbian poet, and her work is enjoyed by many both within and outside the LGBTQ community.

A solo recording of A Midsummer Night's Dream in an American dialect.

Eugene O’Neill’s tale of Ephraim Cabot, greedy and hard like the stone walls that surround his farm, the family patriarch brings home his new young bride, Abbie. His grown sons dissaprove; one leaves but the other stays to fight for the family fortune. What follows is a tragedy of epic proportions.

Part wolf, part Husky, he was born to the wilderness and carried his burden among men stoically. He had known starvation, bitter cold, overwork and suffering at the cruel hand of man. He was a giant among his kind and as fearless as the men who drove him mercilessly through the perils of a frozen world. And now, through the uncertain hand of fate, he is free...he is called Kazan, the Wild Dog. But his journey has just begun and survival against the unforgiving wilderness with his blind mate, Grey Wolf, is a personal challenge. He had never known fear...until now!