Measure for Measure (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Justice, Mercy, and Power in a Dark Jacobean ComedyBy William Shakespeare
Length17h 11m
About this audiobook
Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare's most searching "problem plays," a darkly comic examination of justice, mercy, desire, and public morality in a Vienna governed by hypocrisy and surveillance. In its unabridged form, the play preserves the full density of Shakespeare's language: legal rhetoric, theological argument, bawdy wit, and sudden lyric tenderness. Written in the early Jacobean period, it stands beside Hamlet and Troilus and Cressida in its skepticism toward authority and its fascination with ethical ambiguity. William Shakespeare, actor, shareholder, and playwright of the King's Men, wrote from within a theatrical culture attuned to politics, religion, and popular entertainment. His experience of civic law, court patronage, and London's teeming social world informs the play's uneasy balance between stage comedy and moral inquiry. The accompanying classic biography, The Life of William Shakespeare, offers readers a valuable framework for understanding the man behind the dramatic imagination. This edition is recommended for readers who want both the complete theatrical text and historical orientation. It will reward students, scholars, and general readers interested in Shakespeare's mature art and enduring questions of power, conscience, and forgiveness.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- An Introduction draws the threads together, discussing why these diverse authors and texts belong in one collection.
- Historical Context explores the cultural and intellectual currents that shaped these works, offering insight into the shared (or contrasting) eras that influenced each writer.
- A combined Synopsis (Selection) briefly outlines the key plots or arguments of the included pieces, helping readers grasp the anthology's overall scope without giving away essential twists.
- A collective Analysis highlights common themes, stylistic variations, and significant crossovers in tone and technique, tying together writers from different backgrounds.
- Reflection questions encourage readers to compare the different voices and perspectives within the collection, fostering a richer understanding of the overarching conversation.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length17 hrs 11 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 27, 2014
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Measure for Measure (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5Measure for Measure (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare
Show all chaptersShow less
6PERSONS REPRESENTED.
7ACT I.
8ACT II.
9ACT III.
10ACT IV.
11ACT V.
12The Life of William Shakespeare
13PREFACE
14I—PARENTAGE AND BIRTH
15II—CHILDHOOD, EDUCATION, AND MARRIAGE
16III—THE FAREWELL TO STRATFORD
17IV—ON THE LONDON STAGE
18V.—EARLY DRAMATIC EFFORTS
19VI—THE FIRST APPEAL TO THE READING PUBLIC
20VII—THE SONNETS AND THEIR LITERARY HISTORY
21VIII—THE BORROWED CONCEITS OF THE SONNETS
22IX—THE PATRONAGE OF THE EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON
23X—THE SUPPOSED STORY OF INTRIGUE IN THE SONNETS
24XI—THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMATIC POWER
25XII—THE PRACTICAL AFFAIRS OF LIFE
26XIII—MATURITY OF GENIUS
27XIV—THE HIGHEST THEMES OF TRAGEDY
28XV—THE LATEST PLAYS
29XVI—THE CLOSE OF LIFE
30XVII—SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS
31XVIII—AUTOGRAPHS, PORTRAITS, AND MEMORIALS
32XIX—BIBLIOGRAPHY
33XX—POSTHUMOUS REPUTATION
34XXI—GENERAL ESTIMATE
35APPENDIX (pt. 1)
36APPENDIX (pt. 2)
37Analysis
38Reflection
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