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 12m
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 12 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateFeb 27, 2014
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5Measure for Measure (The Unabridged Play) + The Classic Biography: The Life of William Shakespeare
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6PERSONS REPRESENTED.
7ACT I.
8ACT II.
9ACT III.
10ACT IV.
11ACT V.
12PREFACE
13I—PARENTAGE AND BIRTH
14II—CHILDHOOD, EDUCATION, AND MARRIAGE
15III—THE FAREWELL TO STRATFORD
16IV—ON THE LONDON STAGE
17V.—EARLY DRAMATIC EFFORTS
18VI—THE FIRST APPEAL TO THE READING PUBLIC
19VII—THE SONNETS AND THEIR LITERARY HISTORY
20VIII—THE BORROWED CONCEITS OF THE SONNETS
21IX—THE PATRONAGE OF THE EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON
22X—THE SUPPOSED STORY OF INTRIGUE IN THE SONNETS
23XI—THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMATIC POWER
24XII—THE PRACTICAL AFFAIRS OF LIFE
25XIII—MATURITY OF GENIUS
26XIV—THE HIGHEST THEMES OF TRAGEDY
27XV—THE LATEST PLAYS
28XVI—THE CLOSE OF LIFE
29XVII—SURVIVORS AND DESCENDANTS
30XVIII—AUTOGRAPHS, PORTRAITS, AND MEMORIALS
31XIX—BIBLIOGRAPHY
32XX—POSTHUMOUS REPUTATION
33XXI—GENERAL ESTIMATE
34APPENDIX (pt. 1)
35APPENDIX (pt. 2)
36Analysis
37Reflection
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