Shakespeare

Barely three minutes are needed to recite the known facts of William Shakespeare's life, but this excellent blend of narration and performance selections more than fulfills its promise to "discover Shakespeare in his plays and trace the course of his life through them." Hampton and Weston's narration is brisk, factual, with just the right blend of legend, speculation, and scholarly reconstruction. The passages chosen, many of them old favorites, do more than fill the gaps in Shakespeare's biography; they capture its emotional volume as well--as in the lines describing a dead child's clothes, written about the time of the death of Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet. The great Judi Dench is singularly impressive here, as convincing as a Cockney barmaid or a young girl expressing her first passion, as she is compelling as a guilt-ridden queen. Richard Hampton, a well-known British stage actor, is her perfect complement for Shakespeare's roster of melancholy kings, boasting villains, and tippling rogues. Outstanding in selection, editing, and production, this fine compilation is ideal for students and for Shakespeare lovers alike. D.A.W. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine