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Young King Henry V inherits the crown from his father. But, the family's claim to the throne is weak and his wild, dissolute youth still haunts him. To strengthen his position he decides to invade France, a move strongly supported by the Archbishop, who has his own motives. An insult by the Dauphin is enough for Henry to set out with a relatively small invasion force to experience the true nature of war firsthand. Soon his leadership is challe...

Hotspur is dead and a new rebellion against the king is forming, supported by his father the Earl of Northumberland. The moving continuation of King Henry IV Part 1 delves into a broad spectrum of society, from Falstaff and his shadowy associations to the nobility and high court. Prince Hal, though he has proven himself in battle, is still hanging around in bawdy taverns and keeping lowly company. His father fears he is entirely unsuited for k...

Delve into the turbulent history of 15th century England, where the continuing battle for the crown is marked by rebellion, deceit and bloodshed. Having usurped the throne from King Richard II, King Henry IV is himself threatened by opposition from some of the nobles that helped him gain it. Guilt troubles his conscience and he despairs about the self-indulgent behavior of his son Prince Hal who hangs around in taverns and keeps the company of...

Best known for his many theater masterpieces, William Shakespeare was also a prolific poet. It seems likely that an outbreak of the plague in London, which led to a closure of public gathering places like theaters, forced Shakespeare to find another means of earning wages. In the third Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley he found a patron that allowed him to stay in London and write the brief epics Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, ...

In Shakespeare's bawdy bedroom farce, the dissolute Sir John Falstaff seeks to restore his declining fortunes by seducing the wife of a wealthy Windsor citizen. His ambitions go awry when two of his intended victims realize what Falstaff is up to and seek to lure him into a trap of their own. The Merry Wives of Windsor explores greed, envy and revenge, yet ends on a note of forgiveness. Shakespeare weaves an intricate plot, full of disguises a...

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy with a heart of darkness. In order to help a beloved friend, Antonio takes a loan from Shylock, a grasping Jewish moneylender. The terms of the loan state that if Antonio defaults on the loan, he must make restitution with a pound of his own flesh. One of Shakespeare's most complex characters, Shylock is at once villainous and profoundly human. He embodies commonplace anti-Semitic stereotypes, yet his motivat...

The struggle for the crown takes on new dimensions as the realm of King Henry VI tears itself apart in civil war. His defeat in battle at St. Albans has placed the Duke of York on the throne. Henry and York agree that Henry rules until death but that York would then inherit the crown. Queen Margaret, unwilling to accept the disinheritance of her son, leads a counterattack by the Lancastrians. Soon a whole nation suffers under wars led by warmo...

King Henry VI matures as a gentle, spiritual man. Peace has been established between England and France and Suffolk has arranged a strategic marriage for the King to Margaret of Anjou. Suffolk, with his close relationship to Margaret, and the Duke of Gloucester hold influential positions at the court, as Henry lacks interest in politics and the affairs of the state. This weakness in leadership opens the door for power struggles among the royal...

A father of newborn identical twins gives the boys the same name, while acquiring another set of twins (who also share a name) to be servant to his sons. What are the odds that a shipwreck will separate them, leaving two pairings of master and servant with identical names? If it's a Shakespeare comedy, it is virtually inevitable. It is also inevitable that these pairs will wind up in the same town, unaware of each other's presence, causing a g...

Love's Labour's Lost is a play about the quest for love amidst a madcap battle of wits between the sexes. When the King of Navarre decides to devote himself to asceticism and study, he enlists three of his noblemen to join him in this endeavor. But no sooner have they made their vows then the Princess of France arrives, and sets all their plans awry. One of Shakespeare's most linguistically challenging plays, Love's Labour's Lost is dense with...

Can true love survive the tests of separation, jealousy, political intrigue, and war? Cymbeline tells the tale of the Ancient British princess Imogen and her lowly lover Posthumus. After the two elope, Posthumus is exiled to Rome, where the scoundrel Iachimo tries to convince him of Imogen's unfaithfulness. Shakespeare combines romantic tribulations with high adventure, as the imminent Roman invasion of Britain leaves King Cymbeline looking fo...

As You Like It is a light-hearted, gender-bending comedy by William Shakespeare. Rosalind has fallen for Orlando, but wants to test his feelings, so she disguises herself as a boy and befriends him. Will Orlando convince Rosalind he is for real, or will the guy talk turn her off? Shakespeare gleefully throws a number of courting couples into the mix, adds a dose of political scheming, and turns up the fun in what has become one of his most bel...

All's Well that Ends Well shows that persistence and guile can win the heart of the man of your dreams - at least in William Shakespeare's world. When Helena saves the life of the King, her reward is to choose any man she wishes for a husband. It seems like a dream come true, but turns into a nightmare when her new better half wants nothing to do with her! In a plot which combines farce and melodrama, Helena sets out to win (or at least outwit...

Passions unleashed cause much wooing and confusion in the magical woods of Athens. Whether real or induced by magical potions seems to make little difference, showing that love is far from rational, though those afflicted might feel otherwise. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a delightful comedy that offers something for everyone. The intertwined love constellations include Hermia and Lysander, who having decided to elope, steal away into the fore...

Has any other love story become so enmeshed in our culture as the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet? In fair Verona the families of Montague and Capulet are locked in a long-standing, bitter blood feud when young Romeo Montague slips into a masquerade party at the Capulet's. During the dance he glimpses Juliet, the daughter of the house, and is struck by love at first sight. She returns his passion and they promise each other everlasting love n...

Pericles, Prince of Tyre is the story of one man's exploits on the high seas and the family he wishes to reunite against the odds. The title character loves a challenge, taking on contests of strength and wit as well as heroic acts of charity. His biggest challenge would seem to be coping with the loss of his wife at sea, but fate has another set-back in store for Pericles. Will he also have to face the death of his beloved daughter? Shakespea...

Beware of overly eager second-in-commands. When they get their hands on the power they have been waiting for, trouble is sure to follow. In Measure for Measure, the keen deputy is Angelo, who the Duke has left in charge of the decadent city of Vienna. His harsh crackdown on sexual permissiveness gives Shakespeare the opportunity to muse on judgment and hypocrisy, as Angelo proves to be no better than the criminals he prosecutes. Measure for Me...

No one does romantic comedy like William Shakespeare, and Much Ado About Nothing is the Bard at the top of his game. The Italian countryside is the perfect setting for love, which soon appears in abundance. We have Hero and Claudio, star-struck sweethearts who are kept apart by wicked machinations. Beatrice and Benedick are the original couple who can't stand each other yet are made for each other. Add to that a bevy of villains, fools, and as...

One of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, Othello sets itself apart with its personal scale, fascinating plot and compelling, exotic characters. It shows the two sides of passion with shocking clarity. At first great love overcomes the great differences in social status, age, and race between Othello and Desdemona and their mutual devotion seems invulnerable. But the waves of passion are turned to obsessive jealousy at the hand of Iago, the per...

For generations audiences have been gripped by the powerful drama of Macbeth: the ruinous journey of a man driven by his ambition for power, yet ultimately ending in fear violence, and madness. Macbeth, a Scottish general in King Duncan's army, is given a prophecy by three witches that he himself will become king. Fueled by this knowledge and goaded on by his ruthless wife he murders the king to gain the crown. Yet having gained his goal, the ...