Everyone should be familiar with the timeless works of William Shakespeare.  Now with Understanding Shakespeare, everyone can!  This Tragedy Series brings four of Shakespeare’s greatest plays to life, with the skilled help of classically trained actors and internationally renowned Shakespearean scholars.  Key scenes are acted, analyzed and interpreted throughout the plays.  Insightful comments help explain meaning, characters, motives, background action and plot.  Whether or nor you’ve read Shakespeare before, this program is the best way to understand, appreciate and enjoy the majesty of his greatest tragedies.

Hamlet
Considered by many authorities as Shakespeare’s greatest play, Hamlet may also be the most representative character in all-dramatic literature.  It’s a classic tragedy of a young prince torn by indecision.  “To be or not to be? That is the question” for a grief-stricken hero caught in the toils of countless dangers.  Revenge, nobility, and honor are the quintessential elements of one of Shakespeare’s great masterworks.

MacBeth
Did you know that popular phrases “sound and fury” “primrose way” and “the milk of human kindness” are taken from MacBeth?  Shakespeare’s classic tragedy tells the story of a good man gone bad, driven to murder by “ugly ambition” and fueled by a power-hungry wife.  MacBeth’s desire to fulfill his prophecies of greatness – foretold by three witches – ultimately leads to wicked acts and his eventual downfall.

Othello
Othello presents the timeless battle of good versus evil.  The sinister Iago is pitted against Othello, a man of honor.  Yet Othello “loved not wisely, but too well,” perhaps his tragic flaw.  Iago, the classic Shakespearean antagonist, manipulates Othello’s trust until it becomes a fit of deadly jealousy and rage that causes him to murder his loving wife Desdemona.  Shakespeare’s display of dramatic, situational and verbal irony makes Othello one of his most fascinating works.

Romeo and Juliet
Although Romeo and Juliet is based on the long-standing hatred between two families, it’s a tale of “star-crossed lovers” is perhaps the greatest tragic love story in English literature.  In their heedless passion for each other, Romeo and Juliet defy the rules of their world to be together.  The Capulets and Montagues, warring families of Verona, are ultimately united by Romeo and Juliet’s doomed relationship. A classic story that has since seen many modern interpretations.