King Lear

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: Paul Scofield, Alec McCowen, Kenneth Branagh

The tragedy of King Lear receives an outstanding performance in an all-star cast led by Britain’s senior classical actor, Paul Scofield. He is joined by Alec McCowen as Gloucester, Kenneth Branagh as The Fool, Harriet Walter as Gonerill, Sara Kestelman as Regan and Emilia Fox as Cordelia. This is the 9th recording of Shakespeare plays undertaken by Naxos AudioBooks in conjunction with Cambridge University Press, and is directed by John Tydeman. It was released to mark the 80th birthday of Paul Scofield in January 2002.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2002 CUP (P)2002 Naxos AudioBooks

Ripeness is all…

To any who listen to this tale, who hear it deep in their hearts, I sincerely wish the courage necessary to bear it well. Linger with the language and make good use of the ability to back up and hear a line, a scene, again. The play is difficult to hear, difficult to see, and I am amazed to imagine how difficult to write.

This cold night will turn us all to fools & madmen

I think it was necessary for me to re-discover this when Trump is president. I might just need to read it every year until 2021. Anyway, I'm not done with this review, but need to sit in the rain a bit and think about it. Push my toes into the mud and think about mortality a bit. It certainly isn't a play I would have related to well in my twenties or even thirties, but as my parents age and as I age myself, I see the shadows of mortality approach. The certainty of youth, and the boldness of decades past are now gone. Replaced with, not madness no, an ache in the brain and those vain whispers that promise all is not lost and everything lasts.

An Adult Opportunity

Great to hear as a middle adult with aging parents and young adult children. What is the legacy of care that we want to leave? I am working on reading and listening to literature that we read as adolescents and young adults which were really meant for a later stage of emotional and intellectual development. This was a good one. Les Miserable, unabridged, was another.

Good but volume kept changing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

no. Too difficut to follow the charactors

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the sound effects.

Any additional comments?

The voices volume kept changing so It was difficult to keep listening.

Sublime!

Scofield is an eminent King Lear. King Lear is a great play - still relevant in the world of today. There is deep meaning in the interplay between madness and sanity. We live in a strange world where sanity is under pressure by unrealistic expectations - and Lear shows us how destructive this power is.
Please enjoy and learn.