A Personal Anthology of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

This personal anthology is my choice of speeches from Shakespeare that I enjoy reading (that I would like to have had by heart years ago!) and that seem to me to illustrate his unsurpassed use of language. He was a man who seemed to know everything about human nature and as Orson Welles said ‘he speaks to everyone and we all claim him’. I know that it has been said that ‘it is impossible to be a great Shakespearian actor without an idiosyncratic and extraordinary voice’ and this may be so, but that does not preclude ordinary mortals from reading, hearing and enjoying Shakespeare. (Summary by Martin Clifton)

Genre(s): Humorous Fiction, Romance

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 As You Like It (Act 2, Scene 7) : All the World’s a Stage Martin Clifton
00:01:41
Play 02 Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 3) : To Thine Own Self Be True Martin Clifton
00:01:36
Play 03 Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2) : What a Piece of Work Is Man Martin Clifton
00:01:24
Play 04 Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1) : To Be or Not To Be Martin Clifton
00:02:01
Play 05 Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 2) : Speak the Speech Martin Clifton
00:02:11
Play 06 Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2) : Bestrides the Narrow World Martin Clifton
00:01:47
Play 07 Julius Caesar (Act 3, Scene 2) : If You Have Tears Prepare To Shed Them Now Martin Clifton
00:01:51
Play 08 Julius Caesar (Act 3, Scene 2) : Friends, Romans, Countrymen Martin Clifton
00:02:01
Play 09 Julius Caesar (Act 3, Scene 2) : Let Me Not Stir You Up Martin Clifton
00:01:22
Play 10 Julius Caesar (Act 5, Scene 5) : This Was the Noblest Roman of Them All Martin Clifton
00:00:41
Play 11 King Henry V (Act 3, Scene 1) : Once More Unto the Breach Martin Clifton
00:01:55
Play 12 King Henry V (Act 4, Scene 3) : This Day is Called the Feast of Crispian Martin Clifton
00:01:43
Play 13 King Richard III (Act 1, Scene 1) : Now is the Winter of Our Discontent Martin Clifton
00:02:18
Play 14 Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7) : If It Were Done Martin Clifton
00:01:47
Play 15 Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 1) : Is This a Dagger Martin Clifton
00:02:06
Play 16 The Merchant of Venice (Act 1, Scene 3) : Many a Time and Oft Martin Clifton
00:01:27
Play 17 The Merchant of Venice (Act 3, Scene 1) : If You Prick Us Do We Not Bleed Martin Clifton
00:01:36
Play 18 The Merchant of Venice (Act 4, Scene 1) : The Quality of Mercy Martin Clifton
00:01:26
Play 19 Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2) : What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks Martin Clifton
00:01:28
Play 20 Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2) : Romeo, Romeo Martin Clifton
00:01:10