When it was first published in 1847, Wuthering Heights was considered highly controversial for its blunt portrayal of domestic abuse, alcoholism, and the dismissal of Christian values by some of its characters. Today, this gothic novel is considered one of the greatest in English literature.Generational conflict persists between two families living on properties in a remote area of Yorkshire—the Earnshaws and the Lintons. When the sinister and powerful Hea...

First published in 1847, Jane Eyre was the most popular of the novels composed by the Brontë sisters. The narrative bristles with energy and passionate conviction, and was the first English-language novel written from the perspective of a child.Jane is an orphan, raised in the household of an unsympathetic aunt, who shows great favor to her own children—but not to Jane. Jane is soon sent to a boarding school, presided over by the harsh and tyrannical Mr. Brocklehurst. She ...

This full cast presentation includes Part 1 and Part 2 of Shakespeare’s Henry IV.In 1598 appeared a Quarto with the following title:The History of Henrie the Fourth; With the Battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henrie Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe. At London. Printed by P. S. for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598.This was the Fir...

Measure for Measure is one of darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies. Written in about 1603 and first performed in 1604, it immediately preceded the composition of the major tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtu...

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus is one of the earliest and most compelling presentations of the story of a man who sold his soul to the Devil. It is based on the popular history of Johann Georg Faust (1466–1541) a German chemist and magician, who allegedly perished in an explosion during an alchemical experiment. In the theologically charged world of early reformation Germany, a report spread that his violent death was a demonstration that the devil had come to collect his soul. The...

Melbourne, Australia, 1899.A society wife shoots her husband on a crowded street, shouting 'I did it!' Then she pleads Not Guilty.The courtroom becomes a battleground as two of Melbourne's fiercest legal minds face off: the principled prosecutor who plays for justice, and the flamboyant showman who plays to the crowd. Newspapers howl. The city takes sides. And at the centre stands Mrs Kathleen Fraser: volatile, defiant, and impossible to ignore.Is she a monster? Hys...

Shakespeare’s history plays fall into two categories: political dramas and propagandistic pageants. The second category is comprised of the two plays in this presentation, Henry V and Henry VIII.These two plays have many elements in common. An underlying theme is the necessity and glory of government by sovereign royalty. Each play is presented by a chorus, who defines the action and intent of the drama. Rather than a continuous narrative the action is depicted in...

Antonio, a wealthy and popular merchant, is in financial difficulty. He approaches a Jewish money lender, Shylock, who agrees to provide 3000 ducats, with a very curious bond – a pound of the merchant’s flesh, to be levied if Antonio fails to make a timely repayment. Feeling confident that his argosies will arrive in time to cover the debt, Antonio agrees to this bizarre transaction.Meanwhile, a wealthy gentlewoman, Portia, must choose a suitor using a curious ritual mandated by he...

This collection arguably contains some of the most charming lyrics ever written in English. The childlike simplicity and trust of these artless verses are unique.Blake’s poems can be enjoyed, not only for their historical importance in an age which was fiercely proud of its genius and its traditions, but also for their simple and beautiful expression of “two contrary states of the human soul.”Songs of Innocence was originally a complete collection of twenty-three poems, fir...

This collection contains eight of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies. Each exhibits the vigour, humour, and optimism of the young master before he turned to the gloom and bitterness of the great tragedies.ContentsA Midsummer Night’s DreamAll’s Well That Ends WellTwelfth NightMuch Ado About NothingThe Comedy of ErrorsAs You Like ItMeasure for MeasureThe M...

Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It are usually regarded as Shakespeare’s crowning achievements in the world of mirth and humor. In this group of plays, written during the playwright’s Second Period (1595–1600), the author depicts chiefly the cheerful, energetic side of life.In As You Like It, a wicked Duke expels his virtuous brother, the lawful ruler, from his domains. The banished Duke takes refuge with his followers in t...

Mistaken identity (which the Elizabethans called “Error”) is nearly always amusing, whether on the stage or in actual life. The Comedy of Errors is a play in which this situation is developed to the extreme of improbability – but we lose sight of this improbability in the roaring fun which results. Nowadays we should call a play of this type a farce, since most of the fun comes from situations which are improbable and the play depends on these for success, rather than on character...