Overview & Resources: Shakespeare

Shakespeare plays are meant to be watched! See some suggested family-friendly productions here, and further resources on all things Shakespeare here. 

We recommend first starting with quality re-tellings or picture books (when available), particularly in the younger years, to first gain context of the stories. Then watch productions or live plays together, whenever possible (even younger ones will pick up much from context and body language). Memorize selected lines or speeches from each play, and when able, act out or do readings together in a group setting. Listening to audio productions (while reading along) is often helpful as well, and in time, they should be able to confidently dive into reading and watching the full plays.

Some General Shakespeare Resources

• “Absolute Shakespeare, the essential resource for William Shakespeare's plays, sonnets, poems, quotes, biography and the legendary Globe Theatre”:

• Some suggested family-friendly productions

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare Audio Clips (Ludwig): A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Passage 1-4; Twelfth Night: Passages 5-11 & Bonus Passage; Romeo & Juliet: Passage 12; Macbeth: Passages 13-14; Henry IV, Part 1: Passage 15; Henry IV, Part 1 & 2: Passage 16; As You Like It: Passages 17-18; Henry V: Passage 19; Hamlet: Passages 20-24; The Tempest: Passage 25; Much Ado About Nothing: Passage 26

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Favourite Scenes From Shakespeare, Librivox Audio

• “The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare” is a series of audio drama presentations of all 38 plays of William Shakespeare. They were first released from 1998 by Arkangel and the BBC. The plays are unabridged and based on The Complete Pelican Shakespeare, published by Penguin Classics

Cycle 1: 

King Lear [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• King Lear (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): King Lear audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): King Lear audio

• King Lear Arkangel Audio

OR Othello [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• The Young Reader’s Shakespeare: Othello (McKeown) [Buy/ Audio]

• Othello (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Othello audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Othello audio

• Othello Arkangel Audio 

As You Like It [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• As You Like It (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): As You Like It audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): As You Like It audio

• As You Like It Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: As You Like It: Passage 17-18

OR Much Ado About Nothing [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• [Forms 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart), Ch. “May I Be So Converted and See With These Eyes?: Much Ado About Nothing” [Buy]

• Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Much Ado About Nothing audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Much Ado About Nothing audio

• Much Ado About Nothing Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Much Ado About Nothing: Passage 26

Richard III [History]:

[Read]:

• Richard III (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Richard III Arkangel Audio

OR Richard II [History]:

[Read]:

• Richard II (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Richard II Arkangel Audio

Cycle 2: 

Macbeth [Tragedy]

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Coville)  [Buy]

• The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Macbeth (McKeown) [Buy]

• [Form 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart): Ch. “If it Were Done When ‘Tis Done: Macbeth”  [Buy]

• Macbeth (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Macbeth audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Macbeth audio

• Arkangel Audio: Macbeth

[Watch]: 

• 1983 BBC Macbeth Production (The version listed above has some sad and bloody moments, it should be okay for kids above age 12 who are not too sensitive.)

[Recite]:

• Macbeth Recitation lines (Menu Sheet)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Romeo & Juliet: Passages 13-14

[Act]:

• Macbeth 30 min. Script

OR Cymbeline [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Cymbeline (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Cymbeline audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Cymbeline audio

• Cymbeline Arkangel Audio

A Midsummer Night's Dream [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Coville)

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): A Midsummer Night's Dream audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): A Midsummer Night's Dream audio

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream Arkangel Audio

[Recite]:

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Passage 1-4

OR The Taming of the Shrew [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• [Forms 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart), Ch. “Till She Stoop She Must Not Be Full-Gorged: The Taming of the Shrew” [Buy]

• The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): The Taming of the Shrew audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): The Taming of the Shrew audio

• The Taming of the Shrew Arkangel Audio

Henry IV, Part 1 [History]:

[Read]:

• Henry IV, Part 1 (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Henry IV, Part 1 Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Henry IV, Part 1: Passages 15-16

OR Henry IV Part 2 [History]:

[Read]:

• Henry IV Part 2 (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Henry IV Part 2 Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Henry IV, Part 2: Passage 16

Cycle 3: 

Romeo & Juliet [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Romeo and Juliet (Hodges)

• William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Coville)

• Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Romeo & Juliet audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Romeo & Juliet audio

• Romeo and Juliet Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• Romeo & Juliet Recitation Lines (Menu Sheet)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Romeo & Juliet: Passage 12 

OR Coriolanus [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Coriolanus (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Coriolanus Arkangel Audio

The Merchant of Venice [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): The Merchant of Venice audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): The Merchant of Venice audio

• The Merchant of Venice Arkangel Audio

OR The Tempest [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Coville)

• The Tempest (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): The Tempest audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): The Tempest audio

• The Tempest Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• The Tempest Recitation Lines (Menu Sheet)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: The Tempest: Passage 25

Henry V [History]:

[Read]:

• [Forms 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart), Ch. “The Mirror of all Christian Kings: Henry V” [Buy]

• Henry V (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Henry V Arkangel Audio

[Recite]

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Henry V: Passage 19

OR Henry VI Part 2 [History]:

[Read]:

• Henry VI Part 2 (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Henry VI Part 2 Arkangel Audio

Cycle 4:

Hamlet [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Coville)

• [Forms 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart), Ch. “The Serpent Now Wears the Crown: Hamlet” [Buy]

• Hamlet (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Hamlet audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Hamlet audio

• Hamlet Arkangel Audio

[Watch]: 

• Hamlet Movie (1996 Kenneth Branagh)

[Act]: 

• Hamlet 30 min. Script

[Recite]: 

• Hamlet Recitation lines (Menu Sheet)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Hamlet: Passage 20-24

OR Anthony & Cleopatra [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• Anthony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Anthony & Cleopatra Arkangel Audio

Twelfth Night [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Coville) [Buy]

• Twelfth Night (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Twelfth Night audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Twelfth Night audio

• Twelfth Night Arkangel Audio

[Watch]: 

• Twelfth Night Movie (1996 Trevor Nunn)

[Recite]: 

• Twelfth Night Lines (Menu Sheet)

• How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (Ludwig) Recitation Audio Clips: Twelfth Night: Passages 5-11 & Bonus Passage

[Act]: 

• Twelfth Night 30 min. Script

OR Measure for Measure [Comedy]:

[Read]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

• Measure for Measure (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb): Measure for Measure audio

• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit): Measure for Measure audio

• Measure for Measure Arkangel Audio

Julius Caesar [Tragedy]:

[Read]:

• The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Julius Caesar (McKeown) [Buy/ Read online]

• [Forms 3-4] Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Leithart), Ch. “Alas, Thou Has Misconstru’d Everything: Julius Caesar” [Buy]

• Julius Caesar (Shakespeare) [Buy

• The Tyrant (Hicks) [Buy] *this version has Plutarch’s Julius Caesar the first half and Shakespeare’s play in the second half

[Listen]:

• Julius Caesar Arkangel Audio

[Watch]:  

• Julius Caesar Movie (1953 B&W, Marlon Brando)

[Act]: 

• Julius Caesar 5-Scene Play (Falstein)

OR Henry VI Part 3 [History]:

[Read]:

• Henry VI Part 3 (Shakespeare) [Buy]

[Listen]:

• Henry VI Arkangel Audio

Alternative Plays:

*If desired, here are some alternative Shakespeare plays to select from when scheduled options have been covered, though repeating plays once older is often more fruitful!

• The Comedy of Errors [Comedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • The Comedy of Errors Arkangel Audio

• The Winter's Tale [Comedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • William Shakespeare’s The Winter's Tale (Coville)

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • The Winter's Tale Arkangel Audio

• Troilus & Cressida [Tragedy]:

  • Troilus & Cressida Arkangel Audio

• All's Well That Ends Well [Comedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • All's Well That Ends Well Arkangel Audio

• The Merry Wives of Windsor [Comedy]:

  • The Merry Wives of Windsor Arkangel Audio

• Love's Labour's Lost [Comedy]:

  • Love's Labour's Lost Arkangel Audio

• Timon of Athens [Tragedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • Timon of Athens Arkangel Audio

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona [Comedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • The Two Gentlemen of Verona Arkangel Audio

• Pericles, Prince of Tyre [Tragi-comedy]:

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Buy/ Read online/ Librivox]

  • Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) [Audio]

  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) [Audio]

  • Pericles, Prince of Tyre Arkangel Audio