Shakespeare DVDs
As You Like It
Rosalind is the daughter of banished Duke Senior and is being raised at the court of Duke Frederick, with her cousin Celia. She falls in love with a young man named Orlando, but she is banished by Duke Frederick, who threatens death if she comes near the court again. Celia goes with Rosalind. Disguised as the boy Ganymede, Rosalind enters the forest of Arden. Upon their arrival in the forest, they happen upon Orlando and his manservant, who are fleeing the wrath of Orlando's eldest brother. What follows is an elaborate scheme devised by the cross-dressing Rosalind to find out the verity of Orlando's supposed passion for her, and to further capture his heart, through the witty and mischievous façade of Ganymede.
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Kevin Kline, Alfred Molina, Brian Blessed, Romola Garai, Adrian Lester, Janet McTeer, David Oyelowo.
Hamlet
Hamlet, a prince of medieval-era Denmark, senses treachery behind his royal father's death. His mother is all too dangerously entangled in that treachery. This film portrays Shakespeare's immortal tale of high adventure and evil deeds.
Cast: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Ian Holm, Helena Bonham-Carter.
Hamlet
In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's work, the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer. Meanwhile, war is brewing.
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Gerard Depardieu, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Jack Lemmon, Rufus Sewell, Robin Williams, Kate Winslet.
King Lear
When England's aging King Lear renounces his throne to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, treachery, madness and murder soon follow. After banishing Cordelia, his most loyal daughter, Lear is betrayed and cast out by her elder sisters Regan and Goneril. Meanwhile, evil brews at the Gloucester castle as Edgar falls victim to his brother's deception. As battle lines are drawn and backs are stabbed, Lear rages against a fearsome storm. Can a man undo his wrongs? Will Cordelia be saved? Or will the wheels of fate crush all in its way?
Cast: Patrick Mower (Edmund), Ann Lynn (Regan), Philip Brack (Albany), Beth Harris (Goneril), Patrick Magee (King Lear), Wendy Allnutt (Cordelia), Robert Coleby (Edgar), Ronald Radd (Gloucester), Ray Smith (Kent).
King Lear
A dramatization of William Shakespeare's play in which tragedy occurs when an old king divides his kingdom between his daughters.
Cast: Yuri Jarvet, Valentina Shendrikova, Elsa Radzin, Galina Volchek.
King Lear
Proposing to divide his vast kingdom amongst his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cornelia, Lear devises a test for his offspring to convince him of their suitability and compassion for rule. Goneril and Regan's true colors emerge as they unleash a vast conspiracy of greed and cruelty within the once loyal dynasty.
Cast: Ian McKellen, Frances Barber, Monica Dolan, Romola Garai, Peter Hinton, Jonathan Hyde, William Gaunt, Sylvester McCoy, Philip Winchester, Ben Meyjes, Guy Williams, Julian Harries.
Love's Labour's Lost
The King of Navarre and his friends think that they cannot love again. When the Princess of France and her attendants arrive for a visit, their plans are completely turned upside down.
Cast: Philip Cumbus, Trystan Gravelle, William Mannering, Jack Farthing, Michelle Terry, Thomasin Rand.
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
An adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play, chronicling the events around the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Cast: Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr.
The Merchant Of Venice
"Antonio, a successful but cash-poor merchant, approaches Shylock, a wealthy moneylender, for a loan to help his young friend Bassanio woo the fair Portia. Despite being longtime enemies, Shylock grants the request, but demands one pound of Antonio's flesh if the debt is not repaid on time. When Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock seeks what is legally owed him but soon learns that those to whom evil is done, do evil in return." - Container.
Cast: Al Pacino (Shylock), Jeremy Irons (Antonio), Joseph Fiennes (Bassanio), Lynn Collins (Portia), Zuleikha Robinson (Jessica), Kris Marshall (Gratiano), Charlie Cox (Lorenzo), Heather Goldenhersh (Nerissa), Mackenzie Crook (Lancelot Gobbo), John Sessions (Salerio), Gregor Fisher (Solanio), Ron Cook (Old Gobbo), Allan Corduner (Tubal), Anton Rodgers (The Duke), David Harewood (Prince of Morocco), Antonio Gil-Martinez (Aragon).
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The capriciousness of lovers is the theme of this romantic and entertaining comedy, given a frolicsome rendition by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Cast: Ian Richardson (Oberon), Judi Dench (Titania), Ian Holm (Puck), David Warner (Lysander), Diana Rigg (Helena), Derek Godfrey, Barbara Jefford, Nicholas Selby, Hugh Sullivan, Michael Jayston, Helen Mirren, Paul Rogers, Sebastian Shaw, Bill Travers, Clive Swift, Donald Eccles, John Normington.
Shakespeare Uncovered
Six episodes combine history, biography, iconic performances, new analysis, and the personal passion of their celebrated hosts (Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn, Joely Richardson, and David Tennant) to tell the story behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays.
Twelfth Night, or, What You Will
After a shipwreck, twin siblings Viola and Sebastian wash up on the shores of Illyria. Viola, disguised as a man named Cesario, takes up service with the Duke Orsino, who is madly in love with the Lady Olivia. But Olivia is in mourning over her brother's death, so Orsino sends Cesario over as an emissary of love, except that Olivia falls for Viola!
Cast: Frances Barber (Viola), Tim Barker (Sea captain, Antonio), Christopher Ravenscroft (Orsino), Christopher Hollis (Curio, Sebastian), Julian Gartside (Valentine), James Saxon (Sir Toby Belch), Abigail McKern (Maria), James Simmons (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Anton Lesser (Feste), Caroline Langrishe (Olivia), Richard Briers (Malvolia), Shaun Prendergast (Fabian).
A Performance of Macbeth
When a trio of witches prophesy Macbeth's ascension to the throne, Lady Macbeth pushes her husband into a murderous spree. But once crowned king of Scotland, Macbeth sees ghastly visions, fueled by guilt and a new prophecy, that ensure his ultimate downfall.
Cast: Ian McKellen (Macbeth), Judi Dench (Lady Macbeth), John Bown (Lennox), Susan Dury (3rd witch, Lady Macduff), Judith Harte (2nd witch, Gentlewoman), Greg Hicks (Donalbain, Seyton), David Howey (Seargeant, 1st murderer, Doctor), Griffith Jones (Duncan), Marie Kean (1st witch), Ian McDiarmid (Ross, Porter), Bob Peck (Macduff), Duncan Preston (Angus), Roger Rees (Malcolm), Zak Taylor (Fleance, Messenger), Stephen Warner (Young Macduff), John Woodvine (Banquo).
Much Ado About Nothing
With his wedding a week away, Claudio can't wait to marry the beautiful young Hero. To distract him, his best friend Don Pedro devises mischief: a romantic trap for the sharp-tongued Beatrice and the man she loves to hate, Benedick. Their amusement is almost spoiled by the jealous scheming of Don John, but love and laughter prevail when the local constable unwittingly exposes the plot--and all the trouble proves to be much ado about nothing.
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Richard Briers, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale, Brian Blessed.
Othello
In this dramatization of William Shakespeare's tragedy a great man's vanity is manipulated by a jealous aide to bring about his downfall. Betrayal, deception and murder end the friendship between Othello and Iago and culminate in the tragic death of Desdemona.
Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob, Kenneth Branagh.
The Taming of The Shrew
Petruchio is a poverty-stricken gentleman from Verona who journeys to Padua in search of a wealthy wife. There he meets Katharina, a self-willed shrew who leads Petruchio on a merry chase before he successfully circumvents her attempts to avoid marriage. After the honeymoon, Kate helps Petruchio win a wager that he has the most obedient wife. In reality, Kate has found a more effective way to dominate her mate.
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern, Alfred Lynch, Alan Webb, Michael York, Victor Spinetti, Natasha Pyne.
The Tempest
"This modern retelling of William Shakespeare's final masterpiece is an exciting, mystical, and magical fantasy ... Exiled to a magical island, the sorceress Prospera ... conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes her powers for revenge"--Container.
Cast: Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Reeve Carney, Tom Conti, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Djimon Hounsou, Felicity Jones, Alfred Molina, David Strathairn, Ben Whishaw.
The Shakespeare Sessions
Royal Shakespeare Company directors John Barton and Sir Peter Hall travel to America to conduct workshops with the all-star cast of the Broadway production of The merchant of Venice. Subjects covered include: creating a world with words, the clues are in the text, playing the story, Shakespeare's advice to the actor, changing gears from prose to verse, the questions reveal the character, handling emotion, setting the word against the word, and connecting with the audience. Also includes the actors' talking about their experiences working with John Barton.
Presenters: John Barton, Sir Peter Hall ; commentators and workshop participants: Kevin Kline, Dustin Hoffman, David Hyde Pierce, Cynthia Nixon, Liev Schreiber, Charles S. Dutton, Harriet Walter, Patrick Stewart ... [et al.].