Much Ado About Nothing (version 2): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Much Ado About Nothing (version 2), credited to William Shakespeare, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Much Ado About Nothing (version 2) by William Shakespeare. Read in English by a full cast. Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics. Much Ado About Nothing chronicles two pairs of lovers: Benedick and Beatrice (the main couple), and Claudio and Hero (the secondary couple). Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a very "merry war"; they are both very witty and proclaim their disdain of love. In contrast, Claudio and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their love for one another. Although the young lovers Hero and Claudio provide the main impetus for the plot, the courtship between the wittier, wiser lovers Benedick and Beatrice is what makes Much Ado About Nothing so memorable. Benedick and Beatrice argue with delightful wit, and Shakespeare develops their journey from antagonism to sincere love and affection with a rich sense of humor and compassion. (Summary by Wikipedia) Cast Leonato: Bob Neufeld Messenger: Ernst Pattynama Beatrice/Boy/Second Watch: Elizabeth Klett Hero: Amanda Friday Don Pedro: Bruce Pirie Benedick: mb Don John: Eden Rea-Hedrick Claudio: Beth Thomas Antonio: Larry Wilson Conrade: Brett Downey Borachio: Chris Cartwright Balthazar: James Silverstein Margaret: Arielle Lipshaw Ursula: Sarah Parshall Dogberry: Alan Mapstone Verges: Charlotte Duckett First Watchman: rookieblue Friar Francis: bala Sexton/Lord: Todd Narrator: Libby Gohn Audio edited by mb and gloriana

Recording facts

• Recording title: Much Ado About Nothing (version 2)
• Author credits: William Shakespeare
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 5
• Listed recording duration: 2:32:51

Catalogue topics

• shakespeare
• comedy

Track guide

1. 01 - Act 1 — 23:04
2. 02 - Act 2 — 40:53
3. 03 - Act 3 — 29:54
4. 04 - Act 4 — 24:22
5. 05 - Act 5 — 34:38

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.