The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (version 4): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (version 4), 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 The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (version 4) by William Shakespeare. Read in English by LibriVox Volunteers. Considered to be William Shakespeare’s greatest masterwork and one of the most influential, quotable and enduring works in all of literature, Hamlet has left audiences and critics alike spellbound for over four centuries, captivating stages, classrooms, movie screens and imaginations all over the world with its gripping and timeless story of murder, betrayal, justice, madness, mortality, corruption and familial loyalty. The young Prince Hamlet, mourning the recent death of his father, is shocked and angered to see his mother Gertrude hastily remarry his uncle Claudius, who has now taken Denmark’s throne as sovereign. But events take a more sinister turn when his father’s ghost pays Hamlet a visit and announces that he was murdered—and reveals that Claudius is the culprit! Driven by a mix of grief, rage and a thirst for justice, Hamlet sets out on a harrowing path to avenge his father and restore order in the Danish court. But revenge isn’t as simple as it seems. As Hamlet struggles to uncover the truth and confront his own moral conscience and indecisiveness, the world around him begins to unravel (including, possibly, his own sanity), the webs of deceit and malice tighten their grip, and a bloody and tragic finale lurks in the shadows, promising few survivors after the final sword is drawn. And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad “Hamlet” Filippone) and three women (Sonia, Jenn Broda, and Kelly S. Taylor), determined to give you a performance of Shakespeare's work that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter CAST LIST: Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Narrator; Claudius; Ghost; Second Clown; Prologue to The Mousetrap. Tomas Peter: Hamlet; Cornelius; First Dane. Sonia: Gertrude; Horatio; First Player / Player King; Captain; Second Dane; Second Lord. Craig Franklin: Polonius; Fortinbras; Barnardo; First Clown; Lucianus; Gentleman Courtier; First Lord. Kelly S. Taylor: Laertes; Rosencrantz; Marcellus; Reynaldo; Player Queen; First Sailor; First Ambassador. Jenn Broda: Ophelia; Guildenstern; Francisco; Voltemand; Osric; Priest; Servant to Horatio; Messenger.

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (version 4)
• Author credits: William Shakespeare
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 6
• Listed recording duration: 3:46:36

Catalogue topics

• Shakespeare
• morality
• murder
• suicide
• ghost
• family
• hamlet
• revenge

Track guide

1. 00 - Dramatis Personae — 3:15
2. 01 - Act I — 50:08
3. 02 - Act II — 41:38
4. 03 - Act III — 54:11
5. 04 - Act IV — 38:10
6. 05 - Act V — 39:14

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.