The Tragedy of King Lear (version 3): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Tragedy of King Lear (version 3), 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 King Lear (version 3) by William Shakespeare. Read in English by Hamlet; Sonia; Tomas Peter; Craig Franklin Known for its heartrending emotion and shocking violence, The Tragedy of King Lear is seen as one of Shakespeare's towering masterpieces. It tells the tale of the ageing King Lear, a British monarch who disposes of his vast kingdom by giving bequests to his two eldest daughters when they flatter his vanity. Unbeknown to him, these daughters hide cold and unfeeling hearts; the only daughter truly worthy of his grace, Cordelia, is shunned and later exiled when she refuses to play her sisters' game. Lear's rash decision precipitates a series of events that all cascade into the realm of overbearing misery. Madness (both real and feigned), torture, stormy weather, sibling rivalry and the threat of war are but some of the things you can expect from this extraordinary work, all brought about by a great man who falls from the heights of power due to a single moment of irrationality. And to perform it all? Three men (Craig Franklin, Tomas Peter, and Brad "Hamlet" Filippone) and one woman (Sonia), determined to give you a performance of this moving play that you will never forget. You thought you knew your Shakespeare? Well, think again! - Summary by Tomas Peter Cast list: Brad “Hamlet” Filippone: Narrator; Earl of Kent / Caius; Duke of Albany; King of France; Curan; Old Man; Captain; First Servant to Cornwall & French Messenger. Tomas Peter: Earl of Gloucester; Edmund; Goneril; Fool; Duke of Burgundy; Physician; Knight; Second Servant to Cornwall & Second Officer. Sonia: Regan; Edgar / Poor Tom; Cordelia; Oswald; Third Servant to Cornwall & First Officer. Craig Franklin: King Lear; Duke of Cornwall; Gentleman; Messenger & Herald.

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Tragedy of King Lear (version 3)
• Author credits: William Shakespeare
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 6
• Listed recording duration: 3:43:22

Catalogue topics

• drama
• tragedy
• Shakespeare
• king lear

Track guide

1. 00 - Dramatis Personae — 2:46
2. 01 - Act I — 58:19
3. 02 - Act II — 39:57
4. 03 - Act III — 44:56
5. 04 - Act IV — 47:51
6. 05 - Act V — 29:33

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.