An Introduction to Shakespeare
by W. H. Durham F. E. Pierce H. N. MacCracken
Free AI audiobook with natural voice. No signup required.
About This Book
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
Chapters (253)
- TITLE-PAGE OF THE FIRST FOLIO, 1628 The first collected edition of Shakespeare's Plays (From the copy in the New York Public Library)
- AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE
- H. N. MacCRACKEN, PH.D. F. E. PIERCE, PH.D.
- AND
- W. H. DURHAM, PH.D.
- New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1925
- PREFACE
- CONTENTS
- AN INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE
- CHAPTER I
- AN OUTLINE OF SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE
- CHAPTER II
- ENGLISH DRAMA BEFORE SHAKESPEARE
- CHAPTER III
- THE ELIZABETHAN THEATER
- TIMON OF ATHENS, v, 4. OUTER SCENE.
- TIMON OF ATHENS, v, 3. INNER SCENE.
- CHAPTER IV
- ELIZABETHAN LONDON
- CHAPTER V
- SHAKESPEARE'S NONDRAMATIC WORKS
- CHAPTER VI
- THE SEQUENCE OF SHAKESPEARE's PLAYS
- CHAPTER VII
- SHAKESPEARE'S DEVELOPMENT AS A DRAMATIST
- CHAPTER VIII
- THE CHIEF SOURCES OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS
- CHAPTER IX
- HOW SHAKESPEARE GOT INTO PRINT
- CHAPTER X
- THE PLAYS OF THE FIRST PERIOD—IMITATION AND EXPERIMENT 1587 (?)-1594
- CHAPTER XI
- THE PLAYS OF THE SECOND PERIOD—COMEDY AND HISTORY
- CHAPTER XII
- THE PLAYS OF THE THIRD PERIOD—TRAGEDY
- CHAPTER XIII
- THE PLAYS OF THE FOURTH PERIOD—ROMANTIC TRAGI-COMEDY
- CHAPTER XIV
- FAMOUS MISTAKES AND DELUSIONS ABOUT SHAKESPEARE
- INDEX
- {v}
- {vii}
- {viii}
- {1}
- {2}
- {3}
- {4}
- {5}
- {6}
- {7}
- {8}
- {9}
- {10}
- {11}
- {12}
- {13}
- {14}
- {15}
- {16}
- {17}
- {18}
- {19}
- {20}
- {21}
- {22}
- {23}
- {24}
- {25}
- {26}
- {27}
- {28}
- {29}
- {30}
- {31}
- {32}
- {33}
- {34}
- {35}
- {36}
- {37}
- {38}
- {39}
- {40}
- {41}
- {42}
- {43}
- {44}
- {45}
- {46}
- {47}
- {48}
- {49}
- {50}
- {51}
- {52}
- {53}
- {54}
- {55}
- {56}
- {57}
- {58}
- {59}
- {60}
- {61}
- {62}
- {63}
- {64}
- {65}
- {66}
- {67}
- {68}
- {69}
- {70}
- {71}
- {72}
- {73}
- {74}
- {75}
- {76}
- {77}
- {78}
- {79}
- {80}
- {81}
- {82}
- {83}
- {84}
- {85}
- {86}
- {87}
- {88}
- {89}
- {90}
- {91}
- {92}
- {93}
- {94}
- {95}
- {96}
- {97}
- {98}
- {99}
- {100}
- {101}
- {102}
- {103}
- {104}
- {105}
- {106}
- {107}
- {108}
- {109}
- {110}
- {111}
- {112}
- {113}
- {114}
- {115}
- {116}
- {117}
- {118}
- {119}
- {120}
- {121}
- {122}
- {123}
- {124}
- {125}
- {126}
- {127}
- {128}
- {129}
- {130}
- {131}
- {132}
- {133}
- {134}
- {135}
- {136}
- {137}
- {138}
- {139}
- {140}
- {141}
- {142}
- {143}
- {144}
- {145}
- {146}
- {147}
- {148}
- {149}
- {150}
- {151}
- {152}
- {153}
- {154}
- {155}
- {157}
- {158}
- {159}
- {160}
- {161}
- {162}
- {164}
- {165}
- {166}
- {168}
- {170}
- {172}
- {173}
- {174}
- {175}
- {176}
- {177}
- {178}
- {179}
- {180}
- {181}
- {182}
- {183}
- {184}
- {185}
- {186}
- {187}
- {188}
- {189}
- {190}
- {191}
- {192}
- {193}
- {194}
- {195}
- {196}
- {197}
- {198}
- {199}
- {200}
- {201}
- {202}
- {203}
- {204}
- {205}
- {206}
- {207}
- {208}
- {209}
- {210}
- {211}
- {212}
- {213}
- {214}
- {215}
How to Listen
- 1. Click "Listen Free" above
- 2. The book opens in CastReader's browser reader
- 3. Click the play button — AI narration starts with word highlighting
- 4. Use "Send to Phone" to continue listening on your phone
FAQ
Is this audiobook really free?
Yes. "An Introduction to Shakespeare" is a public domain work from Project Gutenberg. CastReader converts it to audio using AI text-to-speech for free. No account or payment needed.
What does the AI voice sound like?
CastReader uses Kokoro TTS, a natural-sounding AI voice. It handles punctuation, names, and dialogue naturally. Most listeners forget it's AI after a few minutes.
Can I listen on my phone?
Yes. Open the book, then use "Send to Phone" to stream audio to your phone via Telegram. No app download needed.