Kings and rulers
Classy, resonant voices such as Jeff for Claudius or Duncan; a deep, older voice such as Burt for Lear.
Shakespeare
A Shakespeare Audiobook Cast from Hamlet to the Gravedigger
Paste a play from a public domain text and hear it as a Shakespeare audiobook with a full company: Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius and the gravedigger each in their own voice, verse paced so the lines can breathe, and chapter markers at every act or scene, ready for class, rehearsal or a long drive.
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How to prepare a play for a Shakespeare audiobook
A play is a script, and the casting behind a Shakespeare audiobook reads scripts as printed: the speech prefix names the speaker. Only the scene headings need a touch.
- 1
Start from an out-of-copyright edition
Project Gutenberg and other public domain sources carry every play. Copy one play at a time, without the introduction or editor’s notes.
- 2
Keep the speech prefixes
Leave “HAMLET. To be, or not to be” as it is. A name in capitals with a period or colon marks the speaker, and the verse lines under it join the speech.
- 3
Mark acts and scenes
Lines such as “ACT III” start a chapter on their own. Put a # in front of each SCENE line too, and every scene becomes its own chapter.
- 4
Cast the company and export
Check who was detected, cast each role, preview a soliloquy, then export an M4B with scene markers or one MP3 per scene.
From the printed page to a full cast Shakespeare recording
Most older editions use the same conventions, and most can stay exactly as printed. Here is what happens to each one when it becomes Shakespeare audio.
| In the text | What to do | What you hear |
|---|---|---|
| HORATIO. Hail to your lordship! | Nothing | Horatio’s voice; the prefix picks the speaker and is not read |
| SCENE II. A hall in the castle. | # Scene 2: A hall in the castle | Each scene becomes a chapter marker |
| [Enter Ghost.] or Exit HAMLET. on its own line | Nothing, or delete it | The narrator reads it as a stage direction |
| An aside printed as [Aside.] | Move it after the name: HAMLET (aside): A little more than kin | The parenthetical becomes a direction for that speech |
| Verse lines under a prefix | Keep them as printed | They join the speech, which stays one line of the script |
| belovèd, cursèd | Respell if the voice drops the extra syllable | The meter often needs it sounded |
Speech prefixes are not read aloud: the change of voice tells the listener who is speaking, as in a radio play. For more on reading names and old words, see the audiobook pronunciation guide.
Casting the company for Shakespeare audiobooks
Each Shakespeare audiobook holds a narrator plus up to ten named roles. Choose by type, the way a repertory company did.
Villains
An eloquent villain voice for Lady Macbeth or Goneril; a husky trickster such as Callum for Iago’s charm.
Lovers
Young, bright voices for Romeo, Juliet, Hermia and Lysander, distinct enough that a lovers’ quarrel stays clear.
Fools and clowns
A chuckling, cheerful voice such as Lutz for Falstaff or the Porter, a quirky one for Puck or Feste.
Ghosts and spirits
A deep voice with a [hollow, distant] direction for old Hamlet; something lighter and stranger for Ariel.
Doubling, as the Globe did
Messengers, lords and servants share the Other voices role. Shakespeare’s own company doubled small parts the same way.
Hear a full cast in action before your Shakespeare audiobook
Before you paste a play, hear how a narrator and two characters sound together in a classic, out-of-copyright story. Your Shakespeare audio uses the same voices and controls.
Full-cast AI audiobook
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Transcript
0:000:41
Playlist
Verse, prose and soliloquies in a Shakespeare audio play
Keeping the meter alive. Shakespeare wrote most of the serious scenes in iambic pentameter, and many lines run on into the next. In a Shakespeare audiobook, keep the line breaks inside each speech; the voice reads for sense, not for line ends. A direction such as [measured, letting the verse breathe] on a long speech slows it without making it sing-song.
Prose scenes. Comic scenes, servants and tavern talk are usually in prose. Let them run at a natural pace, a little quicker than the verse around them; that contrast is part of the play.
Soliloquies and asides. “To be, or not to be” is a man alone with his thoughts. Try [quiet, inward, to himself] and compare it with a fuller reading; regenerate just that speech until it sits right.
Songs. Speech models speak rather than sing, so read Feste’s and Ariel’s songs as verse, or note them for live performance in class.
How long each Shakespeare audiobook runs
A complete Shakespeare play audiobook runs about two to three hours. Lengths assume about 155 words per minute, with Standard voices at roughly $9 to $12 per finished hour.
| Play | Words (approx.) | Listening time | Standard voices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet | 30,000 | About 3 h 15 min | $29 to $39 |
| Romeo and Juliet | 24,000 | About 2 h 35 min | $23 to $31 |
| Twelfth Night | 19,500 | About 2 h 5 min | $19 to $25 |
| Macbeth | 17,000 | About 1 h 50 min | $16 to $22 |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream | 16,000 | About 1 h 45 min | $16 to $21 |
| The Tempest | 16,000 | About 1 h 45 min | $16 to $21 |
Cut editions for class run shorter. Export the play as one M4B with a marker per scene using the built-in M4B audiobook maker.
Who uses Shakespeare audiobooks made this way
- English teachers playing one scene per lesson while students follow the text; see classroom read aloud
- Students revising a set play before an exam, scene by scene
- Drama groups learning a play’s shape before the first rehearsal
- Readers who find the plays easier to follow by ear, including audiobooks for dyslexia
- Book clubs and families working through the comedies together
Shakespeare audiobook FAQ
Is it legal to make a Shakespeare audiobook?
Shakespeare’s words are in the public domain, so you can record and share them. The catch is the edition: modern editions add copyrighted notes, introductions and editorial choices. Use an older out-of-copyright edition, such as those on Project Gutenberg, and you own the audio you generate.
Can I use the Folger or Arden text?
Check the license first. At the time of writing, Folger offers its texts free online under a noncommercial Creative Commons license rather than in the public domain, and Arden editions are copyrighted. For anything you plan to share or sell, an older edition whose copyright has expired is the safe choice.
Does it recognize speech prefixes like “HAMLET.”?
Yes. A name in capitals followed by a period or colon, such as “HAMLET.” or “LADY MACBETH:”, marks the speaker, and the verse lines after it join that speech. A parenthetical after the name, as in “HAMLET (aside):”, becomes a delivery direction. Prefixes abbreviated in mixed case, such as “Ham.”, are not detected, so set them in capitals.
What if a play has more than ten speaking roles?
Most do, and a Shakespeare audiobook handles it simply. The ten characters with the most lines get named roles and voices of their own; messengers, lords and servants share an “Other voices” role, much like doubling in Shakespeare’s own company. You can move any line to another role from its speaker menu.
Should the women’s roles be voiced by women?
That is your call. In Shakespeare’s day boys played the women, while most modern productions cast women. Voices are matched on gender where the text makes it clear, and you can swap any role, so you can follow the modern stage, the Globe or your own concept for the Shakespeare audio.
Can it read the sonnets too?
Yes. Paste them with a # heading before each sonnet, such as “# Sonnet 18”, and every poem becomes its own track. One warm voice usually suits the sonnets better than a full cast Shakespeare reading. Try a few free in the AI audiobook generator.
Raise the curtain on your play
Paste a scene and hear your Shakespeare audiobook with every role cast, free for a short sample.