The Head That Wears a Crown: Speeches for Royal Men by William Shakespeare

Gr 10 Up—Acclaimed actor and Tony Award winner Alan Cumming, delivers 22 of Shakespeare's monologues, ranging from the most famous speeches (Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" and King Richard III's "Now is the winter of our discontent") to the less well known (Cranmer's "Let me speak sir" from Henry VIII). Legendary kings are brought to life in Cumming's renditions. Macbeth's moral unraveling can be heard through grit and darkness, balanced by Prospero's calm, resolute epilogue in The Tempest. Cumming is remarkable in his adaptations and ability to get inside the plays in short excerpts. Individual tracks could be used to enhance any Shakespeare lesson. However, only students well-versed in Shakespeare's works could listen to these speeches without prior introduction. This collection would be most appropriate for students in high schools or colleges that offer a full course about the Bard.—Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT