Part of the series The Wars of the Roses. (The three parts of Henry VI have been adapted to Henry VI, House of Lancaster, and Henry VI, House of York.)

I have the strength to walk my own path, no matter how hard, in my search for reality, and not cling to the splendid wagon of desperate illusions. A writer of novels, short stories, folktales, plays, and essays, Zora Neale Hurston combined a hunger for research and a desire to penetrate the deepest of popular beliefs with a truly exquisite narrative talent. This illuminating biography of Hurston-a compelling story of a free spirit who achieved national...

In this program, Michael Wood uncovers the story of Shakespeare's life in the "new age" of King James I. It is a riveting exploration of the circumstances that led to the penning of Macbeth and The Tempest - a play often seen as his farewell to the stage. However, we discover his true final play, King Henry VIII, is inspired by his own times, the story of the split that shook up his parents' lives and shaped his own. Even in his death, Shakespeare...

Part of the series The Wars of the Roses.

"There are so few established facts about how the son of a glove maker from Warwickshire became one of the greatest writers of all time that some people doubt he could really have written so many astonishing plays. We know that he married Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant and six years older than he, at the age of eighteen, and that one of their children died of the plague. We know that he left Stratford to seek his fortune in London, and eventually...

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with marginal notes and explanations and full descriptions of each character.

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, discusses the author and the theater of his time, and provides quizzes and other study activities.

Journalist and novelist Bidisha was fascinated by Bronte's Jane Eyre as a teenager, but re-reading the story as an adult left her feeling uncomfortable. What Bronte had to say about sex and race was darker and more disturbing than she remembered. Revisiting this classic Victorian novel, Bidisha sees her role model, and the society which spawned her, through very different eyes. Is Jane Eyre really the spirited, independent woman Bidisha admired as...

Six episodes combine history, biography, iconic performances, new analysis, and the personal passion of their celebrated hosts (Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn, Joely Richardson, and David Tennant) to tell the story behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays.

The daughter of Duke Senior, Rosalind is driven from her cruel uncle's court and goes to find her father who has taken refuge in the Forest of Arden.