Shakespeare Uncovered

This Italian tale about lovers is an exquisite comedy of comparison and contrast. Helen Hunt, who has played Beatrice twice, investigates this finely balanced play through the testimonies of other actors who have played the major roles.

F. Murray Abraham, who has played two great Jewish "villains," including Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespearean comedy's many "excluded" figures, explains the European anti-Semitism in Shakespeare's time.

Shakespeare shows us the brutal implications of high moral principles on both sides in this dark and complex comedy. Romola Garai examines this truly relevant tale of harassment and the abuse of male power.

Julius Caesar upholds Liberty against Tyranny. But what is tyranny? Presenter Brian Cox examines how this play challenges all political systems and all definitions of tyranny -- challenging us to wonder how well we even know ourselves.

Simon Russell Beale presents The Winter's Tale -- an intense psychological drama, driven by passion and obsession. In this play, Shakespeare pushes theatrical technique to its limits, and offers us an astonishing ending full of hope.

Antony Sher's 1977 interpretation of the infamous villain Richard III defined the role for a generation. This is the story of how Shakespeare created both a loathsome and brilliant manipulator and a real man who speaks to every age.