Shakespeare’s Sonnets 12+

With performances & commentary

NatureGuides Ltd.

Designed for iPad

    • 5.0 • 19 Ratings
    • $9.99

iPad Screenshots

Description

A masterly app...As accessible as it is scholarly, it’s an extraordinary achievement, that brings the sonnets bracingly to life and definitively sets the bar for the future of digital reading.'
– Robert Collins, London Sunday Times

The Sonnets presents William Shakespeare’s immortal collection of love poems in an interactive digital edition that allows you to explore, appreciate and understand this great work of literature as never before.

All 154 sonnets are performed to camera by a star-studded cast including Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, X-Men, Royal Shakespeare Company), David Tennant (Dr Who, Hamlet), Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City), Fiona Shaw (The Waste Land, Harry Potter), Stephen Fry (The Hobbit) and Dominic West (The Wire). These performances – all specially filmed for the app – are synchronised to the text, which highlights line by line as each sonnet is spoken.

The performance videos, running over two and a half hours, are just the beginning. Also included are the complete Notes and Introduction from the Arden Shakespeare, offering unsurpassed scholarly commentary and insight. Touch a mysterious line or difficult word in any of the poems and the corresponding Arden Note highlights to provide comprehensive explanation. An alternative commentary on every sonnet comes from poet and musician Don Paterson, whose humorous and accessible style complements the academic rigour of the Arden Notes.


Features include:

• Beautiful filmed performances of all 154 sonnets by an incredible cast of Shakespearian actors and experts
• The complete Arden edition text of The Sonnets plus A Lover’s Complaint
• The complete Arden Shakespeare notes and introduction fully integrated
• New commentary on The Sonnets by Don Paterson
• Facility to add your own notes on any sonnet
• High resolution facsimile of the original 1609 Quarto showing Shakespeare’s Sonnets as originally published
• Forty interviews with scholars and experts discussing the meaning of The Sonnets and their author
• Share-a-Sonnet allows you to send a sonnet to friends by email, Twitter or Facebook
• Second generation interface based on the acclaimed Faber / Touch Press literary app The Waste Land
• AirPlay enabled allowing the performances to be streamed full screen to AppleTV


The Sonnets are published by RGB, the people behind the best-selling iPad titles The Elements and The Waste Land. The Sonnets was produced and published in partnership with Faber and Faber, Illuminations and the Arden Shakespeare.

What’s New

Version 1.0.10

Minor bug fixes

Ratings and Reviews

5.0 out of 5
19 Ratings

19 Ratings

Islandberg ,

My first download on my new iPad!

Ten years ago I asked for an AppStore gift card and I picked this app. I’ve always loved Shakespeare and this purchase did not disappoint! The readings are wonderful and the text is phenomenal. It’s also wonderful to have Sir Patrick Stewart recite one of your favorite sonnets. A must get for any Shakespeare fan, you will not regret the purchase. It’s sad that I am only the 7th review. This app should have far more interest for the content it contains. I especially loved the scanned images of original works, what a treat to see!

Developer Response ,

Many thanks for your kind words and for your lovely review. We're delighted to hear that you're enjoying the app so much! The Touch Press Team

kevinwparker ,

Terrific presentation of great poetry

I've been going through the sonnets with Patrick Stewart's social media presentation of them. Then I found this app and added that to the mix. Patrick is enthusiastic but unpolished, so these very polished and professional readings make for a nice complement. I have found just a very few readings disappointing, but the rest are excellent, and some are brilliant. I was just this evening blown away by James Shapiro's rendition of Sonnet 138.

confinity ,

Stunning all-purpose Sonnet tool

If the sonnets are of any interest to you (and they should be) this gem is a wonderful first resource: a combination of video/audio performances synced to the onscreen text, historical and literary commentary (also linked to the text, with copious references to other works, as well as to other sonnets-linked, of course!), a favorites list, a space for my notes, and the kicker, a Quarto, also linked and cross referenced! This is my first stop when I undertake the journey of a new sonnet. A slick, attractive, intuitive and well thought out interface makes it a breeze to use, with nearly all its many features available no matter where you are in the app. Great design and content make this a no brainier for anyone needing an accessible introduction, or a deeper understanding of, these often overlooked masterworks.

App Privacy

The developer, NatureGuides Ltd., indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Supports

  • Family Sharing

    Up to six family members can use this app with Family Sharing enabled.

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