I’ve been looking for a podcast like this for a couple years now! I ran through the “Shakespeare Appreciated” audible series (absolutely fantastic). It’s an annotated read through of the plays, but only the heavy hitters! Chop Bard here covers some of the less popular plays in a contemporary light. It’s informative, it’s funny, great reading voice, good acting, and very good natured. Thank you for making this podcast! Long live Chop Bard!

I absolutely love this podcast. It’s been incredibly helpful to me in rediscovering Shakespeare after turning my back on it in high school. I love everything about this show… well, everything except the musical intro which (to me) is annoying, jarring, and wayyy too long. BUT that’s really my only gripe with this excellent podcast. I just fast through the beginning. 😆

I have been catching up on old shows for a while now, and it has improved my life immeasurably. I see more beauty, tragedy, and comedy in the world. Thank you!

This podcast is amazing. I started listening a few years ago back with episode one and have been listening consistently ever since. I read the sections that are discussed ahead of time and us I’m giving the reading in and then the fantastic commentary and presentation of the scenes. I’d always want to read more Shakespeare and this has assisted me to accomplish that. Just finished Henry 4 part 2.

I love how this takes the confusing words and plots of Skakespeare and breaks them down into plain English. I could do without the jarring, annoying music that begins each episode, but hey, we can’t always get what we want.

They do not love that do not SHOW their love. So, here’s five stars. Love this podcast I just found two months ago (that’s been running for fifteen years). Looks like I have some catching up to do and I’ll love every second of it. I wasn’t sure I could comprehend The Bard, but thanks to Ehren, it’s much easier and rich than I anticipated. By the way, I’m Aaron as well, I just spell it the right way lol.

Kinda bummed that Richard III is done, ever since I started listening to Chop Bard, like 3-4 years ago now, I’ve been waiting on this play, now I don’t want to see it finish. Great show though, enjoyed every minute of it, as always.

Always reliably excellent; well-prepared, knowledgeable, professional... and FUN!

This podcast is fantastic. The in-depth discussions of each scene allow the listener to understand and savor the plays. Ehren does his homework, and we are all the better for it.

Disappointed I didn’t discover this sooner. I really struggle with podcasts that feature just one person talking, but he knocks this out of the park.

I absolutely agree with the hosts take on hamlets to be soliloquy. To die, because if he revenges his father it’s likely to mean his death. Hamlet is no coward, and having already planned his revenge he wouldn’t then talk about killing him self. It doesn’t make sense from a writers perspective either. Thanks!

This is an amazing podcast for fans of Shakespeare. I only wish I had it to look to when I have done productions of these plays

If I were as talented a writer as Shakespeare, I could probably come up with more to say, but the title alone expresses how I feel about this podcast! I am so glad I found it. I already have a love of Shakespeare and have even performed in a few of his plays but this deeper understanding is still beyond what I’ve ever been taught. Thank you!

I am am considered smart and successful by many, but I do not have the talent to learn foreign languages and Shakespeare has always seemed a foreign language to me and therefore unenjoyable to me. This podcast breaks it down for me without talking down to me.

Best podcast on Shakespeare ever

I’m angry at myself that I’m just discovering this terrific podcast! It’s very thorough and clearly a labor of love. Informative yet entertaining too. My only minor complaint is that I wish the episodes were released more consistently (the schedule is rather sporadic). Content-wise, it’s fantastic! Any chance of the show being uploaded to Spotify in the future?

It’s so great!!! The ability to show the play from an actor’s perspective and from a literary perspective is amazing. I would recommend this highly to anyone.

new favorite podcast! just great content!!

At last, a forum about theater arts and the living monument of Shakespeare, not lit crit pedantry

I own a Shakespeare troupe (Rose City Shakespeare Company in Portland). I always assign the podcast to my actors because it's so insightful.

Yes.

I just discovered this podcast a few months ago, and I’m enjoying it so much! It’s one of my new favorite things, and so entertaining, insightful, and thought-provoking. I’d recommend it to anyone who has loves Shakespeare or has always wanted to give Shakespeare a try but couldn’t get into it. And if you’re I’ve had bad experiences with Shakespeare, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Taking the plays in small doses and dissecting their meaning really adds to my understanding of and appreciation for Shakespeare.

This is a wonderful podcast. I've gained a lot of new insights about Shakespeare and his oeuvre while listening to these Chop Bard episodes.

I absolutely love this podcast! It's a terrifc way to get an in-depth look at the plays; they're always informative and I love finding out different things. What's unique about this podcast is that not only does Ehrin do a fantastic job of relating certain situations to our modern-day mindsets, but he really makes the listener feel like a part of the show. I love listening to the emails that other audience members send in; it makes me feel more part of the community of other Shakespeare lovers. This was a great find and I'm sorry I didn't find it earlier on!

Nice mix of text and commentary. His voice a mellifluous whine.

This dude's passion for the material is infectious.

Ehren Ziegler brings Shakespeare to life in this always engaging and penetrating breakdown of The Bard's plays. You might expect a line-by-line examination that runs well longer than the plays themselves to be tedious, but it's completely absorbing and fun. Ziegler breaks the plays down into one act per episode. He's an actor as well as a scholar, so his readings are always lively and immersive. If you like Shakespeare, this will make you like him more. If you don't, this may just get you hooked. Thanks so much for making this show! It's a great resource and a gift to the world.

Really good explanation of all aspects of the stories. Easy to listen to and understand what's happening and why. Helps bring Shakespeare to life.

This podcast really is the cure for boring Shakespeare. I discovered this podcast through another (CraftLit). While I was neutral on Shakespeare before listening to this podcast, I have become a fan of Shakespeare. For me, this podcast makes Shakespeare understandable and relatable.

I really want to give the podcast two stars, but I want to be fair to the host. I loved his breakdown of Romeo and Juliet. The host is amiable, and I generally like how he expresses ideas. He also dispelled some of the play’s myths and misunderstandings. Unfortunately, things changed for the worse with Hamlet. The host has some personal theories that he just hammers at. For example, he has a theory of the passage of time in Shakespeare’s works in general and in Hamlet specifically. Rather than make his point and move on, the host states it, and then he restates it, and then he restates it. I found myself yelling at the podcast to MOVE ON! Early in the discussion of Hamlet, the host recited a large chunk of the ghost’s speech to Hamlet. The performance was good, but it was too long. It seemed like the host was showing off his talent as well as his producer’s ability to make the speech sound spooky. Again, I yelled MOVE ON! When he got to the “To Be” speech, I couldn’t take it anymore. The host’s pet theories were too much. Sorry, but the “To Be” speech is about living or dying. It’s not about Hamlet mulling over whether he should “Be” one thing (i.e., someone who avenges his father’s death) or not. The speech is clearly about living or dying. Hamlet is clear. He even uses the words “to die” in the speech. Sorry buddy, but Hamlet does not accuse Ophelia of being a “bar slut.” He accuses her of possibly being two-faced and disloyal, but a bar slut? Really? The host read too much into the word “wantonness.” Also, when Claudius says he will send Hamlet to England for tribute, he indicates sending him to COLLECT tribute, not to PAY it. The king’s line is: “He shall with speed to England, for the DEMAND of our neglected tribute.” Denmark demands it from England. Denmark is in the position of power. That’s why England later carries through on Denmark’s execution order. (It probably goes back to the days of King Aethelred when England paid tribute to Denmark.) But don’t believe me. Believe Hamlet, who says that England is a “faithful tributary.” I’m going to give the podcast a rest. I’ll definitely skip the rest of Hamlet. Other people might like the podcast, but it’s too cringeworthy for me. The host is too loose and flippant with his analysis for my taste.

This is so good.. the best Shakespeare podcast I have found so far in terms of giving a complete reading of each scene of each play with extensive notes and die annotation, plus many fascinating tangents. I’ve been busy absorbing all of the back episodes so far and don’t want them to end

Another happy Craftily listener enjoys this podcast immensely. Interesting and funny, He takes us behind the scenes to show us the Bard’s intent, as well as the ways the actors can bring their own creativity to the play. Long Live Chop Bard!

Chop Bard is the best podcast. Finally I have developed a foundation to begin to enjoy Shakespeare. Ehren has allowed me to expand my world with his patient discussion of the plays. Thanks

Quite possibly the best podcast out there. I used to interpret for the Deaf for the American Shakespeare Center, have done graduate work in Shakespeare and Renaissance Lit, and am in awe of the solid research that Ehren does for each podcast. He makes what could be a daunting subject accessible and fascinating. An experienced actor, Ehren knows his subject matter and has a real direction (and vision) for the podcast. His obvious passion for Shakespeare is contagious.

Ehren's passion and scholarship make this one of the best Shakespeare podcasts I've heard. Without leading his audience to preconceived conclusions, he sets the scene and lets the viewers make up their own mind before sharing his opinion, which is always well-researched and sound. The production values are good, too! (I like how each play has its own theme music as a lead-in so you know the transition between announcements/emails and the play.)

I have used these really well considered, informative, just plain fun (!) podcasts to get ready for my roles in some of the Bard’s plays. It is a super resource! Ehren makes the plays interesting and insightful. I love the way he digs deep into the text and comes out with various “ah ha!” moments. Nicely done, ChopBard! Keep it up!

I really enjoy this podcast. I've listened to all the plays and have started to listen for a second time. I pick up different perspectives each time I listen. I wish I had found this when I studied Shakespeare in high school. Hearing an experienced actor's possible interpretations has opened a whole new world of Shakespeare for me. Plus, Ehren is accessible to the listeners and incorporates their emails into episodes to provide additional points of view.

This and Bardcast are easily the best Shakespeare podcasts out there. I love “A Midsummer Nights Dream” and “The Tempest.” I can’t wait until Chop covers them.

Ehren is passionate about Shakespeare and makes the listener sit up and pay attention and love or at least have fun opinions about every single play. I can't recommend this podcast enough.

My dad was an Elizabethan Drama scholar, so I grew up on Shakespeare, and have always enjoyed Shakespeare. But in high school, I witness firsthand just how staggeringly boring a bad teacher could make the Bard. Ehren goes completely the other way. He brings the plays to life, clarifying points and illuminating interesting things. Can't wait for him to do Othello!

I've always wanted to enjoy Shakespeare's plays, but couldn't get past the language. This podcast solves that problem! By explaining as he goes, Ehren brings you along with the story with explanations that are passionate and exciting. Almost finished with Romeo & Juliet -- can't wait to start Hamlet. Love this podcast!

Ehren's "Chop Bard" podcasts are a gift to all future generations of Bard Lovers/Haters and all the confused dabblers in between. If you have a PhD and work for the Royal Shakespeare Festival - you can learn from this. If you heard about this guy "Shakespur" and that he wrote a bunch of plays once - you can learn from this. If you teach, act, yearn, think or want to understand better one of the great composers of words addressing the Human heart and condition - you can learn from this. Chop Bard is - in a word - magnificent.

Find anyone who says they do not like Shakespeare and introduce them to the Chop Bard. I already enjoyed William's work but I am now enlightened. I didn't realize how much of the humor I missed. And to whom ever left a single star review must have been a supporter of Freud (boo)! Cheers to Chop Bard! Keep up the most excellent work!

Much to my pleasure, this podcast goes through each play with meticulous care so that you can gain a better appreciation for each scene and thus the whole play. Greatly looking forward to more great work.

If you don't enjoy Shakespeare after listening to these podcasts, you have a hole in your soul.

This has vaulted to the top of my podcast queue, I love hearing the close reading given to each scene and also lots of interesting historical, linguistic, and stage-craft context. Even if you are not sure what you think of Shakespeare, you will be pleasantly surprised, and if you already like Shakespeare you will love it more.

I already know there are better-written reviews on this list that have found better ways to say that I wish this gentleman had been one of my English teachers when we were doing Shakespeare in public school. But I do. What's great about this work is the continuing fountain of insight into how cool these plays are. Ehren Ziegler rules, and I am in his debt for providing far more understanding than I expected to hear about some material I only thought I knew.

By listening to this I'm preparing for a course on Shakespeare that I will be taking over the summer... This podcast is pretty amazing!

These podcasts are absolutely engaging! I would recommend them for any level of student, scholar, enthusiast of the Bard, or for anyone with a passing interest or curiosity of these plays. It is impossible to avoid coming away from Ehren's analysis of these works without a deeper understanding and more importantly love for these timeless tales! Highly recommend to the utterance!