Random Tragedy Podcasts

In this podcast we explore great works of philosophy and literature and art, and try to pull out of them what’s most interesting and inspiring! Whether they come from the works of Plato, or Dostoevsky or Picasso, here we explore ideas that move mountains and rock the soul! So, come join us, won’t you? Come worship at the alter of ideas, and come celebrate the dancing of thought. Welcome to the Wisdom Of!

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tags: authenticity, book reviews, camus, existentialism, happiness, Heidegger, literary criticism, Literature, love, nietzsche, Philosophy, philosophy podcast, Plato, religion, Socrates, The Wisdom of Podcast, tragedy

A podcast discovering and conversing about the people of the Bible and other fun, Bible facts. If Sunday School and VBS had a baby.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: Bible, conversations, delicious, drama, Sunday School, Taste and See, tragedy, triumph

In seventeenth century Venice, a wealthy and debauched man discovers that the woman he is infatuated with is secretly married to a Moorish general in the Venetian army. He shares his grief and rage with a lowly ensign in the army who also has reason to hate the general for promoting a younger man above him. The villainous ensign now plots to destroy the noble general in a diabolical scheme of jealousy, paranoia and murder, set against the backdrop of the bloody Turkish-Venetian wars. This timeless tale, Othello The Moor of Venice was one of the ten famous tragedies that William Shakespeare wrote. It is also one of his plays that has the best documented performance history. First staged on 1st November, 1604 at Whitehall Palace, it was regularly performed at the playwright’s own Globe Theater and the Blackfriars Theater in London besides touring the country as part of the repertoire of the King’s Men which was the theatrical company that Shakespeare belonged to for most of his career. Such is the power and appeal of the play that it has remained completely unchanged or unrevised over the centuries, while many other Shakespearean plays were adapted, rewritten or trimmed during the Restoration and the eighteenth century. The doomed figure of the lovely Desdemona who is murdered so cruelly by the ill-fated Othello based on a tragic misunderstanding continues to haunt playgoers and readers the world over even today. Modern performances have explored the race and class aspects of the play. Famous actors like Laurence Olivier have given legendary performances, while opera, ballet, television, film, stage, graphic novels and animation versions have kept the magnificent story alive today for audiences all over the world. Shakespeare was probably inspired by the sixteenth Italian writer Cinthio’s story titled A Moorish Captain. Many scholars have deemed this to be based on a true incident that happened in Venice in around 1508. However, only the mere skeleton of the story has been used by Shakespeare and most of the characters and sub-plots are his own dazzling creations. He may have also been influenced by the delegations from Morocco to Elizabethan England in 1600. For other details like location and manners, he probably used Venetian history books and contemporary sources. Whatever the history and inspiration of the play, it remains one of the most powerful, compelling and towering works in English literature. This tale of deception, heroism, love, hatred and the demonic obsession called jealousy sparkles with brilliant lines that have entered the English language and become immortal. A majestic work by a supreme artist – Prepare to be overwhelmed!

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Othello, play, tragedy, William Shakespeare

The strands woven together in Gustave Flaubert’s famous, path breaking 1856 novel Madame Bovary include a provincial town in Normandy, France, a shy young doctor with an indifferent career and a lovely young woman who lives in a fantasy world based on the innumerable romantic novels she reads. Of course there is also the story of a dull marriage punctuated by passionate, adulterous love affairs. First published in serial form in a Parisian magazine and deemed to be the “perfect” novel, Flaubert’s debut was received by both readers and critics with acclaim and admiration. However, its bold theme, path breaking ideas of women’s rights and the condemnation of middleclass morality led to its being legally attacked by the Church and the government. This was in spite of the fact that the magazine’s editors had already done their own censoring of “offending passages.” Flaubert himself was shocked and the resulting very public trial in 1857 added to the book’s notoriety. The charges were dismissed and the book was seen by the judges as promoting morality and strengthening of family values instead. However, it remained controversial and was banned time and again by various upholders of “morality” till as recently as 1954. Madame Bovary marks a watershed in the development of the novel form. Flaubert’s revolutionary techniques like the use of “style indirect libre” where the environment itself responds to a person’s emotions, his use of realism and objectivity were all radically new literary devices. In the almost linear, simple plot, Charles Bovary is a truly “ordinary” man. A country doctor who marries a wife chosen by his mother, he then meets and falls in love with the beautiful, young Emma Roualt when he visits her father’s farm on a call. His wife, a much older woman, is jealous, but she soon dies. Charles and Emma marry and move to a larger town where Emma swiftly becomes disillusioned with her husband, their financial situation and social position, though she has attained motherhood by now. She embarks on a series of love affairs to satisfy her hankering after fame and fortune. Each of these affairs brings about her moral and psychological degradation, while she simultaneously plunges herself and her family into financial ruin. What follows is a vivid depiction of life and the human condition. For the discerning and sensitive reader, Flaubert’s brilliant portrait of the tragically flawed Emma Bovary, with her shallow, provincial preoccupations, her craving for love and money and the meaninglessness of bourgeois life in the countryside make this one of the finest works of literature.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Gustave Flaubert, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Madame Bovary, Non-fiction, romance, tragedy

William Shakespeare’s most well-known play is more than most people realize. While it is the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, it is also the story of two families in the middle of a bitter feud. Many people avoid the story because they believe it will be too difficult to read, but this is not true at all. Within a few paragraphs, the play captures your imagination and attention. Juliet is 13 years old and is love with the son of her father’s enemy. Her father has promised that she will marry another boy when it is time, but she refuses to accept the suit. One night, Romeo sneaks into a ball in Juliet’s home (in hopes of seeing a girl he is in love with) when he overhears Juliet speaking of her love for him. He steps out of the shadows and they decide to marry. They are married the next day in secret. It is discovered that Romeo snuck into the ball and Juliet’s cousin is angry and challenges him to a duel. When Romeo refuses to fight, a man is killed and Romeo is banished from the country. Juliet is thrown into a depression and her father decides she needs to get married right away. However, the Friar who helped Juliet marry Romeo comes up with a plan to get Romeo back and to unite the families. The plan unravels quickly, though. The story of Romeo and Juliet has everything that a reader could want. Like many of Shakespeare’s works, it has comedy and tragedy, but it also has love, family, duals, good and evil. Do not pick up the book assuming that knowing about the tragedy will ruin the story. The tale of how both families got to this point is one that will not soon be forgotten. The lessons of love and forgiveness are ones that are just as important more than 400 years after the play was written.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, romance, Romeo and Juliet, tragedy, William Shakespeare

A divinely beautiful woman who becomes the cause of a terrible war in which the gods themselves take sides. Valor and villainy, sacrifices and betrayals, triumphs and tragedies play their part in this three thousand year old saga. The Iliad throws us right into the thick of battle. It opens when the Trojan War has already been raging for nine long years. An uneasy truce has been declared between the Trojans and the Greeks (Achaeans as they’re called in The Iliad.) In the Greek camp, Agamemnon the King of Mycenae and Achilles the proud and valiant warrior of Phthia are locked in a fierce contest to claim the spoils of war. The gods in Olympus watch horrified as the best of Greeks and Trojans are slain. However, Zeus has prohibited them from openly interfering. But finally, even the gods cannot stay neutral. The mighty Zeus steps in to prod the Trojans into breaching the truce. Achilles, who is sulking in his tent refuses to fight and the Greeks suffer terrible losses. Achilles, a demigod is the son of the sea nymph Thetis and the King of the Myrmidions Peleus. He has been rendered immortal like the gods except for one spot near his foot where his mother held him while she dipped him in the Styx. He is the greatest hero in The Iliad and known for his rage, impulsiveness and courage. He watches as his comrades fall one by one and finally puts his pride aside. He sends his beloved friend Patroclus into battle. But Apollo, the savior of the Trojans, dashes away Patroclus’ armor and the Trojan prince Hector slays him. Maddened by anger and grief, Achilles vows revenge and resumes battle. And the epic goes on… The Iliad is purportedly written by the blind poet Homer some time during the eighth century BC. Its supreme importance in Greek literature slowly permeated to the rest of the Western world and in time to come, the two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey became the reference points for thousands of works of art. European museums and art galleries are filled with works based on the themes, heroes and divinities from The Iliad. Contemporary films have portrayed the Trojan War, while tourists throng the sites mentioned in the poems. It was first translated into English in the sixteenth century and has since then, gripped the collective imagination for generations. As one of the defining myths of western literature, The Iliad is indeed a must read for anyone interested in an epic tale. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, free audio books, Homer, Languages, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, poetry, The Iliad, tragedy, War stories

The Tragedy of King Richard II, by William Shakespeare, is the first of the history series that continues with Parts 1 and 2 of King Henry IV and with The Life of King Henry V. At the beginning of the play, Richard II banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke from England. Bolingbroke later returns with an army and the support of some of the nobility, and he deposes Richard. Richard is separated from his beloved Queen, imprisoned, and later murdered. By the end of the play, Bolingbroke has been crowned King Henry IV. Audio edited by J. M. Smallheer and John Gonzalez. Characters:Narration, Keeper, and Lord – read by Annie ColemanKing Richard II and First Servant – read by Peter YearsleyNorthumberland and Gaunt – read by ChipBolingbroke – read by Kayvan SylvanAumerle – read by John GonzalezHenry Percy – read by Michael SiroisYork – read by Martin CliftonMowbray – read by Mark F. SmithSurrey and Willoughby – read by Nikolle DoolinSalisbury – read by David BarnesBushy and Carlisle – read by Cecelia PriorBagot, Abbot, Scroop, and Exton – read by LintonGreen – read by deadwhitemalesQueen Isabel – read by Joy ChanDuchess of York – read by Kristen McQuillinBerkeley – read by RainerRoss – read by Mr. Baby ManFitzwater and Groom – read by Sean McKinleyMarshal – read by Lenny Glionna Jr.Captain and First Herald – read by Hugh MacDuchess of Gloucester – read by GesineLady – read by Maureen S. O’BrienGardener, Second Herald, and Second Servant – read by Kara Shallenberg

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, History, King Richard II, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, tragedy, William Shakespeare

A precursor to gothic literature and science fiction genres, Frankenstein is a novel fuming with imagination as it depicts a well known horror story. Shelly’s gothic fiction is written in epistolary form as a means of correspondence between the failed writer Robert Walton and his sister, while he is away on a dangerous expedition in search of fame. Some major themes explored in the gothic classic are the fallibility of ambition and knowledge, revenge, prejudice, isolation, and the imperfections of society. The novel begins with the introduction of Captain Robert Walton, who is on a ship bound for the North Pole in search of scientific progress and knowledge. During his voyage, he and his crew come across a man nearly frozen and in frail condition. Taking the man onboard and nurturing him back to health, Walton is finally acquainted with Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein sees the same ambition within Walton that he too possessed and which is the reason for his current troubled state. Hence he decides to recount his life and share the miserable events leading him to his present isolated circumstance. Walton listens and records Frankenstein’s account which begins with his childhood in his family home in Geneva. Even as a young child, Frankenstein was encouraged by his parents to seek out the truth about the world, and use science as his instrument. It is this passion for knowledge that prompts him to conduct experiments in order to recreate life from lifeless matter. However, the result is not the ideal being the scientist had initially expected, and instead produces an eight foot tall creature with yellow eyes and visible muscle tissue. Repulsed by his creation, Frankenstein tries to steer clear of the monster, but only ignites the monster’s anger as it goes into a revenge spree taunting his creator. A chilling tale of murderous mayhem follows which is guaranteed to give goose bumps. Though many are familiar with Frankenstein through countless adaptations, most are unaware of the original depiction which can only be witnessed in the classic novel. Far from a simple horror story meant to scare and entertain, Frankenstein is a timeless classic which evokes vital questions about human nature and centers on important issues targeting human curiosity and the dangers of science. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, Frankenstein, free audio books, Horror/Ghost stories, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult, tragedy

Considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, the tragedy King Lear portrays some of the darkest aspects of human nature that can be found in literature. The helplessness of the human condition, as we fall prey to our destinies, the injustice and random cruelties practiced by people, suffering and humiliation, the lust for power and the greed for wealth are all depicted in this magnificent play. And through it all, runs the golden thread of love and sacrifice, daughterly affection and the true nature of our relationship with our parents. Little is known about the writing of the play. It is thought to have been drafted some time in 1603 but the authorship of Shakespeare was finally attributed to it only in the 1623 First Folio. Early 17th century audiences disliked the gloomy aspects of the play and it was given a happy ending. However, in the 19th century, the original was brought back and with it, Shakespeare’s unerring grasp of human nature, love and family values. The almost fairytale quality of the opening scene can beguile the reader into a sense of familiarity. However, this is literally the lull before the storm! King Lear of Britain is aging and he wishes to divide his inheritance and the kingdom among his three daughters. However, he devises a strange test for each, based on which he will give the largest share to the winner. The daughters have to describe how much they love him. The elder two, Goneril and Regan heap praise on their father, layering their speech with fulsome compliments designed to please and flatter the old man. However the youngest, his favorite daughter, Cordelia remains silent, saying she has no words to express her love. Enraged and disappointed, the old king disinherits Cordelia and gives her share to her two sisters. Her lover, the Duke of Kent, objects, but he is banished. Lear then declares that he will spend the rest of his life with his two faithful elder daughters and here begins the kernel of the play. Said to be based on a legendary ruler of ancient Britain, Shakespeare’s brilliance turns the bland myth into a towering narrative, filled with wonderful quotations and dramatic elements, creating an immortal portrait of the human condition. Lear’s descent into madness and the final tragic aspects of the play make it an unforgettable read. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, King Lear, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, play, tragedy, William Shakespeare

Emily Bronte’s first and only novel, Wuthering Heights, portrays the obsessive and vengeful love story between Heathcliff and Catherine. Images of cruelty and passion with an incorporation of gothic supernatural elements set the dark and misty atmosphere present throughout the novel. Moving between two neighboring houses, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, the wild love story turned destructive obsession is narrated by Mr. Lockwood through his diary entries. Bronte sets the novel into motion with the arrival of Mr. Lockwood at the house of his grim landlord Heathcliff. The strange and unfriendly manner in which his landlord behaves and his lack of effort to appear otherwise, sparks a flame of curiosity in Lockwood to learn more about the mysterious Wuthering Heights. After nature forces him to spend a night in the house, his eerie experience during the night only further ignites his curiosity to learn more about its past. When he settles into Thrushcross Grange he asks Nelly the housekeeper to tell him more about Wuthering Heights and its residents. Nelly then recounts events leading to Heathcliff’s current bitter state, beginning with his childhood when he was brought in by Mr. Earnshaw, owner of the Wuthering Heights manor. As the young dark-skinned Heathcliff tries to fit in with the family, everyone grows to like him except for Mr. Earnshaw’s son Hindley, who is jealous of the affection Heathcliff receives from his father. His sister Catherine, however, becomes inseparable with the youngster and the two share many adventures together on the moors and a mutual affection is born. As future events unfold, Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton, who lives in the nearby Thrushcross Grange, and leaves Heathcliff heartbroken. Hurled into a world of revenge, Heathcliff extends his mission of vengeance to their innocent children years later as they face lurking resentment and animosity. Bronte’s Gothic romance novel combines the use of extraordinary literary devices, while simultaneously structuring a captivating storyline. Vivid descriptions, a compelling plot and a complex array of characters is what maintains the special place Wuthering Heights holds on the classic literature bookshelf. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Emily Bronte, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Psychology, romance, tragedy, Wuthering Heights

A suicide prevention podcast. TEDx speaker, Leo Flowers has a Masters in Counseling/Psychology and is a stand-up comedian. Join him while he interviews other mental health experts, comedians and best-selling book authors as we help you rediscover your purpose, reduce your pain and regain your sense of belonging.

Categories: Comedy, Education, Health & Fitness

Tags: alcohol, anorexia, anxiety, black lives matter, break up, bullying, cheating, chronic pain, covid-19, crisis, depression, divorce, domestic abuse, drug abuse, emotional, emotions, gay, infidelity, injury, job loss, kill myself, lgbtq, lonely, mental illness, mental-health, Military, ny times best selling authors, Pain, painkillers, parenting, psychiatry, Psychology, PTSD, relationships, self-harm, self-injury, suicidal behavior, suicidal tendency, suicidal thoughts, suicide, suicide attempt, suicide prevention, suicide survivors, teenage suicide, tragedy, trauma, triggers

A podcast about parenting, family & relationships, the Fresh Start Family Show is hosted by husband and wife team Terry and Wendy Snyder, who interview inspiring experts that tackle a range of topics that bring reality, hope, and a path to more peace in the home and world. Expand your heart, learn new tools, strengthen your family.

Categories: Education, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family

Tags: Children, christian, communication, dad, discipline, family, help, husband, Jesus, Kids, mom, peace, PositiveParenting, school, selfgrowth, support, team, teens, toddler, tragedy, wife

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius’s brother and Prince Hamlet’s father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king’s widow and Prince Hamlet’s mother. The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, tragedy, William Shakespeare

Whether it’s great lives or great tragedies, or just showing up for the adventure, history that is told without being felt is minimized. Like food that is eaten without being tasted. What’s the point? Tell the stories. Feel the people. Learn the lessons. Be a better you because of them. Don’t keep reinventing the wheel. Will you get some of the story wrong? Yes. Will the size of the fish increase each time? Probably. Will there be a different perspective? Of course. So what. When we stand on the shoulders of the past we can see with greater clarity into our future. True stories, well told, can inspire, caution, entertain, and instruct. If you judge the Yesterdays of history by today’s standards, then you deserve the same. If you erase it, you will repeat it.

Categories: Fiction, History, Leisure

Tags: Adventure, drama, Family history, Historical Audio Drama, Historical Fiction, History, Immersive Sound, romance, tragedy, true stories

This is the final installment in Sophocles’s Theban Plays, following Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Oedipus’s daughter Antigone deliberately breaks the laws of Thebes when she buries her brother’s body and is sentenced to death. She clashes with Creon, the King of Thebes, over what constitutes justice and morality: the laws of the state or the laws of the individual.

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: Antigone, audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Languages, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, play, poetry, Sophocles, tragedy

Outliers is an historic fiction podcast that explores how big events filter down and are viewed and shaped by the people in the shadows. Themes of otherness, change, gender and the meaning of power are explored through the eyes of characters who have not traditionally held the historic limelight. Enjoy this anthology of stories from award-winning contemporary writers as they reveal the people hiding in the shadows of real events, at some of the greatest palaces ever built. Historic Royal Palaces, in association with Rusty Quill present: Outliers – Stories from the edge of history.

Categories: Fiction, History

Tags: Audiodrama, award, Collaboration, Comedy, Compilation, diversity, drama, england, EPISODIC, fiction, historical, History, horror, London, monologue, MYSTERY, palace, Prison, story, tower, tragedy

The list of 25 are interviews done with some of the finest human beings we’ve ever met. Their stories are rich with spiritual nutrition that will enrich your soul. We bet that you can’t “listen” to JUST ONE!

Categories: Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tags: christian, encouraging, family, God, interviews, marriage, overcome, parenting, redemption, suffering, tragedy

Welcome to inspiration where you get to meet incredible EPX members who have discovered pirate treasures, swam oceans, walked in space, won gold medals, survived plane crashes and more. Their mind-blowing stories of tragedy, triumph and humility will leave you inspired to accelerate your success and live a more interesting life.

Categories: Society & Culture

Tags: achievement, Adventure, inspiration, success, tragedy