The History of English Podcast
History
In this episode, we turn our attention to the wordcraft of William Shakespeare. Today, many people have mixed opinions about his plays and poems. They know that he is widely regarded as the greatest English writer of all time, but they struggle with his language. This time, we explore what makes Shakespeare’s use of the English language so unique and why it is so challenging for modern speakers. Ben Crystal joins the discussion to provide insight into the Elizabethan theater, Shakespeare’s Original Pronunciation, and the way modern audiences respond to that original form of speech.
Episode 44: The Romance of Old French
Episode 43: Anglo-Saxon Monsters and Mythology
Episode 42: Beowulf and Other Viking Ancestors
Bonus Episode 5: Odds and Ends
Episode 41: New Words From Old English
Episode 40: Learning Latin and Latin Learning
Episode 39: Not Lost in Translation
Episode 38: Nobles, Nuptials and a Cowherd Poet
Episode 37: Seafarers, Poets and Traveling Minstrels
Episode 36: Finalizing the Alphabet
Episode 35: English Sounds and Roman Letters
Episode 34: Sounds Like Old English
Episode 33: Missionaries and Manuscripts
Bonus Episode 4: Let Me ‘Buoy’ Your Spirits
Episode 32: The Oldest English
Episode 31: Saxons, Franks and Other West Germans
Episode 30: The Celtic Legacy
Episode 29: The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
Episode 28: Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians
Episode 27: Broken Empire and Fractured Languages
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Rest Is History
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
Lore