The Spoken History of a Global Language
Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeareās most popular plays and one of the most popular plays ever written. In this episode, we examine the language of the play to see how it reflects the English of Elizabethan England, and we identify evidence of emerging pronunciations that would become common over the following centuries.
English spelling largely reflects the state of the language in the late 1500s. In this episode, we look at one of the first English spelling books, and we explore several plays by William Shakespeare to examine the way he rhymed words. We also explore the way modern spellings reflect the pronunciation of words during the Elizabethan period. Works discussed in this episode include:
āKing Johnā ā William Shakespeare
āRichard IIā ā William Shakespeare
āThe English School-Maisterā ā Edward Coote
āHaue With You to Saffron-Waldenā ā Thomas Nashe
āA Midsummer Nightās Dreamā ā William Shakespeare
In this episode, we look at the development of English comedy in the early modern era. We examine some of William Shakespeareās early comedies, and we also distinguish Shakespearean comedy from other types of comedic performances which had been popular for centuries. We also look to Italy to see how developments in literature and drama there had an influence on the theater of Elizabethan England. And, as always, we see how those developments shaped the English language. Works discussed in this episode include:
āThe Taming of the Shrewā ā William Shakespeare
āThe Two Gentlemen of Veronaā ā William Shakespeare
āThe Merchant of Veniceā ā William Shakespeare
In this episode, we explore the concept of a successful succession. During the early 1590s, France was divided by a bitter conflict over the succession of Henry of Navarre to the French throne. Meanwhile, William Shakespeare wrote a couple of plays that appear to make reference to the events in France. He also composed other plays that dealt with the theme of succession. And his plays also indicate that the pronunciation of words like āsuccessionā were changing during the 1500s as several consonants experienced sound changes during that period. Works discussed in this episode include:
āThe Comedy of Errorsā ā William Shakespeare
āRichard IIIā ā William Shakespeare
āLoveās Labourās Lostā ā William Shakespeare
āTitus Andronicusā ā William Shakespeare
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 Shakespeareās 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, Shakespeareās Original Pronunciation, and the way modern audiences respond to that original form of speech.
In this episode, we examine the connection between poetry and plague in the early 1590s. An outbreak of the recurring sickness contributed to Shakespeareās early career as a poet, and that poetry likely included his many sonnets. We also examine how an old acquaintance from Shakespeareās hometown emerged as one of the leading printers in London and how his print shop influenced the development of English during the Elizabethan period. Works discussed in this episode include:
āDefensative Against Plagueā
āVenus and Adonisā ā William Shakespeare
āRape of Lucreceā ā William Shakespeare
āOrlando Furiosoā
āThe Art of English Poesyā ā George Puttenham
William Shakespeareās Sonnets
William Shakespeare is widely considered to be the most important writer in the history of the English language, but relatively little is known about his personal life. The desire to know more about the āBard of Avonā has led to much speculation and conjecture over the centuries. In this episode, we try to separate fact from fiction as we look at the surviving documentation to determine what we actually know about the poet from Stratford-upon-Avon.
In this episode, we explore the Elizabethan fascination with witchcraft and mysterious creatures like fairies and demons. Those subjects feature prominently in the literature of the period, and they reveal a lot about the world view of the people who lived in England in the late 1500s. Among the texts analyzed in this episode are Reginald Scotās āDiscoverie of Witchcraft,ā Christopher Marloweās āDoctor Faustus,ā Edmund Spenserās āThe Faerie Queene,ā and William Shakespeareās three history plays about Henry VI.
All languages have their own rhythm and cadence, and English is no exception. That rhythm has actually shaped the language over time. It contributed to the structure of English poetry, and during the Elizabethan period, it shaped the way drama was composed. In this episode, we look at the beginning of Modern English drama through the patterns of sound in ordinary speech.
Links to Videos in Episode:
The Perfect French with Dylane: Word Stress
The Rhythms of Latin Poetry: Hexameter
In this episode from the Patreon archives, we examine the accent used by actors and actresses in very old movies. We look at the origin of that accent and examine why it was adopted by the film industry in the first few decades of sound in motion pictures.
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