Episodes

  • Episode 179: Defining Moments

    Episode 179: Defining Moments
    Sep 24 2024
    In the early 1600s, several landmark events shaped the history of England and determined how and where the English language would be spoken in the centuries that followed. The period from 1602-1605 saw the end of the Elizabethan era, the … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Episode 178: Much Ado About Hamlet

    Episode 178: Much Ado About Hamlet
    Aug 7 2024
    In the first couple of years of the 1600s, several new Shakespeare plays appeared. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘As You Like It’ were recorded in the Stationer’s Register, and a third play called ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Episode 177: Dressed for Success

    Episode 177: Dressed for Success
    Jun 26 2024
    In this episode, we look at clothing and fashion in the Elizabethan era, and we examine the connection between clothing, custom and language. We also examine Shakespeare’s plays about the lives of Julius Caesar and Henry V of England. Along … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Episode 176: All the World’s a Playhouse

    Episode 176: All the World’s a Playhouse
    May 9 2024
    Theaters were an important part of cultural life in Elizabethan England, and they contributed many words to the English language. Those words joined thousands of other words that were pouring into English from around the world. In this episode, we … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Episode 175: The English of Romeo and Juliet

    Episode 175: The English of Romeo and Juliet
    Mar 25 2024
    Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s 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, … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • Episode 174: Speak and Spell

    Episode 174: Speak and Spell
    Feb 8 2024
    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 … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Episode 173: Fooling Around

    Episode 173: Fooling Around
    Jan 2 2024
    In this episode, we look at the development of English comedy in the early modern era. We examine some of William Shakespeare’s early comedies, and we also distinguish Shakespearean comedy from other types of comedic performances which had been popular … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Episode 172: Succession

    Episode 172: Succession
    Nov 20 2023
    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 … Continue reading →
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    1 hr and 35 mins