187 episodes

A chronological history of the English language examined through the lens of historical events that shaped the development and spread of the language from the Eurasian steppe to the entire world.

The History of English Podcast Kevin Stroud

    • History
    • 5.0 • 31 Ratings

A chronological history of the English language examined through the lens of historical events that shaped the development and spread of the language from the Eurasian steppe to the entire world.

    Episode 175: The English of Romeo and Juliet

    Episode 175: The English of Romeo and Juliet

    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 →

    • 1 hr 32 min
    Episode 174: Speak and Spell

    Episode 174: Speak and Spell

    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 →

    • 1 hr 28 min
    Episode 173: Fooling Around

    Episode 173: Fooling Around

    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 →

    • 1 hr 24 min
    Episode 172: Succession

    Episode 172: Succession

    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 →

    • 1 hr 34 min
    Episode 171: Shakespeare’s English (featuring Ben Crystal)

    Episode 171: Shakespeare’s English (featuring Ben Crystal)

    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 … Continue reading →

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Episode 170: Printers, Plague and Poets

    Episode 170: Printers, Plague and Poets

    In this episode, we examine the connection between poetry and plague in the early 1590s. An outbreak of the recurring sickness contributed to Shakespeare’s early career as a poet, and that poetry likely included his many sonnets. We also examine … Continue reading →

    • 1 hr 17 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
31 Ratings

31 Ratings

Jsy65 ,

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Ecmcal ,

Fun, fascinating podcast!!

I recently discovered this podcast and am obsessed with it. Every episode is full of "wow, that's so cool" moments. I admit I'm a bit of a nerd and love history and languages.

The information is always well organized and the host is a very engaging speaker and doesn't veer off into rambling tangents.

I cannot recommend this podcast enough. I love everything about it!!

TineLK ,

Extremely good

The content is all relevant and the storyteller/speaker has a comfortable voice and he is good a describe so it easy to picture the old world. You will learn a LOT by listening to this postcast.

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