The Story of English episode 3 - A Muse of Fire - Part 1 / 7

The video opens with fishermen from America's Chesapeake Bay, whose accents are likened to those from the English West Country. This sets the stage for the story of English, tracing its journey from the time of Shakespeare and the King James Bible to the New World, brought by Elizabethan settlers.

Montacute House, built in the shape of an 'E' for Elizabeth I, symbolizes the Elizabethan Renaissance, a period deemed the Golden Age of the English language. During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, the English language reached unprecedented heights. This era saw the confident English vernacular borrowing 12,000 new words, with figures like Sir Thomas More contributing Latin words and Sir Francis Bacon introducing Greek terms, enriching the language.

William Shakespeare is highlighted as central to the Elizabethan miracle, renowned for his mastery of common speech. The video briefly recounts his life: born in Stratford-upon-Avon, educated locally, married Anne Hathaway, moved to London to become an actor and playwright, writing 37 plays, and later returned to Stratford as a successful gentleman. Today, Stratford is a global destination for Shakespeare enthusiasts.

The video features Penny Downey performing a passage from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' showcasing Shakespeare's rich poetic language. His vocabulary, influenced by his Warwickshire origins, includes local terms like 'bow' (cudgel) and 'mobled' (muffled). Shakespeare's plays demonstrate a vast range of English, from the rustic speech of characters like Bottom to the sophisticated language of kings and fairies, encompassing philosophical, bodily, heroic, and pastoral themes.

Shakespeare's plays feature every kind of spoken English, from the simple to the philosophical, the bawdy to the heroic, and the lyrical. John Barton, a leading director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, expresses his profound obsession with Shakespeare, attributing it to his masterful character development, dramatic situations, storytelling, and, above all, his unparalleled language.