How did the English language transition from Old English to Middle English to the rich and brilliant words of William Shakespeare? This title traces the development of the English language by highlighting the following famous texts: Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Canterbury Tales, and Romeo and Juliet.
As English spreads across the globe, becoming the language of the Internet, understanding the extraordinary body of British literature has become ever more vital in the 21st century. This eight part series, hosted by Jonathan Cake, addresses this need by bringing the audience from the dawn of England's literary tradition through Chaucer to Shakespeare to William Wordsworth to Jane Austen to Charles Dickens to T. S. Eliot to J. K. Rowling. The series focuses on over 60 major authors, their insights, themes and impact on history.
