A concise introduction to what we know about Shakespeare from contemporary sources, tracing the documentary record of his life from his baptism in Stratford in 1564 to his burial there, with reference to contemporary praise from Francis Meres.
A playlist bringing together all videos on Oliver Twist, examining Dickens’s treatment of social reform, poverty, and conformity in Victorian England.
A playlist bringing together all videos on Wuthering Heights, exploring the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy and the question of whether they may be half-siblings.
A playlist exploring the opening chapter of Genesis as a work of literature, examining its narrative structure, imagery, and the literary qualities of the King James Bible translation.
An analysis of Oliver Twist examining the tension between social reform and conformity, exploring how Dickens uses the figure of the orphan to critique the Poor Law and Victorian attitudes to poverty and crime.
An analysis of the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, examining the textual evidence for the theory that they may be half-siblings and what this means for our reading of the novel.
An overview of women’s lives and gender politics in 17th-century England, with reference to writers including Mary Wroth and Aphra Behn.
A playlist exploring the English Reformation with particular focus on martyrdom, examining why Protestants and Catholics were burned for their faith during the Tudor period.
An examination of the reality of Victorian women’s lives, challenging the idealised Angel in the House stereotype and exploring women’s roles in 19th-century society.
A study of Mary Astell, often considered the first English feminist, exploring her arguments for women’s education and her place in 17th-century intellectual and religious life.