Shakespeare’s Language: Perspectives Past and Present Routledge, 2019

An overview of the rich and dynamic history of the reception and study of Shakespeare’s language from his death up to the present. The book reveals how different cultural and literary trends have moulded attitudes, reflecting changing linguistic climates. The latter part of the book deals in detail with modern studies of Shakespeare’s language.

There are separate chapters on the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For the period since 1950, the topics covered are: vocabulary, grammar, pragmatics, pronunciation, graphology, verse and prose, rhetoric. A final chapter considers possibly future developments in Shakespeare language studies.

 

Shakespeare’s English: A Practical Linguistic Guide Routledge, 2013

The book provides students with a solid grounding for understanding the language of Shakespeare and its place within the development of English. As well as providing a unique introduction to the subject, the book encourages a "hands-on" approach, guiding students, through the use of activities, towards an understanding of how Shakespeare's English works.

'With its masterly blend of general perspective, detailed illustration, and practical activity, this book takes Shakespearean languages studies to a new level.'
Professor David Crystal

‘A fascinating and practical guide to the uses and development of the English language in Shakespeare's work… It is a detailed, light-hearted, informative and wholly comprehensive guide to the pleasures and vicissitudes of Shakespeare's – and our – English.’
Professor Charlotte Scott Shakespeare Survey 68 (2015)