Faculty of English Language and Literature

The Faculty of English Language and Literature is by far the largest English Department in the UK, with over 75 permanent postholders, a further 70 Faculty members, 900 undergraduates and 300 postgraduates. The Faculty has a very distinguished research and teaching record, covering all periods of English Literature. Oxford’s English Faculty is one of the most illustrious Schools of English in the world. Established in 1894, it has numbered among its members some of the most important critics and scholars in the field, including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Edmund Blunden, Nevill Coghill, Helen Gardner, Richard Ellmann, Terry Eagleton, and many others. We are now home to nearly eighty Professors, Readers, and Lecturers, with about the same number again of Tutors and Research Fellows based in Colleges. At any one time, there are roughly a thousand students studying within the Faculty at undergraduate level, and another three hundred at graduate level in the largest English graduate school in the country. Traditionally teaching and research in the Faculty has covered the entire history of literature in English from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day, along with language studies. More recent growth areas include world literature and film studies.

All episodes

Title	Description	People	Date
King John	At the heart of King John is the death of his rival Arthur: this fifteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series looks at the ways history and legitimacy are complicated in this plotline.	Emma Smith	10 February, 2012
J.M. Coetzee	Professor Peter McDonald gives a talk on the work of South African Nobel Laureate, J.M. Coetzee.	Peter McDonald	7 February, 2012
Olive Schreiner	Professor Elleke Boehmer gives a talk on Olive Schreiner (1855-1920), the South African novelist, pioneering feminist, and anti-imperialist polemicist.	Elleke Boehmer	7 February, 2012
Katherine Mansfield and Rhythm Magazine	Dr Faith Binckes explains why modernist short story writer and critic Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) is a great writer, highlighting her involvement with the 1911-1913 periodical Rhythm, edited by her second husband John Middleton Murry.	Faith Binckes	7 February, 2012
George Eliot - A Very Large Brain	Dr Catherine Brown gives a talk on George Eliot and her influences.	Catherine Brown	7 February, 2012
William Blake	Dr David Fallon introduces the poetry, painting, and engraving of William Blake, focusing on the imaginative and visionary aspects of Blake's work and his desire to break the publics 'mind-forg'd manacles'.	David Fallon	7 February, 2012
18th Century Labouring Class Poetry	Dr Jennifer Batt gives a talk on Stephen Duck, one of the 18th Century labouring-class poets.	Jennifer Batt	7 February, 2012
Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing	Dr Abigail Williams gives a talk on Jonathan Swift and the Art of Undressing.	Abigail Williams	7 February, 2012
Beowulf	Dr Francis Leneghan gives a talk on Beowulf, one of the most important works in Anglo-Saxon literature.	Francis Leneghan	7 February, 2012
Shakespeare and the Stage	Professor Tiffany Stern gives a talk on William Shakespeare and how his plays were performed in Elizabethan England.	Tiffany Stern	7 February, 2012
Pericles, Prince of Tyre	Pericles has been on the margins of the Shakespearean canon: this fourteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series shows some of its self-conscious artistry and contemporary popularity.	Emma Smith	1 February, 2012
Richard III	In this thirteenth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series the focus is on the inevitability of the ending of Richard III: does the play endorse Richmond's final victory?	Emma Smith	25 January, 2012
The Comedy of Errors	Lecture 12 in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks how seriously we can take the farcical exploits of Comedy of Errors, drawing out the play's serious concerns with identity and selfhood.	Emma Smith	23 January, 2012
The Joys of Cricket	This podcast looks at cricket seen through eighteenth-century eyes, focussing on a poem by James Dance, called 'Cricket: An Heroic Poem.'.	Adam Rounce	12 December, 2011
George Eliot 3. Reception History	In this third and final podcast, Dr Catherine Brown discusses the popularity of George Eliot's work in the Victorian period, which led to her status as a sage and the steady accumulation of her wealth.	Catherine Brown	5 December, 2011
History of English Pronunciation	Do we really know what Chaucer's poetry sounded like? Professor Simon Horobin introduces evidence that gives us an insight into the history of English pronunciation and explores what it tells us about how and why changes in language take place.	Simon Horobin	30 November, 2011
Henry IV part 1	Like generations of theatre-goers, this lecture concentrates on the (large) figure of Sir John Falstaff and investigates his role in Henry IV part 1. Lecture 11 in the Approaching Shakespeare series.	Emma Smith	16 November, 2011
George Eliot 2. Genre and Justice	The second lecture in the series on George Eliot considers how narrative justice operates in relation to the genres of comedy and tragedy, particularly in 'Adam Bede' and 'Daniel Deronda'.	Catherine Brown	15 November, 2011
The Tempest	That the character of Prospero is a Shakespearean self-portrait is a common reading of The Tempest: this tenth Approaching Shakespeare lecture asks whether that is a useful reading of the play.	Emma Smith	14 November, 2011
George Eliot 1. Intellect and Consciousness	In this lecture Dr Catherine Brown brings her discussion to focus primarily upon Eliot's atypical novella 'The Lifted Veil' and her novel 'Middlemarch'.	Catherine Brown	10 November, 2011
Antony and Cleopatra	What kind of tragedy is this play, with its two central figures rather than a singular hero? The ninth lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series tries to find out.	Emma Smith	10 November, 2011
Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)	Professor Charlotte Brewer introduces the methodology behind the creation of the OED and how current activity to update the Dictionary may reveal new evidence about Shakespeare's impact on the English Language.	Charlotte Brewer	8 November, 2011
Realism	Dr Catherine Brown, English Faculty, Oxford, gives a lecture exploring the nature of realism in verbal and visual art.	Catherine Brown	8 November, 2011
Richard II	Lecture eight in the Approaching Shakespeare series asks the question that structures Richard II: does the play suggest Henry Bolingbroke's overthrow of the king was justified?	Emma Smith	1 November, 2011
Walcott and Naipaul: History and Myth	Catherine Brown, Lecturer in English Literature, compares West Indian writers Derek Walcott and Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul on their attitudes towards history and myth.	Catherine Brown	26 October, 2011
English and Gender	Professor Deborah Cameron explores some of the key theories surrounding the use of language by women and men. Are we really so different?	Deborah Cameron	21 October, 2011
Introduction to the MSt in English Language	Professor Deborah Cameron introduces the new Master's course in English Language offered by the University of Oxford.	Deborah Cameron	21 October, 2011
Twelfth Night	The seventh Approaching Shakespeare lecture takes a minor character in Twelfth Night - Antonio - and uses his presence to open up questions of sexuality, desire and the nature of romantic comedy.	Emma Smith	20 October, 2011
Titus Andronicus	Focusing in detail on one particular scene, and on critical responses to it, this sixth Approaching Shakespeare lecture on Titus Andronicus deals with violence, rhetoric, and the nature of dramatic sensationalism.	Emma Smith	19 October, 2011
Poetry and Tobacco	This podcast looks at the relationship between tobacco and poetic inspiration, through some popular comic poems.	Abigail Williams, Laurence Williams, John Clargo	3 August, 2011
You are the Earth, You are the Sky; How one man become the dominant force in the British media's coverage of sport. Does that mean he controls sport itself?	Final lecture of the 2011 News International Professorship of Broadcast Media lecture series on Sport and Broadcast Media.	Matthew Engel	19 April, 2011
From Reith to wreath; The Great Days of Sport on BBC TV and how they ended	Matthew Engel, the journalist and sports writer and 2011 New International Professor of Broadcast Media gives his third lecture in the 2011 series entitled; Please, mister, can we have our ball back? Sport, the media, and the people.	Matthew Engel	19 April, 2011
It's the Cat's Whisker: How Sport and the Media developed together, from Mesopotamia to John Logie Baird	Matthew Engel, the journalist and sports writer and 2011 News International Broadcast Media Professor gives his second lecture in the 2011 series entitled 'Please, mister, can we have our ball back? Sport, the media, and the people.	Matthew Engel	19 April, 2011
Life and death? No, Much more Important than that; How Sport turned into Big Business and a Global Obsession	Matthew Engel, Journalist and Sports Writer and 2011 News International Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media gives the first of the 2011 series on Broadcast media, entitled; Please, mister, can we have our ball back? Sport, the media, and the people.	Matthew Engel	19 April, 2011
Tolkien's Languages	These lectures cover an introduction to J R R Tolkien's career, show how medieval literature influenced his fiction, and consider the wider scheme Tolkien worked on linking his mythology to historical and other mythical events.	Elizabeth Solopova	21 March, 2011
Tolkien and Medieval Literature	These lectures cover an introduction to J R R Tolkien's career, show how medieval literature influenced his fiction, and consider the wider scheme Tolkien worked on linking his mythology to historical and other mythical events.	Elizabeth Solopova	21 March, 2011
J R R Tolkien 'Beyond the Shoreless Sea'	These lectures cover an introduction to J R R Tolkien's career, show how medieval literature influenced his fiction, and consider the wider scheme Tolkien worked on linking his mythology to historical and other mythical events.	Stuart Lee	21 March, 2011
J R R Tolkien: Medievalist and Mythmaker	These lectures cover an introduction to J R R Tolkien's career, show how medieval literature influenced his fiction, and consider the wider scheme Tolkien worked on linking his mythology to historical and other mythical events.	Stuart Lee	21 March, 2011
Brought to Book: Book History and the Idea of Literature	Professor Paul Eggert, University of New South Wales, gives the 17th Annual D.F. McKenzie lecture on the subject of books and gives a case study of Henry Lawson, Australian author of Where the Billy Boils.	Paul Eggert	9 March, 2011
The Winter's Tale	How we can make sense of a play that veers from tragedy to comedy and stretches credulity in its conclusion? That's the topic for this fifth Approaching Shakespeare lecture on The Winter's Tale.	Emma Smith	9 November, 2010
Macbeth	In this fourth Approaching Shakespeare lecture the question is one of agency: who or what makes happen the things that happen in Macbeth?	Emma Smith	2 November, 2010
Measure for Measure	The third Approaching Shakespeare lecture, on Measure for Measure, focuses on the vexed question of this uncomic comedy's genre.	Emma Smith	26 October, 2010
The Merry Wiues of Windsor.	ePub version of text THE Merry Wiues of Windsor. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Comedie of Errors.	ePub version of text The Comedie of Errors. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Merchant of Venice.	ePub version of text The Merchant of Venice. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
A Midsommer Nights Dreame.	ePub version of text A MIDSOMMER Nights Dreame. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
Much adoe about Nothing.	ePub version of text Much adoe about Nothing. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
Loues Labour's lost.	ePub version of text Loues Labour's lost. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The first Part of Henry the Sixt.	ePub version of text The first Part of Henry the Sixt. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Life of Henry the Fift.	ePub version of text The Life of Henry the Fift. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Containing his Death: and the Coronation of King Henry the Fift.	ePub version of text The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Containing his Death: and the Coronation of King Henry the Fift. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry Sirnamed Hot-spvrre.	ePub version of text The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of HENRY Sirnamed HOT-SPVRRE. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The life and death of King Richard the Second.	ePub version of text The life and death of King Richard the Second. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The life and death of King Iohn.	ePub version of text The life and death of King Iohn. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Winters Tale.	ePub version of text The Winters Tale. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
Twelfe Night, Or what you will.	ePub version of text Twelfe Night, Or what you will. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
All's Well, that Ends Well.	ePub version of text ALL'S Well, that Ends Well. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
Measvre, For Measure.	ePub version of text MEASVRE, For Measure. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Taming of the Shrew.	ePub version of text THE Taming of the Shrew. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tempest.	ePub version of text THE TEMPEST. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Two Gentlemen of Verona.	ePub version of text THE Two Gentlemen of Verona. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
As you Like it.	ePub version of text As you Like it. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus.	ePub version of text The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedy of Richard the Third: with the Landing of Earle Richmond, and the Battell at Bosworth Field.	ePub version of text The Tragedy of Richard the Third: with the Landing of Earle Richmond, and the Battell at Bosworth Field. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Cymbeline.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF CYMBELINE. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Anthonie, and Cleopatra.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF Anthonie, and Cleopatra. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The third Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Duke of Yorke.	ePub version of text The third Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Duke of YORKE. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Othello, the Moore of Venice.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF Othello, the Moore of Venice. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of King Lear.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF KING LEAR. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The second Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Good Duke Hvmfrey.	ePub version of text The second Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Good Duke HVMFREY. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke.	ePub version of text The tragedie of HAMLET, Prince of Denmarke. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Macbeth.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF MACBETH. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Ivlivs Caesar.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF IVLIVS CAESAR. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Life Of Tymon Of Athens.	ePub version of text THE LIFE OF TYMON OF ATHENS. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Romeo and Ivliet	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF ROMEO and IVLIET / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedy of Coriolanus.	ePub version of text The Tragedy of Coriolanus. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Tragedie Of Troylus and Cressida.	ePub version of text THE TRAGEDIE OF Troylus and Cressida. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight.	ePub version of text The Famous History of the Life of King HENRY the Eight. / Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.	William Shakespeare	26 October, 2010
Henry V	The second lecture in the Approaching Shakespeare series looks at King Henry V, and asks whether his presentation in the play is entirely positive.	Emma Smith	20 October, 2010
Othello	First in Emma Smith's Approaching Shakespeare lecture series; looking at the central question of race and its significance in the play.	Emma Smith	18 October, 2010
Tomorrow Got Here Yesterday	Last of four lectures exploring the relationship between creativity and commerce through the prism of late 20th and early 21st century TV fiction on both sides of the Atlantic.	Stephen Garrett	11 May, 2010
No More Heroes	Third of four lectures exploring the relationship between creativity and commerce through the prism of late 20th and early 21st century TV fiction on both sides of the Atlantic.	Stephen Garrett	11 May, 2010
Why the Only Rule is that there are No Rules	Second of four lectures exploring the relationship between creativity and commerce through the prism of late 20th and early 21st century TV fiction on both sides of the Atlantic.	Stephen Garrett	11 May, 2010
How to Grow a Creative Business According to the Laws of Chance	First of four lectures exploring the relationship between creativity and commerce through the prism of late 20th and early 21st century TV fiction on both sides of the Atlantic.	Stephen Garrett	11 May, 2010
The Hobbit at the Bodleian: World Book Day	Judith Priestman, curator of the Bodleian library, discusses the World Book Day 2010 exhibition, where a selection of J.R.R. Tolkien's original artwork which was used to illustrate The Hobbit, was on display to the public.	Judith Priestman	13 April, 2010
The Hobbit at the Bodleian: World Book Day	Judith Priestman, curator of the Bodleian library, discusses the World Book Day 2010 exhibition, where a selection of J.R.R. Tolkien's original artwork which was used to illustrate The Hobbit, was on display to the public.	Judith Priestman	13 April, 2010
Philip Pullman: Lyra's Oxford, Bodleian Library Masterclass	Acclaimed author of His Dark Materials Philip Pullman is interviewed by Margaret Kean on his new book, his influences and his method for writing stories.	Phillp Pullman, Margaret Kean	13 April, 2010
Talking Tolkien: The influences of Medieval Literature on the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien	Stuart Lee and Elizabeth Solopova discuss the influences of medieval literature on the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien.	Stuart Lee, Elizabeth Solopova, Tara Mulholland	25 March, 2010
Cornelia Sorabji: Jowett's protégée in Oxford 1889-1893	Professor Richard Sorabji (Wolfson College, Oxford) - Cornelia Sorabji: Jowett's protígíe in Oxford 1889-1893.	Richard Sorabji	3 March, 2010
Repainting Ajanta: the global impact of the Frescoes and their copies	Dr Rupert Arrowsmith (UCL) - 'Repainting Ajanta: the global impact of the Frescoes and their copies.'.	Rupert Arrowsmith	3 March, 2010
Tracing Indian students at Oxford before the Second World War	Dr Sumita Mukherjee (Oxford) - 'Tracing Indian Students at Oxford before the Second World War'.	Sumita Mukherjee	2 March, 2010
Indian imperial crossings and the Oxford hub	Professor Elleke Boehmer (Oxford) - 'Indian imperial crossings and the Oxford hub'.	Elleke Boehmer	2 March, 2010
Michael Madhusudan Datta (1824-1873): a young Bengali poet's exam script washes up on Albion's distant shore	Dr Alex Riddiford - "Michael Madhusudan Datta (1824-1873): a young Bengali poet's exam script washes up on Albion's distant shore." This reading was delivered by Anshuman Mondal.	Alex Riddiford, Anshuman Mondal	2 March, 2010
Musings of Sir Mohammad Iqbal on the Place of Muslims in late Colonial India: Letters to Edward John Thompson, 1933-1934	Professor Humayun Ansari (RHUL) - 'Musings of Sir Mohammad Iqbal on the Place of Muslims in late Colonial India: Letters to Edward John Thompson, 1933-1934'.	Humayun Ansari	2 March, 2010
Introduction and Reading	Opening of exhibition by Amitav Ghosh and a reading from his In an Antique Land. Introduced by Anshuman Mondal (Brunel).	Amitav Ghosh, Anshuman Mondal	2 March, 2010
Censorship in South Africa: Introduction	Peter McDonald talks briefly about what first interested him in Censorship of Literature in South Africa.	Peter McDonald	12 January, 2010
Peter McDonald on Censorship in South Africa	Peter McDonald talks with Oliver Lewis about censorship, its philosophical basis and general history within Apartheid South Africa.	Peter McDonald, Oliver Lewis	12 January, 2010
The Duchess of Malfi: John Webster	In dramatizing a woman's sexual choices in a notably sympathetic manner, this tragedy articulates perennial questions about female autonomy and class distinction.	Emma Smith	24 November, 2009
Political Perspectives to State Censorship of Literature	Peter McDonald and David Robertson discuss the idea of state censorship, especially Apartheid era South Africa, looking at the political perspectives and implications of state censorship of literature.	Peter McDonald, David Robertson	17 November, 2009
Literature and State Censorship: A literary perspective	Peter McDonald and Elleke Bohemer discuss state censorship from a literary perspective; also discussing the issues of nationalism, modernism and Apartheid.	Peter McDonald, Elleke Boehmer	17 November, 2009

Faculty of English Language and Literature

Related

Series in this collection

History of the Eighteenth Century in Ten Poems

Shakespeare's First Folio (ePub format)

Approaching Shakespeare

Broadcast Media

Literature, Art and Oxford

Indian Traces in Oxford

Censorship in Literature in South Africa

Not Shakespeare: Elizabethan and Jacobean Popular Theatre

Tolkien at Oxford

Medieval English

All episodes