English poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers of the English language and the world’s most well-known dramatist. The London that Shakespeare lived in (1564-1616) had a huge blend of English accents during that day. People came to London from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, as well as other countries farther away. The mixture of all these cultures and ethnicities made a very unique English accent during that era.
Ben Crystal, an English actor, author, and producer, is probably best known for his performances of William Shakespeare’s plays. He also does a lot of work trying to bring awareness to these lost pieces of art. One unique thing he does it to recite pieces of Shakespeare’s plays in what he believes was the original accent during the times these pieces were written.
This clip is from a seminar Ben was held at the British Council English and Exams. He chose a piece from the ever-popular Romeo and Juliet and added a new view to Shakespeare’s work by reciting it in an incredibly impressive accent. During his seminar, Ben also explained to his audience how he was able to make the accent.
This seminar was extremely informative and interesting, not to mention entertaining, as Ben showed off his vocal talents. You can’t help but feel like this accent is something you would hear in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean or some other pirate movie. You’re going to love this new take on an old favorite like Romeo and Juliet.
