The old English dramatists

James Russell Lowell’s six‑lecture series on the Old English dramatists offers a vivid, conversational guide to the earliest stages of English theater. Delivered originally at the Lowell Institute in 1887, the talks weave together lively anecdotes, close readings of surviving plays, and Lowell’s characteristic wit, inviting listeners to hear the mysteries of Beowulf‑era heroic verse and the moral vigor of medieval morality plays. Though never revised for print, the speeches retain the spontaneous energy of a scholar speaking directly to an eager audience, making the material feel both scholarly and intimate.

The lectures, first published in Harper’s Magazine in 1892, illuminate how these ancient works shaped later dramatic tradition while revealing the cultural and religious contexts that animated them. Listeners will appreciate Lowell’s skill in balancing erudition with accessible storytelling, as he draws connections between the stark simplicity of early English drama and the broader currents of literary history. This recording preserves a unique moment when a 19th‑century intellectual passionately revived the voices of the distant past.