Beowulf: The Pagan Hero Of The Anglo-Saxons | Literary Classics

Great Expectations is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. The novel explores themes such as class, snobbery, money, and forgiveness. Pip's journey reflects Dickens' contemplation on social class mobility. It is Dickens' second novel, after David Copperfield, to be fully narrated in the first person. Here, experts why in on the elements of the story, while the narrative plays out before your eyes.

The English Romantic poets of the 19th century, including Lord Byron, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Percy Bysshe Shelley, and John Keats, pioneered a literary movement marked by an emphasis on emotion, nature, and individual expression. Wordsworth's celebration of spontaneous feelings and connection with nature, Coleridge's imaginative and experimental works, and Shelley's radicalism and visionary poetry collectively shaped the Romantic Age. Their contributions defined a period characterized by introspection, a deep connection with nature, and a rejection of traditional poetic forms. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

Jane Eyre was released in 1847 and is considered a masterpiece of literature, offering a critique and celebration of Victorian society. Brontë stunned the aristocratic Victorian elite by boldly criticizing prevailing Victorian ideals in her novel, crafting a love story that defied conventional expectations. Charlotte Bronte, the author, was born in 1816 and grew up in a household marked by sickness and death, losing her mother at a young age. Charlotte's early education included a harsh experience at the Cowbridge Clergy Daughters School, which influenced her depiction of Lowood in Jane Eyre. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet living in the late 1300s, witnessed significant societal changes in England during the transition from feudalism to a more mercantile system. Chaucer began writing the Canterbury Tales around 1387 during a period when the Catholic Church still held extreme power and the Black Death and the 100 Years War were still having profound impacts on England. Chaucer employs satire, irony, and humor throughout the tales, making readers laugh at first and then revealing the seriousness and tragedy beneath. His innovative use of the five-stress line in Middle English enhances the complexity of his mature poetry, setting him apart as a groundbreaking writer. Despite the unfinished nature of the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer's overarching design and exploration of morality and social reality make it one of the greatest works in English literature. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

From the surprise assault on Pearl Harbor to the catastrophic nuclear climax at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this comprehensive documentary reveals the brutal reality of World War II in the Pacific. Featuring enhanced color footage and rare footage shot by troops on the front lines, explore how American industrial power and tactical ingenuity overcame Imperial Japan's fierce resistance across Guadalcanal, Midway, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

From popular TV series to kinky paintings, there is a recurring image today of Romans as lust-filled, mad degenerates. But the reality is a lot more...complicated. Join Tristan Hughes and historian Honor Cargill-Martin as they explore the sex lives of ancient Romans living c.2,000 years ago - Emperors, statesmen, freedmen, slaves and more. Sorting fact from fiction, they explore why erotic imagery could be found all across the Roman Empire, acceptable vs deplorable marriage partners and just why gladiators became such sex symbols.