Main content
Shakespeare v Rappers
Who has the biggest vocabulary - the Bard or today鈥檚 rap stars? Tim Harford takes a look at the numbers with James Fletcher.
It is a 'fact' beloved of English teachers around the world that Shakespeare, the greatest playwright writing in English, also had the greatest vocabulary. But research published earlier this year suggests English teachers might have to look elsewhere to establish the superiority of the Bard - apparently his vocabulary lags behind the best and most famous rappers of the last decades. Is this comparison fair, and if so, does it diminish Shakespeare's lustre?
(Photo: Run DMC. Credit: Getty Images)
Last on
Mon 15 Sep 2014
08:50GMT
大象传媒 World Service Online
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Fri 12 Sep 2014 18:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
- Sun 14 Sep 2014 22:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
- Mon 15 Sep 2014 01:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
- Mon 15 Sep 2014 08:50GMT大象传媒 World Service Online
Featured in...
![]()
Shakespeare—Shakespeare on 大象传媒 World Service
Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.