Write a 600 word literature review for the essay question: 'To what extent does Robert Eggers use Early Modern English from the 1630s in his film 'The VVitch' to achieve authenticity? What are the repercussions of this for language revitalisation?' based on this introduction: 'Language is dynamic and diverse, it reflects and shapes the social and cultural identities of different groups of people, while also changing over time, as new forms emerge or disappear in response to various factors. However, some forms of language may be preserved or revived for different purposes, such as artistic expression, historical reconstruction, or cultural heritage. This process is known as language revitalisation, which involves promoting and maintaining endangered or extinct languages. In this essay, I will investigate how language revitalisation can be achieved through the medium of film, using a case study of The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015), written and directed by Robert Eggers. The VVitch is a folk horror film set in 1630s New England, following a Puritan family who encounter forces of evil in the woods beyond their farm. The film is notable for its use of Early Modern English (EME) from the 1630s, which Eggers derived from historical sources.

The film aims to create an authentic and immersive representation of the pre-modern world of The VVitch, by using a form of language that is unfamiliar and distant to the modern audience. The research question I will address in this essay is: To what extent does Robert Eggers use Early Modern English from the 1630s in his film The VVitch to achieve authenticity? What are the repercussions of this for language revitalisation? This question is relevant and important because it explores how film can be used as a tool for linguistic and cultural preservation and awareness and how it can challenge or enhance the audience’s engagement and enjoyment of the film.

To answer this question, I will analyse the linguistic features of EME in the film and compare them with contemporary sources of EME. I will also discuss how Eggers uses EME to create a realistic and immersive representation of the pre-modern world of The VVitch, and how this affects the audience’s perception and appreciation of the film. Furthermore, I will explore the implications of using EME for language revitalisation, considering how the film may inspire interest and awareness of the historical development and diversity of the English language. In order to do this, I will draw on some linguistic theories and studies that relate to language change, variation and ideology, as well as the representation of historical languages and cultures in films. In the next section, I will review some of the relevant literature on these topics.' Use relevant sources, citations and references. Also these might help: 'Adams, J. (2016). The Puritan dialect in Robert Eggers’ 'The Witch.' Early Modern English Studies, 8(1), 230-235. [Online] [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Adams, S. (2016). The Most Accurate Part of 'The Witch' is How It Nails the Desperate, Crazed Mindset of Early American Settlers. [Online] Available at: https://slate.com/culture/2016/02/the-most-accurate-part-of-the-witch-is-how-it-nails-the-desperate-crazed-mindset-of-early-american-settlers.html [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Eggers, R. (2016). The Witch (film script). Script Slug. https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/the-witch-2016.pdf. [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Film Daze. (2022, April 26). Commitment to Historical Accuracy Helps Turn The Northman Into a Masterpiece. Film Daze. https://filmdaze.net/commitment-to-historical-accuracy-helps-turn-the-northman-into-a-masterpiece/ [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Film Daze. (2022). 'The Northman': A conversation on historical accuracy with director Robert Eggers. Film Daze. Retrieved from https://www.filmdaze.net/film/item/14831-the-northman-robert-eggers-interview. [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Griffin, B. (2019). The language of 'The Lighthouse.' Film Matters, 10(1), 37-39. [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Griffin, D. (2019). The Myths and Archetypes Behind 'The Lighthouse' Explained. [Online] Available at: https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-lighthouse-the-myths-and-archetypes-behind-the-movie-explained/ [Accessed 23rd April 2023].

Keyes, A. (2019). 20 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About 'The Witch'. [Online] Available at: https://screenrant.com/the-witch-robert-eggers-behind-scenes-unknown-facts/ [Accessed 23rd April 2023].

Lovett, J. (2022). Did Alexander Skarsgård Learn to Speak Old Norse for "The Northman"? [Blog post]. We Got This Covered. Retrieved from https://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/did-alexander-skarsgard-learn-to-speak-old-norse-for-the-northman/ [Accessed 23rd April 2023].

Lovett, M. (2022). Alexander Skarsgård learned Old Norse to play Viking in Robert Eggers’ 'The Northman.' IndieWire. Retrieved from https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/alexander-skarsgard-learned-old-norse-the-northman-1234721581/. [Accessed 23rd April 2023].

Lithub. (2021). The surprising persistence of Early Modern English. Lithub. Retrieved from https://lithub.com/the-surprising-persistence-of-early-modern-english/. [Accessed 24th April 2023].

Lithub. (2021). Mundane Evil: An Overview of Witches and Puritans in 1630s New England. https://lithub.com/mundane-evil-an-overview-of-witches-and-puritans-in-1630s-new-england/. [Accessed 24th April 2023].

Past in the Present. (2016). Hearing Seventeenth-Century Colonists in 'The Witch'. https://pastinthepresent.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/hearing-seventeenth-century-colonists-in-the-witch/. [Accessed 24th April 2023].

Quora. (n.d.). How authentic is the language in the film 'The Witch'? Quora. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/How-authentic-is-the-language-in-the-film-The-Witch. [Accessed 20th April 2023].

Quora. (n.d.). How well does 'The Witch' portray old English? [Online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-well-does-The-Witch-portray-old-English [Accessed 20th April 2023].

R. (2016). Why 'The Witch' Was Hated by Audiences: The Witch Ending Explained. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/why-the-witch-was-hated-ending-explained/ [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Reddit. (2020). Accents in 'The Lighthouse'. [Online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/enl5r2/accents_in_the_lighthouse/ [Accessed 26th April 2023].

R., J. (2016). 'The Witch' - Accents, Bleakness, Perfect Religious Horror. [Online] Available at: http://www.thepurpledon.com/the-witch-accents-bleakness-perfect-religious-horror-my-thoughts/ [Accessed 24th April 2023].

Smith, J. (2016). A 'witch' who talks like a puritan: Why authenticity matters in period films. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2016/02/25/a-witch-who-talks-like-a-puritan-why-authenticity-matters-in-period-films/. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Smith, A. (2016). Hearing Seventeenth-Century Colonists in 'The Witch'. [Online] Available at: https://pastinthepresent.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/hearing-seventeenth-century-colonists-in-the-witch/ [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Slate. (2016). The Most Accurate Part of 'The Witch' is How it Nails the Desperate, Crazed Mindset of Early American Settlers. https://slate.com/culture/2016/02/the-most-accurate-part-of-the-witch-is-how-it-nails-the-desperate-crazed-mindset-of-early-american-settlers.html. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Stack Exchange. (2017). How historically accurate is the language in 'The VVitch'? Stack Exchange. Retrieved from https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/46752/how-historically-accurate-is-the-language-in-the-vvitch. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Stack Exchange. (2017). How accurate is the language they speak in "The Witch" (2015)? [Online] Available at: https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/62835/how-accurate-is-the-language-they-speak-in-the-witch-2015 [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Story Screen. (2020). Historical accuracy and the language of 'The Lighthouse' and 'The Witch'. Story Screen. Retrieved from https://storyscreenbeacon.com/stories/2020/6/17/historical-accuracy-and-the-language-of-the-lighthouse-and-the-witch. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

Story Screen. (2020). The Similarities Found in 'The VVitch' & 'The Lighthouse'. https://www.storyscreenbeacon.com/post/2020/01/06/the-similarities-found-in-the-vvitch-the-lighthouse. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

The Guardian. (2022, April 22). Norse code: white supremacists reading the Northman. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/apr/22/norse-code-white-supremacists-reading-the-northman-robert-eggers. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

The Purple Don. (2016). 'The Witch' Accents & Bleakness: Perfect Religious Horror (My Thoughts). http://www.thepurpledon.com/the-witch-accents-bleakness-perfect-religious-horror-my-thoughts/. [Accessed 26th April 2023].

YouTube. (2022, January 27). The Northman: Alexander Skarsgård & Robert Eggers Interview [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbpjAH2UVWI. [Accessed 20th April 2023].'