If I could go to England during the time of King Arthur and again during Shakespeare could I understand them?

During Shakespeare's time you might be able to understand. How well do you understand the English in his plays? The better you understand the English in his plays without looking at a translation into modern English, the more likely you would understand English if you were able to travel back to the Elizabethan era.

Arthur, however, forget it. Enough early authors have suggested that Arthur lived at the end of the era of the Roman Empire, that is if he lived at all he wasn't speaking Old English. Or at least he wasn't speaking a form we'd recgonize today. Likely Latin, a Celtic language (Old Welsh, Old Breton, Brittonic/Brythonic) or possibly Old Saxon/Old Low German would have been Arthur's language. You start looking into possible canidates for the real Arthur you start seeing Latin, Welsh, Old Breton, Brittonic/Brythonic crop up. Several are mentioned as having fought against the Anglo-Saxons, whose language is also what's refered to as Old English and would have also been Old Saxon/Old Low German, so it seems less likely Arthur was speaking it if he lived.

Shakespearean English is considered Early Modern English. If you can understand Shakespeare's plays or poetry when you read them, then you could probably understand the spoken language of the day. However, pronunciation of some letters may differ from what you are used to.

King Arthur is said to have lived during the 5th or 6th century which means he would have spoken Old English. It would have been difficult to understand, almost like a foreign language. Here is the first line of the Lord's Prayer in Old English:

Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum

Si þin nama gehalgod

to becume þin rice

gewurþe ðin willa

on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.

You've asked an interesting question.

I guess that your conversation with Shakespeare would be hard, but possible if both of you speak very slowly.

But you will not understand King Arthur at all. He spoke old Celtic language which has as much relation to modern English as modern Russian does.

German speaking Angles and Saxons just started to settle Britain and Arthur fought them.

But you could not have conversation with Saxons of those times as well. It is as remote from modern English as modern German is. You would catch just couple words.

I think King Arthur spoke Welsh.

As for Bill Shakespeare, the problem here is a bit different. Keep in mind the language would be in hard heavy accented British English. You would recognize words, but hardly all. They would also be stated in a way that would be very unfamiliar to you.

Here, read for yourself and see how much you understand.

This is the first act of The Taming of the Shrew wich is all conversation;

http://www.william-shakespeare.info/act1-script-te...

Great Question but why would anyone in their right mind want to. Think even today one could not fully comprehend the language spoken there and they seem to speak faster than my sister. I never did like either of the guys but never did pay attention.

Arthur's time was welsh. You would have problems. "Helo sut wyt ti". Is "hello how are you" It's has deep celtic tones.

Shakespeare time, you could pass. Some might look at you funny but that's about it.

You could probably get by but they might lock you up as crazy.