This reading began by reflecting on the “variety of meanings” of the word audience and how the term changed over time. In the C14, audience simply referred to the “action of hearing.” However, this term soon began to be used in more formal settings such as court rooms. In C15, “an ecclesiastical court was referred to as a ‘court of audience.'”

By the C17 and C18, the term became more so what we use it for today. It was associated with large numbers of people consuming some sort of media text. Therefore, it referred to “those who are physically, and collectively, present in the same place, as the addressees of a sermon or speech or theatrical performance.”

This later definition of the term is much more applicable to todays society. Most people when they hear the word audience they would think of people viewing a film, television show, or live performance. However in the C19, this meaning was broadened to include the readers of books. This became a very interesting concept because this invention of print meant that audiences could now be “dispersed not only across space, but also across time.” I believe it can be argued that with today’s technologies film can also do this, but in terms of a historical point of view, books can allow you to immerse yourself in a different time and place while remaining historically accurate.

Consequently, it is interesting to look at how the meaning of the word audience has changed over time and how we perceive audiences.