17th & 18th Century England

Charles I v. Parliament

Cavaliers (royalists) v. “Roundheads” (Parliament)

Charles I defeated, executed 1649 Protectorate (Puritan rule)

Oliver Cromwell – “Lord Protector” Theaters closed, conservative rule

5 Revolutions:1. Political (England)

Cromwell dies 1658

Charles II restored in 1660 Dies in 1685 w/out heir

James II (Catholic) assumes throne No male heir, daughter (Mary)

Protestant Has a son (will be raised Catholic)

5 Revolutions:1. Political (England)

“Glorious Revolution”

Populace wants P. ruler “power brokers” invite Mary & William

(husband) to take throne, James dethroned w/out “much” bloodshed

Act of Settlement (crown kept in P. hands) Parliament gains almost complete control

of gov’t with George I (1714)

5 Revolutions:1. Political (England)

Manufacturing Technology Energy sources (steam) Growth of “not London” cities

continues

5 Revolutions:2. Industrial

Concurrent w. Industrial Technology

New machinery Crop rotation techniques Larger farms Improved transportation

5 Revolutions:3. Agricultural

DUH England – significant military

power Weakened by loss of colonies

5 Revolutions:4. Political (America)

1789 – French Revolution So what? Gov’t “of the people” now in

Europe Government w/out king/monarch

established in “old country”

5 Revolutions:5. Political (France)

Parliament grows in stature, so does

London 1660 – theaters reopen, women

allowed on stage 1664 – “Great Plague” hits London

15% of population killed in 2 years 1666 – Great Fire of London

Est. 70,000 of 80,000 people lost homes

London as “Center”

As London rebuilds… Transportation improvements

Turnpikes Canals

Primarily for business Allows for greater individual mobility

London as “Center”

Away from London

Country (rural) Sober, thoughtful topics Meditative Rural, contemplative mood became

dominant in poetry

Focus shifts…but not completely

What holds the social order together? What can one know about the order

of the world or the “right” way to behave?

What is my place in the social order?

Societal Questions

Newton

Universe governed by natural physical principles “divine watchmaker” theory of God

Milton – Paradise Lost Fall of Satan, Adam & Eve

Answers previous Question #2?

Societal Questions

Milton

“Paradise Lost” Epic poem in English to “match those of Homer &

Virgil” Considered Arthurian legends (echoing Homer &

Virgil), decided on “fall of man” Protectorate, Restoration…

“fall of man & coming of a redeemer to restore humanity to its rightful place”

Milton as O.T. prophet, heralding the “coming” (socially & politically)

Social Effects on Literature

Swift

Takes advantage of growth of reason over “revelation”

Satire “Mock-serious” in tone, ridicules

conduct by “shining a light” on its ridiculousness

Satire

Coffeehouses Rise in popularity w/middle class

Trade “gossip”, read “magazines” (new)

More “proper” than a tavern/pub

London as “Center”

Essay

Coffeehouses & “new” magazines “sermons for the middle class”

Novel Started as “quasi-religious”

narratives (see previous) Person struggling to survive in a

hostile, evil, or indifferent world

New Literary Forms

Rise of the Middle class contributes

to the growth & development of these new forms Literate audience Money to spend on periodicals/books Time to read them

New Literary Forms