“A TURBULENT TIME”: THE 17TH AND 18TH

CENTURIES(1625 – 1798)

ENG 400: British LiteratureUnit 3 – Rise of an Empire

Historical Background

The King and Parliament

King Charles and Parliament

Charles I (crowned in 1625) Clashed with Parliament

Needed money for wars, but Parliament refused funding

Turned to other means Extorted loans from wealthy Pressed poor into service

Dissolved Parliament for 11 years Exacerbated religious controversy

Insisted that clergymen “conform” Persecuted and tortured

“dissenters”

Road to the Civil War

Scottish rebellion caused by insistence on religious conformity

Hostile Parliament summoned by desperate king; passed numerous reform laws

King tried to outmaneuver Parliament; condemned as a tyrant in 1642

Civil war broke out

The Civil War

1645: Parliament’s forces, led by Oliver Cromwell, defeated the royalist army

1647: King Charles I taken as prisoner 1649:

Radical Puritans dominate Parliament King Charles I tried and convicted of treason;

beheaded on January 30th

The English Commonwealth

After Charles I’s beheading, England without king

Oliver Cromwell led new government, called English Commonwealth 1653: dissolved

Parliament and named himself “Lord Protector”

Ruled as virtual dictator until death in 1658

Life in the English Commonwealth

Civil war did not lead to the free society many hoped for

Disappointed hopes + economic hardship civil unrest

Commonwealth fueled discontent with restrictive policies, outlawing Gambling Horse racing Newspapers Fancy clothes Public dancing Theater

The Restoration (Charles II)

1658: At time of Cromwell’s death, England tired of taxation, violence, and disorder

1660: Parliament offered crown to exiled son of Charles I, restoring the monarchy Charles II had spent his exile

in France Copied fashions and lifestyle

of Paris Was an avid patron of the

arts and sciences

Glorious Revolution (1688)

1685: Charles II died, succeeded by his brother James

James II, a devout Catholic, had religious differences with Puritan Parliament

Parliament invited James II’s daughter, Mary, to rule jointly with her husband, William of Orange

Rather than fight, James escaped to France

Known as the “Glorious Revolution” because it was accomplished without bloodshed

Glorious Revolution

A Constitutional Monarchy

1689: William and Mary agreed to respect a Bill of Rights passed by Parliament Guaranteed Parliament right to approve all taxes Forbade monarch to suspend the law

Established a limited, or constitutional monarchy Balance of power shifted away from monarch and

over to Parliament Eventually, Parliament became the ruling force of

the country Today, monarch is largely ceremonial

Agricultural Revolution

By late 1600s, new farm tools made it possible for farms to produce much more food

More food population surge New tools reduced need for farmhands

many people left the countryside Former farmhands became factory hands

who ran machines in growing towns (early Industrial Revolution)

The Industrial Age British inventions after 1750 made the

spinning and weaving of cloth more efficient

Steam engine perfected and adapted to run power loom

Factories built to produce large quantities of cotton cloth

Merchants sold textile goods all over world

The Enlightenment

Scientific revolution Enlightenment thinking

Enlightenment beliefs: through reason and observation of nature, human beings could discover the order underlying all things 1687: Sir Isaac Newton published study of

gravity By 1750, realities of industrialization

eclipsed social theories of Enlightenment “Progress” had led to misery for millions of

people. Writers and intellectuals began to lose faith in

the ability of human reason to solve every problem.

Literature of the Period

The Schools of Jonson and Donne

Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637) Strove for perfection and harmony of classical

authors Turned away from ornate style of Elizabethan

times Created own modern, strong voice Wrote poems, plays, masques, and critical

opinion John Donne (1572 – 1631)

Pioneered witty, cerebral style (metaphysical poetry)

Characterized by unusual degree of intellectualism

Love poems often structured as reasoned arguments

The Puritan Writers

Puritan movement produced important writers.

John Milton (1608 – 1674) Disciple of classical Greek and Latin authors Profound Calvinist, studied Old Testament Wrote political pamphlets for Puritan cause during

1640s After Cromwell dissolved Parliament, lost faith in

possibility of forming a just society on earth Had gone completely blind by 1652 Most famous work is the epic poem Paradise Lost,

an exploration of why God allows suffering in this world

The Puritan Writers cont . . .

John Bunyan (1628 – 1688) Had little education beyond reading the Bible Wandered between rural towns, preaching

wherever people would listen Imprisoned after restoration of Charles II During time in prison, wrote Pilgrims Progress

Allegory that relates how a man flees sin to lead a holy life

One of the most famous prose works of the time

Literature of the Age of Reason

Enlightenment writers turned to classical Greek and Roman writers for qualities they admired most: harmony, restraint, and clarity

Neoclassical writers English writers who imitated the styles of

classical writers Often referred to ancient myths, gods, and heroes Favored generalities rather than individual’s view Displayed fondness for satires that poked fun at

society’s follies Often expressed thoughts in aphorisms (short,

quotable sentences)

Literature of the Age of Reason continued . . .

John Dryden (1631 – 1700): Named England’s poet laureate for life; wrote plays, satirical poems, and celebratory poems, as well as essays and other prose

Restoration Theater: theaters reopened during the reign of Charles II (after being closed by Puritan parliament)

Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744): neoclassical writer who exhibited wit, elegance, and moderation; also had influence as a critic

Literature of the Age of Reason continued . . .

Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745): scornful critic of England’s rising merchant class; wrote two great satires, Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal

Daniel Defoe (1660 – 1731): wrote Robinson Crusoe, considered first English novel

Addison and Steele: wrote England’s first literary periodicals

Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784): influenced through writings, conversations, and acquaintanceships; wrote first standard and authoritative dictionary

The Eclipse of the Enlightenment

By late 1700s, “progress” celebrated by the Enlightenment thinkers seemed to be causing millions to suffer

As they lost faith in the power of human reason, writers turned away from the standards of neoclassicism