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The vast majority of English population belonged to:
- the Church of England, or the Anglican Protestant Church (which was established by Henry the 8th)
- the Roman Catholic Church
- Puritans, included believers of different shapes, Dissenters. Believed that the reformation had not been radical enough, lived by strict moral standard
The religious and political matters are intertwined. The rein of Elizabeth established the Church.
Charles the 1st suppressed puritans
James the 1st thought kings were Gods.
His son, Charles the 1nd, had the same beliefs. The house of Commons was filled with puritans. At one point he dissolved the Parliament and for a few years ruled without it, but then re-opened it.
After Parliament expressed the desire to have the army to itself, the war began.
Cavaliers - the Royal forces, puritans with Oliver Cromwell - Parliament forces.
The war ended with the victory of the Parliament, and Charles the 1st was executed. The country was established Common Wealth, and was ruled by puritans.
Cromwell was a great warrior, after his death Charles the 2nd came to the throne, was welcomed to monarchy by the people. This was the period of Restoration. It was clear that England would have a new form of monarchy.
Early in Charles the 2nd's rein happened the Plague and the Great Fire of London - the people thought that it was punishment.
The Restoration of the monarchy led to the Restoration of the Church. Charles himself kept his word - didn't punish anyone apart from those who executed his father. His rein is characterized by relative peace. His brother was a total gay.
The glorious/bloodless resolution.
The literature of this period was changing. It was impossible to classify the literature of the age.
In the rein of Elizabeth and James the 1st the center of influence was the court. Literature was courtly performs, the writing was characterized by decorativety and great complexity.
After the glorious revolution the age of literary patronage was coming to an end. When Milton published his "Paradise Lost" in 1660, he was paid 10 pounds for this. Towards the end of the century writers were paid much more. Literature was becoming a profession. Publishers started hiring author to satisfy the needs of the society. The prose was becoming more and more important. The tendency in prose - simplicity, regulations. Excessive ornaments in style were disapproved of.
The changes were not abrupt, they were happening all around Europe.
Reasons:
- growing market
- return to classicism, neo-classicism. English literature remain English, even though they took some details out of french literature
- the scientific revolution. Science demanded a clear prose style
The political side of literature became more important than ever before.
Jacobean drama (the rule of James the 1st)
During the Jacobean age drama was popular, but after Shakespeare's death it went down. Drama loses its vigor, directness, becomes more sophisticated.
James the 1st liked drama.
Many successful masques were written by Bay Johnson, he was Shakespeare's friend. Keeps comedy and tragedy strictly apart. He is the master of satire.
Comedy of humors. Johnson gives each of his characters one feature and humor. Sometimes the characters are grotesque.
"Volpone, or the Fox", "Alchemist" and "The Silent WOman" are most popular of his works. His plays expressed interest in formal experiment. He also wrote poems. He was paid and made the profession of a writer respected.
The first poetic school - "The sons of Bay".
"Metaphysical poets" - the most important in the group were George Donne and John Herbert. Difficult, baroque poetry. It is a blend of intense emotion and intellectual ingenuity. Characterized by wit in the highest degree.
Conceit - an unusual striking image, mathematical, astronomical or geographic.
Donne - sense of mystery, fantastic poetry. There is no certain style in his work.
Herbert was very religious. HIs poetry is characterized by his personal closeness to God.
John Bunyan - a son a peasant. At 16 he joined Cromwell's army, after he returned home and began preaching.
He was reading "King James's Bible" while preaching.
During the Restoration he was imprisoned, and in prison he started writing his great masterpiece "Pilgrim's Progress", which is probably the most readable book in English. The book is a religious allegory. The book was enormously popular, was translated in 75 languages. Before Bunyan's death 10 additions came out. Represents the speech of rural people of that time.
New literary form emerges - the diary. The most famous diarist was Samuel Pepys. Describes his family life, the fashions of the time.
Another - John Evelyn, who started his diary when he was 11 and was writing it till the end of his life.
Theater.
Drama. John Dryden changed some of Shakespeare's works. New audiences couldn't stand the tragic endings and Shakespeare's violence.
Comedy of manners. William Congreve, George Etherege, Wycherley.
Main features:
- indecent
- reflected the morals of the upper-classes
- life of the upper-classes was shown as corrupt and immoral
- middle-class morals were very important
- the institute of marriage was ridiculed
- they were about love
- in prose rather then in verse
- comic effect was verbal
- the characters had speaking names
Nov 15 2012
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