The Restoration

1. The Restoration (1600-1785)

2. The Civil War, the Protectorate, & the Restoration • When James I’s son Charles was crowned, England was on its way to civil war. • The Puritan movement had developed into a powerful enemy of the Anglicans. • When Charles I attempted to crack down on organized religious protest, he met with violent opposition.

3. The Civil War, the Protectorate, & the Restoration • Charles tried to rule without the support of Parliament; and the government became one of royal absolutism. • Parliament had grown too strong, and Charles left London • The king’s supporters or “Cavaliers” were no match for Parliament.

4. The Civil War, the Protectorate, & the Restoration • Oliver Cromwell was the commander of the Parliamentary forces. • The royalist forces were defeated and King Charles was held prisoner. • Charles I was tried as an enemy of the English people by Parliament and beheaded.

5. The Civil War, the Protectorate, & the Restoration • Cromwell established a military dictatorship known as the Protectorate, but it did not last long. • Those who opposed it contacted Charles’ son who was exiled in Paris. • In 1660 Charles II returned in what we call the “Restoration” of the monarchy.

6. The Civil War, the Protectorate, & the Restoration • James II succeeded Charles, but he eventually abdicated, as the people were not happy with a Catholic ruler. • Protestants William and Mary ruled next and for the first time allowed Parliament to levy taxes. • Mary’s sister, Anne, ruled next and created the nation of Great Britain.

7. Literature of the Period • Poetry of the seventeenth century was an expression of three main styles. • The first were the “Metaphysical poets.” • They had an extreme preoccupation with love and analyzed the feeling rather than just expressing it. • Examples include John Donne, Richard Lovelace, and Andrew Marvell.

8. Literature of the Period • The second were the Puritan writers. • Mainly wrote political and religious works focused on piety and censorship. • Examples include John Milton and John Bunyan.

9. Literature of the Period • The third were the neoclassic writers. • Promoted ideals of harmony, tradition, and reason. • The first novels were written by these writers.

10. Science, Philosophy, and Reason • Writers, scientists, and philosophers defined new ways of looking at the world in what we call the Enlightenment. • Sir Isaac Newton discovered the laws of motion, as well as gravity. • John Locke popularized the idea of natural rights. • Our world would be quite different without these intellectual pilgrims!

11. The Romantic Era (1785-1832)

12. During the Romantic Era… • Artists, philosophers, and writers rebelled against the rational. • They created works that favored emotion over reason, nature over human architecture, ordinary people over aristocracy, and spontaneity over control. • This era of dramatic change influenced the early years of America and the French Revolution.

13. Political Developments in the Romantic Era • King George III was king from 1760-1820. • His antagonistic policies toward the American colonies were directly responsible for the American Revolution, which ended in 1783. • The French Revolution began in 1789 with an attack on the Bastille prison by citizen revolutionaries.

14. Political Developments in the Romantic Era • There had never before been such political and social anxiety. • “These were the best of times,” because they saw the birth of freedom and equality. • “These were the worst of times,” because the cost was bloodshed.

15. Political Developments in the Romantic Era • When George died in 1820, George IV took the throne and held it until his death in 1830. • William IV, brother of George IV, ruled from 1830-1837. • The weaknesses of these three kings led to strong prime ministers.

16. Political Developments in the Romantic Era • This led to civil reforms including laws allowing labor unions and restoring economic and religious freedom to Roman Catholics. • The right to vote was also given to men of the middle class, depriving aristocrats of overwhelming majorities in Parliament

17. Poetry in the Romantic Era • The true beginning of the Romantic Era came with the publication of Lyrical Ballads, a collection of poems by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. • Wordsworth stated that poetry should be about common people and events

18. Poetry in the Romantic Era • This idea of the nobility of ordinary people was echoed in the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. • He believed that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed

19. Poetry in the Romantic Era • Following in the footsteps of Wordsworth and Coleridge were the second generation of Romantic poets. • Included poets such as Lord Byron, John Keats, and Percy Shelley. • These poets celebrated emotion over reason and nature over science.

20. Prose in the Romantic Era • Although poetry was the major literary form of the period, the essay and novel also developed. • Three major types of Romantic Era novels are the Gothic novel, novel of manners, and historical novel.

21. Prose in the Romantic Era • Gothic novels, or Gothic romances, are long stories containing elements of suspense, mystery, magic, with exotic settings such as haunted castles and untamed wildernesses.

22. Prose in the Romantic Era • Although the word Gothic originally implied medieval, by the time of the Romantic Era the word assumed the connotations of the supernatural and the macabre. • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is probably the best example of a Gothic novel.

23. Prose in the Romantic Era • The novel of manners presented a satirical look at society. • Jane Austen was the most well-known writer of this genre • Wrote Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility

24. Prose in the Romantic Era • Historical romances depict historical events and contain both fictional and nonfictional characters. • They were often set in medieval days with knights and damsels as main characters. • Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe epitomizes the genre.