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Restoration Presentation. Valerie Hechey Kristi Hirsch Lindsey Simon Elise Moberly James Cromwell. Cultural/Social. Return of Carpe Diem as a philosophy. Two opposing standpoints- Puritanism vs. Carpe Diem. Aristocracy after 1660 were able to recover.
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Restoration Presentation Valerie Hechey Kristi Hirsch Lindsey Simon Elise Moberly James Cromwell
Cultural/Social • Return of Carpe Diem as a philosophy. • Two opposing standpoints- Puritanism vs. Carpe Diem. • Aristocracy after 1660 were able to recover. • Middle ranks expanded, diversified in composition and grew in both wealth and sophistication. • Financial, commercial, and industrial development swelled the ranks of merchants and master manufacturers. Increased demand for professional services.
Cultural/Social pg.2 • Decline in yeomen, replaced by large tenant farmers. • Prosperity and self-confidence fuelled change- greater purchasing power, new houses changed provincial towns. • Greater spending on leisure and entertainment- coffee houses, theatres, libraries, pleasure gardens, booksellers, and provincial newspapers, preoccupation with fashion. • Age of commerce and commercialization.
Jonathon Swift • Anglo-Irish author. • Foremost prose satirist in the English language. • A Tale of a Tub (1704) • Gulliver’s Travels (1726) • “A Modest Proposal” (1729)
Jonathon Swift • Born November 30, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland. • Grew up fatherless, dependent on his uncles for support. • Age six, sent to Kilkenny School. • In 1682, entered Trinity College, obtained his B.A. in 1686 by “special favour.” • Glorious Revolution in 1688-1689 caused Swift to find safety in England at Moor Park.
Swift and Moor Park • Where Swift developed his intellectual maturity, where there was a rich library. • Returned twice to Ireland during this time, one of which he received orders in the Anglican Church, being ordained a priest in 1695. • M.A. from Oxford in 1692. • Wrote “A Tale of a Tub” between 1696-99. • Where he met Esther Johnson (the future Stella).
Swift’s Career • Returned to Dublin after Temple’s death. • Came to England four different times, gained notoriety in London for his intelligence and wit as a writer. • Published satire anonymously to exercise impersonation. Assumed the name “Issac Bickerstaff.” • His writing brought him to the attention of the Whig writers, which made him uncomfortable. Although Whig by birth, he was fiercely Anglican, although thought to be “Free-thinking” (skeptical of Anglican orthodoxy).
Swift’s Career pg.2 • London in 1710 with Tory administration. • Reaction was “Journal to Stella” which was written between 1710-1713. • Became Tories chief pamphleteer and political writer and took over the Tory journal, “The Examiner” until July 1711. • Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in April 1713.
Swift and Ireland • Tories ruined in 1714 by Queen Anne’s death. • Career over, Swift withdrew to Ireland. • Returned to poetry and by 1720 renewed his interest in political affairs. • Blamed Ireland’s backward state on the blindness of the English government, but insists the Irish could do a lot to improve themselves. • “Drapier’s Letters” and “A Modest Proposal”
Swift and Ireland • Esther Johnson as “Stella.” • Esther Vanhomrigh as “Vanessa.” • “Gulliver’s Travels” in 1726. • Remained Ireland’s great patriot dean and Dublin’s foremost citizen. • Known for temper and lack of self-control, suggestions have been made that he was insane.
Restoration Theatre History • Spanned for 18 years under the Protectorate. • 1660 Charles II granted royal patents for theatre which created the “King’s Company” and the “Duke’s Company.” • Each company created an elaborate theatre- the King’s was on Drury Lane. The Duke’s was on Dorset Gardens. • Introduced the Thrust Stage- cross between the “Procenium Arch” and “Theatre in the Round.” • Part that “thrusted” was called the apron, was removable and covered the orchestral pit when in place.
Restoration History of Theatre • In 1682 “Duke’s Company” bought out the “King’s Company”- became the “United Company” monopolizing the industry. • 1695- actors obtained patent and started their own company. • Comedy reached its peak due to competition between the companies. Example- the Country Wife (1675) • Comedy declined because of monopolization.
Restoration History of Theatre • Resurgence because of the creation of the Actors Company, but now comedy had a different focus. Example: The Provoked Wife (1697) • The first woman playwright arose during this time- AphraBehn.
Grubb Street • Named for the ditch that ran alongside the actual street filled with refuse or “grub.” • Notoriously unsanitary and known for extreme cases of plague which led to cheap land prices. • Extremely unsafe at night, good place to hide from creditors and tax collectors.
Hacks • Grubb Street was the traditional home of the picturesque, rakish, and struggling writers and journalists...aka, “Hacks.” • Hacks- poets, translators, and literary jack-of-all-trades who were often eccentric rogues and drunkards. • Often lived and worked from garrets they rented from low and bawdy establishments. • Considered dubious, semi-criminal characters. • Vulnerable to the laws of seditious libel. • Several notable writers frequented Grubb Street- John Milton, Andrew Marvell, John Foxe, and Ned Ward.
Journalism • Prior to newspapers, current events were learned by word of mouth which created greater distortion with every telling. • Several effects of the printing press on Reformation censorship and licensing of printed material. • Before the first newspaper, the only form of printed news was the “Relation” which was sold yearly at country gatherings. • “Collapse of official censorship in 1641 stimulated unparalleled production of newspapers and journals, though governments attempted several times to re-impose censorship. • All newspapers except government ones were outlawed in 1655 and 1659.” –The Cambridge Historical Encyclopedia of Great Britain and Ireland, pg. 233
Journalism…or so they say. • In 1662 Charles II passed the Licensing Act which limited all printing to Cambridge and Oxford. Required all printers to be licensed. • Very little truth to the journalism of the Restoration. • Journalism of the Restoration was a demonstration of freedom of speech and of the press. • Helped entrench the idea that the business of the powerful and government was the business of commoners to whom they should be held accountable.
History of England 1660-1688 • Charles I executed in 1649. • Oliver Cromwell rules as “Lord and Protector” 1649-1653 • Protectorate 1653-1659 • Convention Parliament declares Charles II the rightful heir to the throne. • Charles II return from France- Carpe Diem! • James II comes to power.
Dryden • Born August 9, 1631 to a family of Puritan leanings. • Attended Westminster School where he studied and first published an elegy, “Upon the Death of Lord Hastings.” (1649) • Entered Trinity College, then Cambridge and took a B.A. in 1654. • First public notice was in 1659 with his “Heroic Stanzas” on the death of Lord Protector Cromwell. • Reacting to the Restoration climate, he wrote “Astraea Redux” (1660) celebrating the return of Charles II.
Dryden and the Theatre • As a result of the Restoration, the theatres were reopened and his first play was performed “A Wild Gallant” (1663). • In 1665 the theatres were closed due to plague in London, where the King’s court relocated to Oxford. There, he established his reputation with the play “The Indian Emperor.” • Annus Mirabilis (1667) secured him as Poet Laureate in 1668.
Dryden after the Theatre • Granted M.A. by the Bishop of Canterbury. • Made Historiographer Royal in the Royal Society in 1670. • Success from 1667-1678. • Left drama for a time upon meeting some trials and concentrated on satire. • Absalom and Achitophel (1681).
Dryden Factoids • Mac Flecknoe (1682 pirated) (1684 printed) • Had keen interest in theology. • Converted to Roman Catholicism in 1686. • Revolution of 1688 deprived him of laureateship and replaced by his enemy, Shadwell. Responded by returning to theatre, writing five additional plays. • Turned to writing translations and more poetry in 1693-94.
Dryden is Dead • Died April 30, 1700 after publication of “The Fables” due to gout; was buried in Westminster Abbey.