The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century Notes

1660-1800

Please Copy These in Your Own Hand to Use as Notes

The Restoration: A Change of Mood

Time of flux Growth of cities Increased standards of living A nation of readers Aggressive market economy Move away from agrarian, old values Individual rights versus hierarchical values Conflict between communities and beliefs

to which everyone belonged versus new ideas and pleasures

In Short. . . .

People from England and Europe poured into North America to escape various persecutions and find a new life in a new land.

England was exhausted by war and disease and fire, but produced many brilliant works of philosophy, art, and literature.

This era has been labeled:

Augustan Age and Neoclassical period:

Likened to Rome when Emperor Augustus restored peace and order after Julius Caesar was assassinated.

England restored their king and experienced a period of calm and order after an era of political turmoil.

The era has also been labeled

The Enlightenment and Age of Reason People stopped asking “Why?”

questions and started asking “How?” questions: how body works and laws of the universe.

Natural phenomena explained by scientific observations.

Religion & Politics—Charles II 1660 (1661) – 1685 Charles II is restored

and rules England Restores the Anglican Church 1673 and 1678: The Test Acts passed in

Parliament: Restricted activities of people who were not members of the Anglican church. The law required that all people holding civilian or military positions swear allegiance to the English Crown and take communion in the Church of England. (repealed between 1828 and 1871)

R & P (continued) Entertainment

Charles II repeals the bans on theatres Women were allowed to act Lavish theatrical presentations reflected the

sophistication of Charles’s court On the stage, the Comedy of Manners

appealed to men and women of fashion Several new forms of writing become

common

R & P James II and William & Mary

James II ascend to the throne in 1685. Because he was a devout Catholic, there was great opposition. When his wife bore an heir, the hostility only increased. James II and his family fled to France in 1688 to escape the pressure and perceived violence.

James daughter, Mary ( a Protestant) and her Dutch husband, William, take the throne in a bloodless—and therefore “glorious” revolution.

Since this time, all rulers of England have been Anglican—even just in name.

R & P Three guys named George

George I, (r.1714-1727) a German who could not speak English

George II, (r.1727-1760) very loosely reigned; rather the country was run by the first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole

George III, (r.1760-1820) King during the Seven Years’ War, the Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic Wars (busy man!). He was also known to have a degenerative brain disease.

Additional Revolutions: Inside and Outside of England

Industrial Revolution begins with the harnessing of the power of steam

Agricultural Revolution [despite the move from the farm to the city] involved powerful new machinery linked to crop rotation, larger farms, improved transportation and an abundance of food to feed more people with fewer farms.

American Revolution 1776 French Revolution 1789

Religious Change

Deism: the universe is a perfect mechanism, which God had built and left to run on its own; ex: meteors aren’t a sign from God, rather God didn’t interfere in human affairs

Despite this movement, most people still held strong views of Christianity.

Modern English Prose:

Royal Society of London for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge

Called for exact, precise prose Short to the point vs. their

predecessors’ endless sentences John Dryden: “founder and first true

master” of modern English prose. Note how “short and to-the-point” the

title of the group is!

Journal writing—Daniel Defoe Journal: is a record of events, kept daily or on a

regular basis, by a person who is an eyewitness or a participant. A journal is usually less personal and intimate than a diary.

Defoe’s work is a piece of semi-fiction—perhaps based on his memories, those of his Uncle Henry, and other accounts of actual events.

His journal recounts real, and important, historical events that are expertly blended with made-up details to tell a story.

If it’s not “real” why does it matter?

New Writing: Journalism (for the middle Class)

Journalism and journalists included Daniel Defoe, Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele: stood for middle class values—thrift, prudence, industry, and respectability.

18th C. journalists did not simply describe political and social matters; they viewed themselves as reformers of public manners and morals. They were advocates for change.

Keeping a Diary—Samuel Pepys Diary: a daily, personal account of feelings,

impressions, and events. Most diaries are quite intimate and written only for the owner’s private reference and pleasure.

Pepys’ diary—while not introspective—gives a first-hand account of day-to-day activities and significant events. A very useful connection to the world of Restoration-Era London.

Novels (literally, something new)

Long, fictional narratives were a development of the middle class. They were often broad and comical and included the adventures of handsome rogues or lower-class, but attractive, women. These tales were often told in as endless episodes through a series of letters.

This type of writing likely began with Defoe, but also included Henry Fielding, Samuel Richardson, and Laurence Sterne.

Public Poetry & Writing: a focus on wit (intelligence)

Augustan poets used structure and specific, stylized, writing to produce poetry suitable for a certain occasion or purpose. This poetry was not “conceived in the soul” but rather “in the wit” or the intellect. Elegies: if a grand person died, the poets

would celebrate the deceased. The poet would not tell the truth about a dead person; they would only share the very best possible comments.

Public Poetry & Writing (continued)

Ode: an ambitious, often pompous poetic utterance expressing a public emotion such as joy at a military triumph.

Satire: writing that criticizes for the purpose of bringing about change. Satire often uses Hyperbole and Understatement to bring about its function. Oftentimes, satire is confused for simple sarcasm.

Poet as Prophet: John Milton

1608-1674 Self-described as God’s Poet, most of

Milton’s works are in Latin and not English

Spent a fair portion of his career, 15 years, writing political pamphlets and not poetry.

Among his greatest works is Paradise Lost, and epic piece that rivals the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare.

The Age of Satire

Satire: a kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, or folly in order to bring about social reform.

Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift both used satire to expose the moral corruption & crass (extreme) commercialism of 18th century England.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) Principal prose writer of early 18th century England’s greatest satirist Obtained a master’s degree from Oxford Ordained a priest in the Church of Ireland He did not write for fame or money; most

books & pamphlets were published anonymously.

Aim in writing: improve human conduct; make people more humane & decent

Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744) Greatest poet of early eighteenth century Despite being Roman Catholic, he made a

name for himself in society Often used Heroic Couplets Wrote several satirical pieces—included in

your text Rape of the Lock excerpt Wrote not-so-satirical pieces—included in

your text Essay on Man excerpt

Swift’s Works

Tale of a Tub exposes “gross corruption in religion & learning”

Gulliver’s Travels attacks different varieties of human misbehavior.

A Modest Proposal his most famous pamphlet

Terms:

verbal irony is a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant

situational irony contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen

dramatic irony contrast between what a character knows and what the reader or audience knows