The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century

After Queen Elizabeth’s death… Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 without issue, the Scottish king, James VI, succeeded to the English throne as James I in what became known as the Union of the Crowns. James was descended from the Tudors through his great-grandmother, Margaret Tudor, the eldest daughter of Henry VII. In 1604 he adopted the title King of Great Britain, although the two kingdoms remained separate.ScottishJames VIUnion of the Crowns Margaret Tudor

After King James’ I Death… Charles I, (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution.[1] Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England. He was an advocate of the Divine Right of Kings,[2] which was the belief that kings received their power from God, and many subjects of England feared that he was attempting to gain absolute power. Many of his actions, particularly the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent, caused widespread opposition.[3] He was canonized in 1660 by the Church of England.[4]King of EnglandScotland Ireland execution[1]Parliament of EnglandDivine Right of Kings[2]absolute powertaxes[3] Church of England[4]

Charles I Charles I, (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution.[1] Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England. He was an advocate of the Divine Right of Kings,[2] which was the belief that kings received their power from God, and many subjects of England feared that he was attempting to gain absolute power. Many of his actions, particularly the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent, caused widespread opposition.[3] He was canonized in 1660 by the Church of England.[4] King of EnglandScotlandIrelandexecution[1]Parliament of EnglandDivine Right of Kings[2]absolute powertaxes[3]Church of England[4]

Controversy and Civil War Many of Charles's subjects felt this brought the Church of England too close to Roman Catholicism. Charles's later attempts to force religious reforms upon Scotland led to the Bishops' Wars that weakened England's government and helped precipitate his downfall.Roman CatholicismScotlandBishops' Wars His last years were marked by the English Civil War, in which he was opposed by the forces of the English and Scottish Parliaments, which challenged his attempts to augment his own power, and by Puritans, who were hostile to his religious policies and supposed Catholic sympathies.English Civil WarPuritans

After Charles I There was no reigning monarch between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the Restoration of Charles II in Despite this, from 1653 the following individuals held power as Lords Protector, during the period known as the Protectorate. RestorationLords Protectorthe Protectorate

Political Highlights In 1660, civil war in England comes to an end, and an era of peace begins with the restoration of Charles II to the throne. Charles II reestablishes the Anglican Church as the official church of England. Other sects are outlawed and persecuted William and Mary assume the English throne in 1689 after the forced exile of the Catholic king James II; Protestant rule is continued without violence.

Social Influences Upon his return from France, Charles II reopens the London theaters. For the first time, women are allowed to act in plays. A growing middle class provides an audience for new literary forms, such as journalism, essays, and novels.

Philosophical Views Natural phenomena are increasingly explained by scientific observation. Deism, a complex set of ideas with an emphasis on the cosmos as a perfect mechanism set in motion by God, influences the religious beliefs of some. Writers like Pope and Swift use satire to expose the moral corruption of the day. Journalists-and the reforms they advocate- also become increasingly important.

Think About it… In 1660, the English monarchy was restored after nearly twenty years of civil war and repressive Puritan rule. Then plague descended, followed by a devastating fire in London. No wonder, then, that the English were ready for a period of stability in which the conservative values of order, decorum, and clarity were of the utmost importance.

Journalism As the eighteenth century progressed, more writers began focusing on the values of the middle class rather than the upper class. These concerns included thrift, work, domestic relations, and social respectability. Journalism became popular and they reported on contemporary social and political events and urged improvement in public manners and morals.

What if they didn’t read it? In an attempt to make the journalistic pieces more apt to be read, writers began using satire and wit to entertain and shock it’s readers. Many of the concepts were blown out of proportion and made fun of in order to make a specific social point.

What is Satire? A kind of writing that does not make a fair and balanced judgment of people and their behavior but rather says the worst things about them that the poet can think of saying (usually to make a point or illicit change). Common Satirists: –Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Steven Colbert, John Stewart, South Park

Pope and Swift; Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift capitalized on the upper classes obsessions with decorum and value system. Both men regularly attacked the upper class’s obsessions over trivialities and the governments decisions much like John Stewart and Steven Colbert do now.

Modest Proposal A modest proposal was written by Swift in response to the Irish harvesters who were so poor that they could not afford to pay the rents which were demanded of them by their English landlords. Beggars and starving children appeared everywhere. Money was in short supply and most of it was shipped off to England but nobody did anything about this terrible wrong. In response to this problem, Swift wrote a proposal that offered an outrageous solution to the problems in order to force the English society to become aware of the problem and hopefully correct it. The proposal shocked the audience and it’s satiric look at the English society forced them to really look at the problems which were evident in their society.

The Rape of the Lock Was written by Alexander Pope as a mock epic. This story was a parody of the traditional epic form which was used to tell very important and serious tales of heroism. In Pope’s hands, however, the epic becomes a satire and the trivialities of the upper class is exaggerated into a magnificent story of the rape of a young woman……’s hair? WHAT?! It is a Satire!

Review England has gone through some magnificent transformations in government. Explain one. How does this transformation affect the literature? Satire becomes popular. Name one Satirist of the time. What is a Satire?