1. THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (1832 – 1900) Historical Background: Historical Background: - rapid development in social, - rapid development in social, political, religion and literature: the Industrial political, religion and literature: the Industrial Revolution was complete and the Great Exhibition in London, 1851, was its high point. Britain was becoming ‘the workshop of the world’. - nation of farmers becomes - nation of farmers becomes industrialists and factory workers industrialists and factory workers - a period of security, wealth, cheap - a period of security, wealth, cheap goods, rising wages: 1851 – 1870 goods, rising wages: 1851 – 1870

2. - government is more democratic - government is more democratic rather than conservative: modern rather than conservative: modern democracy, education and peace democracy, education and peace - age of evolution : Darwin’s Origin of - age of evolution : Darwin’s Origin of the Species the Species - the rise of industrial centers: the - the rise of industrial centers: the rise of middle class. Britain had rise of middle class. Britain had become the ‘workshop of the world’ become the ‘workshop of the world’

3. Literature: Literature: - an era of prosperity for prose, novels and - an era of prosperity for prose, novels and periodicals periodicals - Romantic revival: rejected 18 th - Romantic revival: rejected 18 th century Romanticism century Romanticism - themes: childhood, works, life, death & - themes: childhood, works, life, death & grief, man & woman, nature, grief, man & woman, nature, knowledge knowledge - age of idealism, realism, moral purpose: - age of idealism, realism, moral purpose: humanity humanity - pesimism: war, industrialization - pesimism: war, industrialization

4. - aestheticism: pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, “L’art pour l’art” - the decadence: treat all trivial things seriously and all serious things with sincere and study triviality. - Europeans in Africa: greed for profit and territory led to brutal exploitation of the natives. - Americans in Europe: Europeans and Americans brought up in Europe and lived with traditions based on English Puritanism.

5. - Georgians: the subject matter was the exotic and the magical, it was often the quiet pleasures of the English countryside. - Spirit of modernism: intent on discovering the truth of life. - Feminism: honor to the role of woman. - Decline of religious faith: worldly life, materialistic

6. QUIZ 1. The beginning of The Industrial Revolution was changing a predominantly rural and changing a predominantly rural and agricultural country into a predominantly urban agricultural country into a predominantly urban and manufactory life. What is the influence to and manufactory life. What is the influence to the products of literature? the products of literature? 2. Among the poets of the Romantic period, Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats have different Wordsworth, Shelley and Keats have different specifications. Compare them and discuss with specifications. Compare them and discuss with examples. examples. 3. The development of drama in the nineteenth century was gloomy, could you explain? century was gloomy, could you explain?