1. Survey of British Literature
The Historical and Social Context for Prominent Literary Movements, Key Genres, Major Writers, and Notable Works
A.D. – The Anglo-Saxon Period
A.D. – The Medieval Period
A.D. – The English Renaissance
A.D. – The Restoration & Enlightenment
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2. The Anglo-Saxon Period 449 A.D. – 1066 A.D.
Live fast, die young, and be a good looking epic hero.
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3. The Romans Arrive in Britain
Julius Caesar arrived in 55 B.C.
Romans established towns and cities.
Romans brought high civilization to Britain.
Romans withdrew during the fifth century and left Britain on its own.
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4. The Anglo-Saxon Period
Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and other Germanic tribes began invasions around 449 A.D.
They were pagan warriors who believed in “wyrd” (fate or destiny).
They eventually became more settled and accepted Christianity.
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5. The Growth of Christianity
Even though Roman power collapsed in Britain, Christianity never truly faded.
St. Patrick (of Ireland) and St. Augustine (founded Canterbury) helped spread the faith throughout the British Isles.
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6. The Danish Invasions – Part I
In the 790s, Danish invaders (Vikings) began raiding and settling in Britain.
King Alfred the Great (Anglo-Saxon) defeated the Danes and forced them to accept Christianity.
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7. The Danish Invasions – Part II
Edward the Confessor became king in 1042, but he had little support. He named Harold, earl of Wessex, as his successor.
William the Conqueror, who was duke of Normandy in France, killed Harold in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings; William was the last successful invader of Britain.
William’s invasion ended the Anglo-Saxon Period.
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8. Literature of the Anglo-Saxons
Beowulf
The Seafarer
The Wanderer
The Wife’s Lament
A History of the English Church and People
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9. The Medieval Period 1066 A.D. – 1485 A.D.
Welcome to the age of chivalry – and be glad you’re not a peasant.
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10. Life Under William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror came from Normandy, so he brought French ways to the Anglo-Saxons.
He established feudalism, a political and economic system.
Anglo-Saxons were at the bottom of the society.
William’s barons fought for control after his death.
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11. Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine
Henry II was the grandson of William the Conqueror.
He reformed the judicial system.
His wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was French and imported the idea of chivalry.
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12. Richard the Lionhearted & King John
Richard the Lionhearted fought in the Crusades and in France.
John became king when his brother, Richard, died.
In 1215, John was forced to sign the Magna Carta (“Great Charter”), which gave more power to the nobles. The signing of this document was an early step toward democracy.
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13. The Decline of Feudalism
The growth of towns and trade led to a decrease in the power of nobles.
Merchants became more and more important and wealthy.
Universities, such as Oxford, helped advance knowledge.
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14. Plague, War, and Death Stalks the Land
War between England and France lasted off and on for more than a century.
The Black Death (plague) killed 1/3 of England’s population.
English King Henry V defeated the French at Agincourt; the female French war leader Joan of Arc lifted the siege of Orleans.
War of the Roses – Henry Tudor (Lancaster) defeated Richard III (York) in 1485 and became Henry VII.
The Medieval Period comes to a close in England.
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15. Literature of the Medieval Period
Notable works
The Canterbury Tales
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Le Morte D’Arthur
Various mystery, miracle & morality plays
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16. The English Renaissance 1485 A.D. – 1660 A.D.
Rebirth! Renewal! Reawakening! The movement started in Italy, but it didn’t stop there.
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17. Major Themes of the Renaissance
Intellectual focus moved from religion and the afterlife to life on earth.
Art and literature flourished.
Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations served as models for European culture.
Emphasis was placed on the individual – the idea of the “Renaissance Man” was born.
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18. England – the Slow Learner
The War of the Roses delayed adoption of Renaissance ideas.
When the war ended, Henry Tudor became King Henry VII.
Henry VII expanded English holdings in the New World, negotiated favorable treaties, allied with Spain, and married his two sons to the same woman…but not at the same time.
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19. Henry VIII – A Renaissance Man
King Henry VIII succeeded his father, Henry VII, in 1509
Henry VIII was a true Renaissance Man – an athlete, poet, musician, linguist, etc.
At first, Henry VIII remained a strong Catholic, loyal to the Pope in Rome. But…
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20. Henry VIII – The Dark Side
Henry’s first wife, Catherine, never gave birth to a son, but she did produce a daughter, Mary.
Hoping for a son, Henry broke away from the Catholic Church and married Anne Boleyn.
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21. Henry VIII – The Dark Side
Henry founded the Anglican Church, with himself as the head.
Anne produced a daughter, Elizabeth. Henry later had Anne executed.
Henry married yet again, and finally got a son, Edward VI, who died at 15 after reigning for only six years.
Henry had six wives in total.
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22. Elizabeth: Queen and True Diva
Elizabeth’s older sister Mary ruled until she died in 1558.
Mary tried to convert the English back to Catholicism.
The English rejected Mary’s efforts.
The English people welcomed Elizabeth as queen after Mary’s death.
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23. Elizabeth I: A Modern Monarch
Elizabeth was one of the most effective English monarchs.
She excelled in politics, management, diplomacy, and warfare.
She executed her rival, Mary Queen of Scots, in 1587 and defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
She wrote poetry as well as ruled England as queen.
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24. The Rise and Fall of the Stuarts
Elizabeth died in She was followed by James I (James VI) of Scotland, who united Scotland and England and is still known for his version of the Bible.
James’s son, Charles I, became king in 1625.
Neither James nor his son were as effective as Elizabeth.
Charles plunged England into civil war in 1637.
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25. The English Commonwealth
Charles’s Royalist forces were defeated by rebels under Oliver Cromwell in 1645.
Charles was executed in 1649.
Cromwell ruled as “Lord Protector” of the Commonwealth.
His son, Richard Cromwell, followed him, but was a terrible ruler.
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26. The Restoration of the Monarchy
Richard Cromwell did such a poor job ruling England that Parliament kicked him out.
In 1660, Parliament invited Charles II, son of Charles I, to return and rule.
This was known as the Restoration.
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27. Literary Movements of the Renaissance Period in England
Poetry
Lyric Poems – express the emotional aspect of the poet’s feelings; often meant to be sung
Followed a set form (sonnet form was common)
Followed a set rhyme scheme
Drama
Shakespeare
Marlowe
Comedies, Tragedies, Histories
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28. Restoration & Enlightenment 1660 AD – 1798 AD
Reason and Intellectualism Influence Art, Politics, Science and, of course, Literature
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29. Copyright 2014 - Peter S. Willis
Why “Restoration”?
England hoped for a prosperous and secure time after its rocky Civil War and demise of a national church.
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30. Restoration More Than a Name
This time in English history had many names. None of the names completely described the time period. But each name described a particular aspect of the time: Neoclassicism or Augustan Age; the Restoration; the English Enlightenment; the Age of Reason; the Age of Satire.
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31. Inequality in Restoration Society
A huge gap existed between the wealthy and the poor.
The wealthy wasted money while London children and the impoverished died of poor nutrition and health.
The writer Samuel Pepys’ secret diary allowed historians a means to experience the inequities and characteristics of Restoration England. Daniel DeFoe’s Journal of a Plague Year documented the year 1665, which brought mass destruction to England.
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32. Deism, Age of Reason, and Enlightenment Thinking
Renewed interest in classical writers such as Aristotle reminded English thinkers of the power of the scientific method.
Philosophers such as Hume popularized a “faithless” religion called Deism.
The Enlightenment’s reach stretched to politics as well.
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33. Creating a New Social Order
The Restoration was a time when leaders attempted to create order from chaos.
Samuel Johnson accepted the challenge to compile an English dictionary.
Writers like Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift revealed social inequities with their witty use of satire.
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34. Copyright 2014 - Peter S. Willis
The Growth of Novels
Daniel DeFoe’s adventure novel Robinson Crusoe popularized the English novel. Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones and Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa followed.
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35. Odes & Elegies Gain Prominence
In poetry, the ode and the elegy increased in popularity. Odes are formal tributes to an honoured, absent subject. Elegies are similar to odes, but feature a tone of mourning as they pay tribute to someone who has passed on. Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is a famous example from this period.
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36. The Theatre Experiences Rebirth
Puritan disapproval of the theatre faded in this century, and theatre became another outlet for social satire. Restoration comedies addressed social issues like manners. The works were sophisticated in style and mature in content.
John Dryden’s “Essay of Dramatic Poesy” brought Shakespeare back to center stage.
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37. Female Writers Gain a Voice
Aphra Behn published poetry and short novels, ensuring her place in history as the first seriously respected female English writer.
Lady Mary Montagu was a well-travelled and sophisticated poet.
These two writers demonstrated skill in what was once a male-only profession.
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38. Copyright 2014 - Peter S. Willis
The End of the Restoration Becomes the Beginning of the Romantic Period
Like many artistic movements, the pendulum swung far toward rational and scientific thought, but a subsequent movement emerged that took the opposite approach.
The interest in odes continued, but the late 1700s brought about a new “Romantic” era that focused on the individual, not society, and praised direct, emotional expression.
Copyright Peter S. Willis