RESTORATION PERIOD 1660 1798 Moazzam Ali Literature produced

RESTORATION PERIOD (1660 -1798) Moazzam Ali

Literature produced in Restoration Period is also known as: The Augustan Age, The Neoclassical Period, The Enlightenment, and The Age of Reason

Restoration literature is the English literature written during the historical period commonly referred to as the English Restoration (1660– 1689). Some literary historians divide this literary movement in three parts: The Restoration Age (1660 -1700) introducing the comedy of manner (a play about the manners and conventions of a highly sophisticated aristocratic society. ) The Augustan Age (1700 -1750) introducing poetry of personal exploration, and serious development of the novel, melodrama, and satire. The Age of Johnson (1750 - 1798) or the Age of Sensibility was a transitional period between Neo-Classicism and Romanticism introducing contrary to Age of Reason (Neo. Classicism) emotional quality.

Political History-I The period begins with the RESTORATION of the Monarchy in 1660 bringing Charles II from his exile in France. He brings with him the indulgent and artistic ways of Louis XIV’s court Two distinct political parties resulted, the Whigs and the Tories a. Whigs wanted to limit royal authority b. Tories supported absolute royal authority

James II (brother of Charles II) takes the throne and is voted out by Parliament due to his highly Catholic ways. The Glorious or Bloodless Revolution is a reference to the lack of violence needed to change throne from Catholic James II to his protestant daughter Mary and her husband William. Shortly after James II’s abdication of the throne: a. Bill of Rights limiting the power of the King. b. Parliament passed an act forbidding Catholics to rule.

George I of Hanover Germany took the throne in 1714 when his cousin Anne, daughter of William and Mary, died ending the rule of the Stuarts and beginning the rule of the House of Hanover. 1. George I and his son George II did NOT speak English and relied heavily on their advisors establishing the role of England’s first Prime Ministers. Richard Walpole for George I and William Pitt for George II. 2. Under George I and George II and their Prime Ministers, the British thrived winning the Seven Years War (aka The French and Indian War) and adding French Canada and India to the Empire.

In 1760, George III became the first British born Hanover monarch although he was less effective than his father and grandfather. Because his English was reliable, he used his Prime Minister less and is held responsible for the loss of the American Colonies

Why to name it as Augustan & Neoclassical Period Similarities in Political History The title of The Augustan Period refers to similarities between England at this time and Rome during the reign of Caesar Augustus, also known as Ocatvius (63 BC-14 AD). Octavius ruled in the time after Julius Caesar’s assassination. He restored order and peace to the people of Rome and is often classified as its second founder. In a similar way, Charles II is taken from exile in France and restored England. He reopened playhouses, brought back a formal court, and had the body of Oliver Cromwell exhumed and decapitated.

Why to name it as Augustan & Neoclassical Period Similarities in literary History Most educated people of the time are familiar with the classical works as well as the works of their own time and country and found enjoyment in their connection. They enjoyed allusions to the political connections of the time periods and references to the classical characters and themes. Works emphasizing these similarities are labeled “neoclassical” meaning “new classics. ”

Why to name it as Age of Reason & The Enlightenment Period This period is known as The Age of Reason and The Enlightenment because of the country’s shift from an emotional approach to thinking to an educational and factual one. A. The Industrial Revolution plus advances in science research and mathematics influence all aspects of British thought including the literature. B. People no longer believed in signs and vast punishments from God (ie. The London Fire and Plague), but begin to turn to science and order. They begin asking “how” instead of “why. ” C. The writing content, style, and order of scientists spill over into all of literature as sentences are shortened with the allusions and extended metaphors of their predecessors.

THEMES: Superiority of the Intellect The philosophers claimed that humans have the ability to perfect themselves and society and that the state has the potential to be an instrument of that progress. Part of their criticism of the existing government was that it impeded such progress in its refusal to surrender power or resources to the people so that they could take control of their lives. The philosophers lamented the social conditions of contemporary England France, but they remained confident that its people could attain happiness and improve living standards. Armed with these concepts and fortified by science and reason, the philosophers attacked Christian tradition and dogma, denouncing religious persecution and championing the idea of religious tolerance.

THEMES: Superiority of the Intellect At the center of the belief in the superiority of the intellect was the Enlightenment reaction against traditional authority, namely the Church and the ruling class. The philosophers claimed that rather than depend on these authorities for physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs, individuals could provide for themselves such needs. By using their minds and demanding morality of themselves and others, people could actually change their realities for the better. This idea is evident in Rousseau’s The Social Contract and in the Declaration of Independence.

THEMES: Basic Goodness of Humankind The philosophers maintained that people were innately good and that society and civilization were to blame for their corruption. Because people are good, they are fully capable of ruling themselves and collectively working toward the welfare of all. Rousseau asserts this in The Social Contract, as he explains that despite individual differences and priorities, people as a whole will make decisions for the common good. In Emile, Rousseau applies this idea to the education of a child, demonstrating that the purpose of education is not to correct a child or mold the child to exhibit a certain set of characteristics but rather to draw out the child’s unique gifts and goodness. Not all Enlightenment writers emphasized man’s inherent goodness, however; in Candide, Voltaire provides numerous examples of humanity’s cruelty and abuse of power. Once the characters are living peacefully on a farm (outside of civilization), they seem to be less violent, but theme of humankind’s goodness is diminished here.

THEMES: Deism is a religious belief system that emphasizes morality, virtuous living, and the perception of a creative but uninvolved God. Deists believe in God but reject the supernatural, including the New Testament miracles and resurrection of Christ. They reject the idea that God is active in people’s daily lives, instead claiming that God created the world but is now distant. This view of God directly contradicts the view of Catholic and Protestant religions. The philosophers were particularly incensed by the Roman Catholic Church, which they perceived as too restrictive and dominant. The period is marked by the rise of Deism, intellectual backlash against earlier Puritanism and American’s revolution against England.

THEMES: Deism As deists, the philosophers were uninterested in life after death. They maintained that people should spend their time and energy improving this life, and they advocated pursuing worldly happiness and contentment. Diderot addresses these ideas in the Encyclopedia, and they are implied in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, which states that among a person’s unalienable rights are ‘‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ’’

STYLE: Rhetoric Over the course of the Enlightenment, there existed two clearly opposing schools of thought concerning rhetoric. The traditions of the Renaissance, largely influenced by the works of Peter Ramus, held over into the early part of the movement. Ramus attacked Aristotle’s view that rhetoric and dialect should be integrated, indicating that, though they may have been used in conjunction in the past, they should be disengaged. Ramus advocated a linear style, bereft of embellishment, so that scientific and philosophical writings might be better representations of truth. This straightforward approach adhered naturally to the rational thought and methodical observation promoted by the Enlightenment. However, while this rhetorical convention was becoming less popular, another was quickly gaining ground.

STYLE: Rhetoric Near the end of the Enlightenment, the Belletristic Movement was in full swing. Works such as Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres (1783), by Hugh Blair, and Philosophy of Rhetoric (1776), by George Campbell, were published. Both authors embraced the idea of using eloquence, beauty, and emotion to allow one to communicate, with the most advantage, to his or her audience. The word belletristic comes from belles-lettres (French for literature), which is literature that is appreciated not just for its content but for its beauty as well.

STYLE: Satire Although there are few stylistic consistencies among works of this age, the fiction of the period is almost always satirical. Satire is an indirect way of commenting on social or political issues. Satire reveals how people and things are not what they seem on the surface, and readers can often identify what aspect of society is being ridiculed. Satire allowed the philosophers to get some of their writing past government censors despite its harsh criticism of the status quo. The number of censors increased in France during the Enlightenment because of the radical new ideas being put forth. When writers used satire, however, censors either missed the point of the writing or were unable to make a convincing case for suppressing it.

STYLE: Satire also served as a witty way to criticize. Enlightenment writers were often clever and sarcastic, and their work tended to attract an intelligent readership. A common satirical technique was to create a character that was a stranger to a country. Because the character is naive and unfamiliar with the local society, the character may be confused by that society or find fault with it. These characters were generally ignorant or silly, making their faultfinding seem equally ignorant or silly. The satiric irony, however, is that the character is the author’s mouthpiece for pointing out the absurd and unjust in his society

Characteristics of the Age With people generally looking more closely at the part they played in society, the main themes of the Neoclassical period were restraint and order. Each person was expected to do what was “proper” and to show that he or she had good taste, the idea being that, given the flawed nature of mankind, putting some limits on what someone said or did was better than trying and failing at the outrageous. It became very important to prove that someone had a decent level of intelligence. Writers often used their works not only to express rules about etiquette and decorum, but also to demonstrate brilliant skills of wit. Other characteristics of the age include: Imitation of classical form Artificial and aristocratic society Sophisticated behaviour Style is polite, urbane, and witty Instructive and entertaining Restraint in passion and personal expression Ideals: order, logic, accuracy, "correctness, " decorum

Popular Genre The emphasis on order, reason, etiquette and wit made certain styles of literature more popular than others. Diaries, essays, letters and first person narratives were extremely successful, because they concentrated on what a single person thought or accomplished, which was in line with the Neoclassical idea of analyzing and reforming a person’s social role. Moral fables were a favorite, as well, as were parodies and burlesques. Novels in various styles developed rapidly, becoming a main entertainment for women in the home. The rhymed couplet — specifically, the heroic couplet — dominated poetry, and in theater, audiences flocked to sentimental comedies, comedies of manners and heroic dramas.

Representative Writers One of the most influential Neoclassical writers was John Milton (1608 - 1674), author of the epic poem, Paradise Lost. Much of his work reflects the political issues England other countries faced. John Drydon (1631 - 1700), also called “Glorious John, ” was also a major force during Restoration, working on both plays and poetry to such a degree that the entire first section of the period sometimes is called “the Age of Drydon. ” Two of his most famous works are To My Lord Chancellor and Marriage a la Mode.

Representative Writers Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744) was an Augustan poet. He made money translating major works, such as The Iliad, but soon established himself with his own pieces. His Pastorals and An Essay on Criticism are probably the best known of his writings, and scholars recognize him for his command of the heroic couplet.

For satire, the champion of the period was Johnathon Swift (1667 - 1745). Although he wrote both poetry and prose, he is best known for the latter. Many of his works were originally published under pseudonyms, including M. B. Dapier and Isaac Bickerstaff. He is the author of the well-known novel, Gulliver’s Travels.

Along with Samuel Richardson, Daniel Defoe (1660 - 1731) was one of the leading pioneers in the development of the English novel. He is notable not only for the content of his works, but also because of the sheer number of them — some experts say at least 500 different pamphlets, books and other writings are Defoe’s. Perhaps the one out of all of these that people still know well today is Robinson Crusoe. His political writings brought trouble at times, with Defoe even spending some time in prison.

Experts usually see Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784) as the last great writer of the Neoclassical period in literature. His major contribution is A Dictionary of the English Language, which people used for well over a century. Although the Oxford English Dictionary eventually replaced it, Johnson's dictionary was a major accomplishment in the development and standardization of English.