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THE AUGUSTAN AGE AND THE NOVEL - Coggle Diagram
THE AUGUSTAN AGE AND THE NOVEL
DRAMA
After a successful period during the Restoration, the development of theaters was partly stopped by the
Theatres Licensing Act.
Introduced in 1737 by
Robert Walpole
. it censored plays to prevent satirical attacks on the government.
POETRY
Poetry in the
Augustan age
was of secondary importance Satire of the Restoration and mock-heroic poems were the two most important genres.
Mock-heroic poems
: were a kind of satire in which an ordinary or foolish character is ridiculed by using heroic terms and giving him heroic dimension.
The greatest writer of mock-heroic poems of the Augustan age was
Alexander Pope
(1688-1744). One of Pope’s finest works is
The Rape of the Lock
(1714). It was inspired by a ridiculous accident caused by tension between two aristocratic families.
STORY OF AUGUSTAN AGE
It was the Western slave trade that consist in the sale of goods (cotton,rum,sugar...) to west African in exchange for slaves trnsported to Americas.
The trading of slaves was a consequence of the expansion of capitalism and the trade economy itself
THE SCOTTISH AND IRISH QUESTION
The relations between Ireland and England had always been complicated : English kings wanted to take control over Ireland since the 12th century,
Act of Union
(1707): Scotland lost its own Parliament and it was represented by the English Parliament. But, in its administrative and legal system and for its church, Scotland remained distinct from England.
James II tried to create a Catholic rebellion in Ireland, but his attempt was suppressed by the army of William of Orange. The interests of the Irish continued to be defended by writers like Jonathan Swift.
During this age there were the infuluences of the growing of middle classes, and it was born in Europe the Enlightenment. This was a new way of thinking characterised by a philosophical, scientific and rational spirit:
The most of the arts were based on a Neoclassical taste and were influenced by the pragmatism and realism.
THE HANOVERIAN DYNASTY
When Queen Anne (Mary II’s young sister) died in 1714, the German Protestant George of Hanover became King George I. This was the beginning of the Hanoverian dynasty.
George I
was made king in order to prevent a return from the exile of the Catholic successors of James II. He was an unpopular king because of his attachment to Germany: he spoke no English and he left important decisions to his council of ministers.
The Whig
Sir Robert Walpole
became the first prime minister. He was in power for over twenty years. Walpole managed to keep England out of foreign conflicts, but from 1726 he was accused of corruption during elections.
George II
In 1727, George II succeeded his father. George II also depended on Robert Walpole. Britain’s position as a world power was confirmed by its victory in the Seven Years’ War against France, started in 1756. Won control of Quebec and became politically dominant in India. In 1760, George II died and was succeeded by George III.
William Pitt
: he was famous for his mercantilist policy and he helped England to expand its colonial possessions. He was appointed prime minister. 1670
It takes the name frome the first Roman Emperor Augustus, this reign was characterised by great political stability.
PROSE
during the
18th century
, prose writing also flourished in other forms, in pamphlet, journalism and essays. These were linked to the creation of new social spaces for public debate, such as literary clubs and coffee houses.
Samuel Johnson
(1709-84): he was a critic, a poet and a lexicographer. In terms of lexicography, Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) is the first great work of its kind in English.
NOVEL
The expansion of the reading public
in that period not only the upper social classes bought the newspaper but also the middle classes, This new reading public was not interested in romance, or in fantastic tales. They wanted to read stories which reflected their own interests and problems.
The decline of drama
the decline of the drama contributed to the rise of the novel. In 1737 with the Licesing act many critical works against the crown and the government were censored
The growth of the middle classes
Only popular or street literature, such as the ballad, addressed specifically lower-class concerns. But now, middle classes were demanding a new kind of literature that reflected their lives.
The influence of Puritanism and Methodism
according to Puritanism, man had to save himself by his own efforts by living a virtuous life. Methodism was central to the application of the Puritan ethics of everyday life. Infact the characters to face the problems resorted to pragmatic solutions without letting themselves be influenced by fantastic visions.
What is?
It is ‘a fictitious prose narrative presenting a picture of real life’. The idea we have of the novel comes from the 18th century. Before that time, there were lots of forms of fiction that might be described as novels – like Don Quixote (17th century) by Miguel de Cervantes.
The rise of philosophical rationalism and empiricism
The philosophical theories were focused on the experience of the individual. The novel is the form of literature which most fully reflects this individualist approach. The individual experience is the most important theme.