THE RESTORATION AGE (1660-1700)- AGE OF DRYDEN

 

THE RESTORATION AGE (1660-1700)- AGE OF DRYDEN

The term ‘Restoration’ means the restoration of monarchy. After execution of Charles I in 1649, Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. But the protectorate of Cromwell could not succeed and as such Charles II was called back take over the throne of England in 1660. “Restoration makes the birth of English Prose’- Mathew Arnold.

Historical Events

1.   Restoration of Monarchy (1660): by Charles-II, led to repudiation of puritan ideas

2.   Exclusion Crisis: Since Charles-II has no legal heir, he supported James-II (Duke of York), but was rejected by parliamentarians since he was anti-catholic. This led to Whigs (against the king, later became Liberal Party) and Tories (supporters of king, later became Conservation party)

3.   Glorious Revolution or Bloodless Revolution (1688)- Parliament joined hands with William III (Dutch) and made him the king by overthrowing of James-II. This is the end of stuart kings.

4.   Great fire of London- Sep 2-5,1666-

5.   Great Plague of London 1665-66- theatre of closures due to the Great Plague in 1666

6.   Royal Society 1660: The most remarkable feature of this age was the foundation of Royal Society (1662) that led the scientific spirit

 

Literary Events

1.   Restoration of Church and Theatres 1660: bull and bear baiting, sports, music, dance revived

2.   French Influence: Language influence has changed from Italian to French from William-III.

3.   Comedy of manners or Restoration comedy: is introduced in place of Ben Jonson’s comedy of humours. Restoration comedy reflects the life of upper-class society and exclusively for aristrocrats. First Woman actress was introduced on stage, Mrs Coleman in The Seige of the Rhodes (1656) by D’Avenant. During puritan age people were starved of entertainment, they demanded for new style of drama (more sexual elements were introduced on stage). Major Writers of Restoration comedy are: Dryden, Wycherly, Congreve, Etherege, etc., This was satirized in Collier’s pamphlet “Short view of the immortality and Profaneness of English Stage (1698)”

4.   Age of Change: Fancy to Wit; Poetry to Prose; romance to realism; followed Head rather than Heart; Moarchy to Parlimentary system (executive power to PM)

5.   Dairy literature flourished: John Evelyn and Samuel Pepy

6.   Heroic Drama became popular with super human characters. Dryden coined the term ‘Heroic Play” in “The Conquest of Granada (1672)”.

7.   Heroic Couplet: John Dryden was the major exponenet

8.   Monopoly of theatres: King Charles-Ii gave licence to two London theatres: the King's Company (Theatre royal or Druary lane) and the Duke's Company

 

We have greatest biography in English language of this age

1.   Boswell – Life of Johnson

2.   Samuel Pepys – Diary

3.   Gibbon – Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire – a classic of English literature.

4.   Adam Smith – Wealth of Nation – a classic of economics.

John Dryden (1631-1700): He was the greatest man of letters of his age. He was appointed as poet laureate in 1668 till 1688. Johnson called him as “Father of English Criticism’’.

1.   Heroic Stanzas on the Death of Oliver Cromwell

2.   Astraea Redux – Dryden supported Oliver Cromwell. At the Restoration, Dryden changed his views and became loyal to Charles II. It was written on the return of Charles II

3.   Annus Mirabilis –an account of the Great Fire of London and Dutch War.

4.   Absalom and Ahithophel – Revolves around the Popish Plot. Based on the biblical story of Absalom’s revolt against King David. it is the most brilliant political satire in English on Shaftesbury, who having been thoroughly exposed, fled to Holland where he died in exile.

5.   The Medal

6.   Mac Flecknoe (Mac=Son of) – it is a satire on Thomas Shadwell.

Famous line: “All human things are subject to decay, and when fate summons monarchs must obey”

7.   ReligioLaicior layman’s faith– a defense of the Church of England,

8.   The Hind and the Panther – allegorical poem, defense of the Roman Catholic Church. Mathew Prior’s “Story of Country mouse and City mouse” satires this work.

9.   famous translations- Virgils’ Aeneid; Homer’s Iliad.; Ovid’s Metamorphosis.

10.    Thernodia Augustalis: on the death of Charles-II.

11.    Ode in honor of St. Cecilia’s Day or Alexander’s Feast – most powerful poem.

12.    Essay of Dramatic Poesy–the only independent work of Dryden. It is a dialogue among 4 persons including Dryden himself (Neander) who discuss whether the ancient were superior to the moderns.

Four characters are: Eugenius (D’Avenant)- supports Moderns; Crities (R.Howard)- supports ancients.; Lisideius (Roger Boyle)- Supports French Drama.; Neander(Dryden)- supports English Drama. (see criticism notes)

 

Drama:

1.   All for Love –Restoration Comedy- an independent treatment of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.

2.   Wild Gallant – Restoration Comedy

3.   The Conquest of Granada (1670-71)- Stage play- by Dryden, coined the term Heroic Play in it.

Quotes:  Johnson said “He found a English Brick and Left it marble”

Dryden says “Music Is inarticulate Poetry”

Samuel Butler

1.   Hudibras – famous religious satire on Puritans (Cromwell). The name Hudibras comes from the ‘Faerie Queen’. It is modeled upon ‘Don Quixote’. It is a mock-heroic poem.

Drama:

The Elizabethan theatre was thronged by all classes of people; the Restoration theatre was patronized almost exclusively by the aristocrats. In the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods ladies had taken parts only in court masques, which were private entertainments, but female parts on the public stages were always played by boys. Restoration comedy introdued first women actress on stage, Mrs. Coleman in “The Siege of Rhodes (1656)” by D’Avenant.

 

Drama is in this age is Two types:

1.Heroic Drama: with supernatural characters, theme of love, honor- D’Avenant, Dryden

2. Restoration Comedy: Satires on upper class- Wycherly, Etherege, Congreve.

 

Thomas Otway (dramatist)

1.     The Orphan (1680)

2.     Venice Preserved or A Plot Discovered (1682)- tragedy, about Antonio, a corrupt Senator.

 

William Congreve (dramatist)

1.     The Mourning Bride – tragedy

2.     The Old Batchelor – comedy

3.     The Double Dealer Love for Love

4.     The Way of the World – his masterpiece, one of the best restoration comedies. Two famous characters are: Millimant and Mirabell. Lady wishfort is the aunt of Millamant.

William Congreve stopped writing plays after the Jeremy Collier’s pamphlet.

Sir George Etherege: (dramatist) Believed that he introduced Comedy of Manners

1.   The comical Revenge or Love in a Tub (1664)

2.   She Would if She Could.

3.   The Man of Mode or Sir Fopling Flutter – his best work- Dorimant is character based on John Wilmont.

William Wycherley (dramatist)

1.   Love in Wood

2.   The Country Wife, a comedy – centered on Mr. Pinchwife and Mrs. Margery

3.   The Plain Dealer – it is based on Molire’s Misanthrope. Captain Manly is the Plain Dealer, a sailor.

Vanbrugh (dramatist)

1.   The Relapse or Virtue in Danger (1696)- sequel to Colly Cibber’s Love’s Last shift or The Fool in Fashion. Plot is about husband’s adultery.

2.   The Provok’d Wife (1697)- Lady Brute is provoked to infedility by her sour husband Sir John Brute.

The Relapse and The Provoked Wife are particularly outrage on Jeromy Collier

3.   The Confederacy 1705 – his best work

George Farquhar (dramatist)

1.   The Recruting Officer 1706- His masterpiece.

2.   The Beaux Stratagem 1707 – His masterpiece and the best of all Restoration comedies.

Aphra Ben (1640-1689): First women writer to earn her living be her writing. Considered as mother of Novel.

1. The Rover- play

2. Oroonoko (1688) or the Royal Slave: Short prose fiction about an African prince Oroonoko who falls in love with a slave, Imoinda. It defends the anti-colonial stance and violence of slave trade.

 

John Bunyan

1.   Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners – it is a religious allegory and was written in jail.

2.   The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678) – 2 parts; the first was written when was jailed second time and appeared in 1678 with second part. Next to Bible, the mostly read book. It was translated into more than 100 languages. It is a Christian allegory, centered on the journey of Christian in 10 stages from his home town, The city of Destruction (This World) to Celestial City (Heaven). Vanity Fair is also a stop in it, from which William Makepeace Thackeray’s drawn title for his novel.

3.   The Life and Death of Mr Badman – it is dialogue between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive

4.   The Holy War – it describes the war between Mansoul (Man’s soul) and Diabolus (The Devil) (all the works above are allegories).

Jeromy Collier:

1.   Short view of the immorality and Profaneness of English Stage (1698)- pamphlet about censorship - attacked the restoration theatre for its ugliness/immorality. He attacked restoration playwrights: Dryden, Wycherly, Congreve, Vanbrough and Thomas D’urfey. It accuses for profanity, blasphemy, indecency, and underming the public morality through sympathetic depiction of vice. Immediate result was a royal oder prohibiting the acting of anything contrary to religion and good manners. Less than 40 years later, censorship became official by “Theatres Licencing Act 1737” which lasted till 1968

A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage is often credited with turning the tide against the sexually explicit nature of Restoration comedy.

 

John Locke (1632-1704): Philosopher- ‘Father of Liberalism’

1.   An Essay Concerning Human Understanding:  about the foundation of Human Knowledge and Understanding.

Lord Chesterfield:

1.   Letters: written to his son from 1737 to 1768. It mirrors the upper-class life of 18^th century.

 

Diary Writers:

John Evelyn:

1.   Evelyns Diary (1818): He began it at the age of 11. His Diary covers the years between 1641-1697. He wrote about Hamlet Play: “I saw Hamlet but now old plays begins to disgust this refined age”

2.   SLYVA: or a discourse of forest trees (timber)- First book on trees and forestry in English.

3.   Sculptura: or the history, and Art of chalcography (inscription on copper)

4.   Terra: first attempt to scientific study of agriculture.

Sir John Pepys:

1.   Diary or Memoirs (1818)- Extending over a period of 9 years (01.01.1660-31.03.1669) he gives a detailed and realistic account of the important contemporary events The Restoration, The Plague, The Fire of London and the Dutch War. He used an expression-”and so to bed”, at the end of his day’s diary entry.  This diary was written with cryptic codes, which was decoded by a scholar after 150 years. He attacked Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream play as: “I will never go again to hear Shakespeare. It is the Most ridiculous insipid play”