- •1. The drama after Shakespeare. Jacobean drama and theatre.
- •2. Ben Jonson and his plays. Volpone.
- •Volpone
- •3. Thomas Dekker and his plays. Old Fortunatus.
- •4. Thomas Heywood and his plays. A Woman Killed with Kindness.
- •5. Beaumont and Fletcher. The Knight of the Burning Pestle.
- •6. John Webster and his plays. The White Devil.
- •7. John Webster and his plays. The Duchess of Malfi.
- •9. Masque and music at the Stuart Court
- •8. Cyril Tourneur and his plays. The Revenger’s Tragedy.
- •10. Puritanism and its influence on English Literature.
- •11. The Restoration and Public Pleasures.
- •12. The Enlightenment and Neoclassicism
- •13. The Great Fire of London
- •14. Basic themes in Restoration comedy: the younger son, marriage and the matter of inheritance, money. Morality. Satire. The pamphlet.
- •15. The Physical Structure of the Restoration Theatre.
- •16. The Restoration Theatre, Audience, Actors.
- •17. The Restoration Comedy.
- •20. William Wycherley. The Country Wife.
- •21. William Congreve (1670-1729). The Way of the World (1700) – the masterpiece of Restoration drama.
- •22. High Tragedy and Pathetic Tragedy
- •23. Comedy of Manners
- •24. John Dryden and his plays. The Indian Queen.
- •25. Sir George Etherege and his plays. Man of Mode
- •26. Thomas Shadwell. Absalom and Achitophel
- •27. George Farquhar and his plays. The Beaux' Stratagem.
- •28. Sir John Vanbrugh and his plays. The Relapse (1696)
- •29. Drama in the early 19th century
- •30. Theatre Riots.
- •31. Early Victorian Drama and theatrical conditions.
- •32. Oscar Wilde and his literary contribution. Lady Windermere’s Fan
- •33. Oscar Wilde and his literary contribution. An Ideal Husband
- •34. Oscar Wilde and his literary contribution. The Importance of Being Ernest
- •35. Oscar Wilde and his literary contribution. A Woman of No Importance
- •36. George Bernard Show and his literary contribution. Pygmalion.
- •37. George Bernard Show and his literary contribution. Heartbreak House.
- •38. George Bernard Show and his literary contribution. Mrs. Warren’s Profession.
- •39. 19Th century theatre. Melodrama
- •40. The Well-Made Play
- •41. The Irish Renaissance
- •Irish Humour
- •Irish Blarney
- •42. John Millington Synge. Riders to the Sea.
- •43. John Millington Synge. The Tinkers Wedding.
- •44. John Millington Synge. The Playboy of the Western World.
- •45. Thomas Sterns Eliot. Murder in the Cathedral.
- •46. John Osborne. Look Back in Anger
- •47. John Galsworthy. The Silver Box
- •48. John Galsworthy. Strife
10. Puritanism and its influence on English Literature.
The Divine Right of Kings
When James I (1603-1625) succeeded to the English throne, he firmly believed that the regent derives power directly from God. James was not interested in reforming the Church of England. Catholics were forbidden to celebrate Mass (service of worship), and Puritans could not gather for religious meetings. Many religious dissidents left England. Catholics tended to emigrate to the European continent, particularly France and Italy. The Puritans first found a home in Holland, and later voyaged to North America, where they established the Plymouth Colony in 1620 in present-day Massachusetts.
Growing conflict
When James’s son Charles I came to the throne in 1625 (1625-1649), people who hoped for a more tolerant ruler were disappointed. The new king had taken to heart his father’s example of ruling by divine right. Because of his belief that he would be committing a grave sin in surrendering part of his authority, Charles disregarded Parliament’s opinions on economic spending and commanded his subjects to observe a form of Anglican ritual that was offensive to Puritans and other dissidents. By 1629, with Parliament and the king unable to agree on religious and economic matters. Charles dissolved Parliament and did not call it back for eleven years. During the “eleven years’ tyranny,” grievances (sérelmek) on both sides mounted. By the time Charles recalled Parliament in 1640, it was too late for any permanent compromise. Parliament called for a new constitution that included their demands to control all church and military matters and appoint ministers and judges. The king moved his court from London to the northern city of York. The ideological battle lines were drawn; by August 1642, war had begun.
Civil war
The English civil war was fought between Royalist Cavaliers loyal to the king and the Puritan Roundheads (so called because their hair was cut short, unlike the long-haired courtiers). Over time, Parliament proved victorious, due largely to the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell, a military genius and Puritan extremist. In April 1646, Charles surrendered himself to the Scots, who turned him over to Parliament in exchange for a large ransom. By this time, the Parliamentary forces wanted to do away with the monarchy. The court that tried Charles accused him of being a “Tyrant, Traitor and Murderer; and a public enemy to the good people of this nation.” The trial was controversial; many people who had fought against Charles were reluctant to resort to execution. Nonetheless, the death sentence was passed, and the king was publicly beheaded. A week after his death, Parliament abolished the monarchy. Cromwell became the Lord Protector of the country. Until his death in 1658, Cromwell imposed strict Puritanical rules on public behavior and religious worship. He closed theaters, banned dancing and music, caused all religious icons to be destroyed as “graven images,” and forbade the celebration of Christmas.
The Puritan Rule
Cromwell was a complex leader, leaving a legacy to be both admired and deplored. He preached and practiced religious toleration—except for Catholics. Any “graven images,” which Cromwell associated with Catholicism, were destroyed. Throughout England, baptismal fonts, statues of saints, ceiling and altar decorations—the devotional art of centuries—were smashed. With the stability that Cromwell’s government provided, the economy prospered, but there was little pleasure or entertainment in a country where public music was banned and theaters were closed. What had begun as a noble experiment in liberty ended in a military dictatorship.
After Cromwell
After Cromwell’s death in 1658, his son Richard briefly attempted to rule as Lord Protector, but he was ousted by the military, which disbanded Parliament and ruled incompetently. When order was restored by some of the king’s old enemies, there seemed only one solution. In May 1660, Charles II returned triumphant, riding through London accompanied by a supportive army as he made his way to the palace of Whitehall, the scene of his father’s execution twelve years before.