The 17th Century

1625-1700

 In England the 17th Century was a time of POLITICAL and RELIGIOUS TURMOIL. Struggle for power between Parliament, w/c wanted more authority and throne, which held the theory that kings ruled by a DIVINE RIGHT bestowed by God, not by the consent of Parliament.

Political and Religious Upheaval

Parliamentary versus a self righteous monarchy. The ruler of England was also the head of the Church of England, or Anglican Church, which Henry VIII had established in 1534.

 Charles I, who came to the throne in 1625, proved to be politically stubborn and untrustworthy. The Puritans disliked Charles's insistence on the divine right of kings. In 1642, civil war broke out between the royalist the king and his supporters and the supporters of Parliament.

 They were noted for their long hair and their gallant and witty manner and were thus called the Cavaliers. The plainly dressed Parliamentary forces were recognized by their closely cropped hair and grim determination, they were called Roundheads. Oliver Cromwell- a Puritan member of Parliament and a military genius as well as religious fanatic brought victory to the Parliamentary forces and temporarily ended the monarchy in 1649. Charles 1 was beheaded.

 The stern puritans frowned on all forms of frivolity. Oliver Cromwell become the England first non royalruler headed England as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth for nine violent years until his death in 1658 His son Richard attempted to fill his shoes but he failed. 1660 the English people had their fill of Puritanism and were happy to restore the monarchy to a Stuart King.

 At the invitation of Parliament, the eldest son of Charles I returned to London from his exile in France and Holland and assumed the throne as Charles II His return in 1660 called the RESTORATION His entire reign saw a rebirth in theatre and literature. In 1662 Charles II officially chartered the scientific research established by the Royal Society of London . The great English mathematician and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton were honored for his works.

 Charles II reign was followed by the brief, unhappy reign of his brother James II in 1685. 1688-1689- Glorious revolution a revolution without violence or bloodshed. Parliament invited his daughter Mary and her Dutch husband, Prince William of Orange to accept the British crown. James II fled to permanent exile in France. In 1689 a Bill of Rights that limited a monarch s powers enacted. No Longer would an absolute monarch reign above the law.

Life In 17th Century England

England become an industrial nation. London s increased commercial activity and size by 1700. Greater Metropolitan area of London are filled by over 600,000 inhabitants. Bristol and Norwich were now cities of about 30,000 people. In 1665 the Great Plague swept trough London leaving over 68,000 dead. The English textile industry was growing throughout the century.

 Young children spent their days darning woolen socks. Children were kept well occupied and spent their time in studying. Coal began to be an important in English commodity. They use ships for transporting goods for long distance.

Poetry in 17th Century England

Few Englishmen had enough learning or talent or interest to write prose literature. Also common people could compose ballads and put on plays. In Elizabeth's Time, verse was the dominant from of literature. John Donne and his followers wrote what would later be called metaphysical poetry Ben Jonson, the forerunner of English neoclassicism, and his disciples called the Sons of Ben were responsible for a second main style of poetry.

 John Milton a great poet of the century because of his epic Paradise Lost , a work of over ten thousand lines, take its place in Western literature along with Homer s Odyssey and Iliad, Virgil s Aeneid and Dante s Divine Comedy and in English literature with Beowulf.

Drama in 17th Century England

New plays are neither bone shaking tragedies, like those Shakespeare and Marlowe. Early 17th century theater saw satiric comedies by Ben Jonson, tragicomedies and a kind of melodrama. In 1642 the puritans who regarded drama as frivolous, made theater illegal in England. Theater lost its momentum in the years of the Cromwell Commonwealth.

In 1660 theater sprang joyfully because King Charles II restored the easygoing, theater loving monarchy. Women actresses, like the famous Nell Gwynn, began to play female roles. The drama that came to life in last half of 17th Century has been called, aptly enough, Later 17th century French influenced playwrights created more sophisticated plays As 17th century came to close, the witty frivolity of Restoration comedy fell into disfavor. Playwrights turned to sentimental comedy.

Prose in 17th Century England

The prose of 17th century was not use for imaginative literature. Essays on literary criticism began to appear, and criticism became a kind of literature in itself. John Bunyan s Pilgrims Progress , a long prose work in which imaginary characters tell a story. The prose nonfiction developed in bulk of 17th century. Some writers created prose for the bureaucracy that demanded a large body of legal and governmental writings.

 Robert Burton wrote a brilliant , gloomy indefinable work called The anatomy of Melancholy . Izaak Walton wrote a fascinating manual on fishing. Samuel Pepys kept a private coded diary, a prose that intent to informing or persuading a large body of readers. John Dryden was the leading prose writer of the last third of the century and his writing attempted to move closer to the rhythms and spirit of actual speech. 17th Century is a period of continuing exploration and experimentation in politics, religion, science and language.

TIME LINE
BRITISH EVENTS
1625- Charles I becomes King First fire engine in England 1628- William Harvey publishes treatise on the circulation of blood 1633 John Donne, Poems 1635- Public Mail service set up 1637- Public mail coaches carry passengers Ben Jonson dies 1642- Outbreak of civil war All theaters closed by order of the Puritans

WORLD EVENTS
1630- America: John Winthrop, Puritan Leader, founds Boston 1637- Japan: European contacts prohibited Europe: Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor 1638 America: Harvard, first college established 1640- Holland: Rembrandt Van Rijn, Self Portrait 1642- America: Education becomes compulsory in Massachusetts

BRITISH EVENTS
1644- John Milton, Areopagitica on freedom of the press 1647- First newspaper advertisement appears 1648 Robert Herrick, The Argument of His Book 1649- Charles I beheaded; Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England Richard Lovelace, To Lucasta 1650- Tea first drunk in England 1651- Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan political philosophy in support of monarchy 1653- Andrew Marvell Bermudas Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler

WORLD EVENTS
1644- China: Ming Dynasty ends; Manchu dynasty begins 1650- America: Anne Bradstreet, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America 1651 Africa: Dutch settle at Cape of Good Hope 1654- France: Coronation of Louis XIV at Rheims 1657- France: First Stockings and fountain pens manufactured 1659- France: Molliere The Flying Doctor 1660- Denmark: Danish crown becomes hereditary 1664- America: English capture New Amsterdam from the Dutch

BRITISH EVENTS
1655- Cromwell dissolves Parliament prohibits Anglican services 1656- Opening of first London opera house 1657 Drinking chocolate introduced in London 1658- Oliver Cromwell dies; his son Richard succeeds him 1660- End of the Protectorate Charles II restored to throne The Royal Society of London established to promote scientific research. 1661- The coronation of Charles II

WORLD EVENTS
1665- America: First theatrical performance takes place in Virginia 1666- Italy: Antonio Stradivari labels his first violin 1685 China: All ports opened to foreign trade.

BRITISH EVENTS
1665- Isaac Newton experiments on gravitation Great Plague kills over 68,000 in London 1666- Great Fire of London 1667 John Milton, Paradise Lost 1668- John Dryden, Essay of Dramatic Poesy 1674- John Bunyan, The Pilgrims Progress 1685- Charles II dies; James II succeeds his brother 1687- John Dryden A song for St. Cecilias Day 1688- Glorious Revolution: Overthrow James II; and accession of William and Mary 1689- Bill of Rights ensure freedom for Parliament 1690- John Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, influential work describing human mental processes

Francis Bacon (1561- 1626)

As young man he wrote I have taken all knowledge to be my province.. His Essays and Counsels were a landmark in English prose composition; and his ideas about the importance of observation and experiment form the basis of the modern scientific method.

Francis Bacon (1561- 1626)

He was a philosopher, statesman, essayist and known in his circle of nobility as a 'concealed poet'. Francis Bacon who originated the expression "Knowledge is power". Unfortunately, despite his brilliance, Bacon's life was not without scandal and controversy. His slow rise to political power and its sudden fall was that of a Greek tragedy. As Lord Chancellor of England, he was impeached by Parliament for taking bribes in office, convicted, and banished from London.

Some of His Famous Quotes

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. Knowledge is power Age appears best in four things : Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. Consistency is the foundation of virtue.

"Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority

"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts: but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties "Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake..."

Thank You!!!!