THE AGE OF REASON Enlightenment The th 18

THE AGE OF REASON Enlightenment The th 18 century

The 18 th century in English literature has been called vthe Neo classical age v. Augustan age v. The age of Reason.

THE AGE OF TURBULENCE 3 Wars: The war of Spanish Succession (1702— 1714) The war of Austrian Succession (1740– 1748) The Seven Years’ War with France (1756 – 1763)

THE AGE OF TURBULENCE 3 revolutions: The Glorious Revolution (1689) The American Revolution (1776) The French Revolution (1789)

ENLIGHTENMENT From “Light” The light of Reason People of the Enlightenment believed human reason could: ~discover the natural laws of the universe ~determine the natural rights of mankind ~ be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better world. ~promote unending progress in knowledge, technical achievement, & moral values

ENLIGHTENMENT ØAll men are equal in respect of their rationality ØThe tolerance and individual liberty must be granted by the law. ØThe Middle Ages - the Ade of Darkness (irrational) 6

RELIGION Deism Atheism

DEISM : GOD WAS NOT SO PERSONAL. PERHAPS, HE WAS AN INTELLIGENT HUMAN BEING WHO WOUND UP THE WATCH AND LET EVENTS UNFOLD.

. . LEAVING HUMAN BEINGS THE FREEDOM TO GOVERN THEMSELVES.

PREDECESSORS: v. RENAISSANCE HUMANISTS (14 TH & 15 TH CENT. ) The proper worship of God involves admiration of his creation (Its crown humanity) Celebrating humans worships God better than preaching original sin and repentance v. GALILEO GALILEI (1632) Used logic and observation to argue that earth rotates around sun • Led to the advancement of science—Isaac Newton

EXTENSION OF THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

PREDECESSORS: • • MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE (16 TH CENTURY) WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO IMPOSE DOGMAS WHICH REST ON CULTURAL HABIT RATHER THAN ABSOLUTE TRUTH MORALS MAY BE RELATIVE IF WE CANNOT BE CERTAIN THAT OUR VALUES ARE GOD-GIVEN, THEN WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO IMPOSE THEM BY FORCE ON OTHERS POPES AND KINGS HAD NO RIGHT TO ENFORCE ADHERENCE TO PARTICULAR RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS DOUBT IS ESSENTIAL TO SCIENCE—TEST, CHALLENGE, ASK—TO GET CLOSER TO TRUTH. AUTHORITY IS SCIENCE’S ENEMY

PHILOSOPHERS IN EUROPE v. FRANCE • VOLTAIRE • DENIS DIDEROT • JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU v. ENGLAND • JOHN LOCKE • THOMAS HOBBES

VOLTAIRE FRANÇOISMARIE AROUET (1694 – 1778) *FREEDOM OF RELIGION *FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION *SEPARATION OF THE CHURCH AND THE STATE

DENIS DIDEROT (1713 – 1784) THE ENCYCLOPEDIE A SET OF 17 VERY LARGE VOLUMES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1751 AND 1772.

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1 7 1 2 – 1 7 7 8 ) FEATURED AN INCREASED FOCUS ON SUBJECTIVITY AND INTROSPECTION THAT LATER CHARACTERIZED MODERN WRITING

VOLTAIRE THOUGHT ROUSSEAU’S IDEAS TO BE A JOKE—HE SAID “AFTER I’VE READ ROUSSEAU, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO GET DOWN ON ALL FOURS. ”

JOHN LOCKE (1632 – 1704) TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT (1689) AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING (1690)

THOMAS HOBBES (1588 – 1679) LEVIATHAN (1651 ) ESTABLISHED SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

Thomas Hobbes • Humans are naturally cruel, greedy and selfish. • To escape this “brutish” life people entered into a social contract. • Only a powerful government could ensure an orderly society. • Only an absolute monarchy could keep a society completely orderly. John Locke • Humans are naturally reasonable, moral and good • Humans have natural rights: life liberty and property • People form governments to protect natural rights • Best government was one with limited power • If a government violates people’s natural rights, people have the right to

POLITICAL CHANGES IN ENGLAND Queen Anne died without an heir (1714) ► the end of the Stuart dynasty Parliament had the power to decide the future: v. The Whigs (most MP=power) ► new dynasty v. The Tories ► the descendant of King James II They were called Jacobites (Jacobus=James (Latin)) (attempted two unsuccessful rebellions, 1715 and 1745 )

GEORGE I (1714 -1727 ) The Duke of Hanover the great-grandson of James I Spoke no English (only German) Relied on the Whigs to govern. 23

GEORGE II (1727 -1760) His reign was marked by the influence of Sir Horace Walpole v a Whig supporter v the First Prime Minister v remained in power for more than 20 years. v lost the election in 1742 and resigned his office. 24

GEORGE III (1760 -1801) His reign was marked by vthe American War of Independence(1776) vthe French Revolution. suffered from mental illnesses later in his life. 25

POLITICAL & ECONOMIC BACKGROUND • Wealth from Asia & Americas ►The Rise of a new class of merchants (Middle Class) ► new ideas about the world (of the bourgeoisie) • The Fall of the Absolute monarchy • Partial displacement of the aristocracy (power in land ownership) • The weakening of the power of the dogmatic church • The new belief that the prosperity is the result of the individual merit and hard work • Rise of a new working class (the result of a series of Enclosure Acts. )

The Augustan age a parallel between the golden age of Latin culture under emperor Augustus and the reign of Queen Ann (Oliver Goldsmith) Reasons: Ø The victory in the Seven Years’ War (with France) ►Powerful Navy Ø The wealth of England increased dramatically (trade with the colonies) Ø Britain’s position as a world power was confirmed 27

vthe self- conscious imitation of the original Augustan writers (Virgil, Horace) v. Return to classical forms : epic, pastoral, satire and Pindaric Ode, vbelieved that the poet had a social role: to explore the universal human experience and to explore the evils of the society.

LIFE DURING THE AUGUSTAN AGE ØA new reading public: the middle class► The rise of Journalism & The rise of the Novel►focus on the middle class concerns Øthe advent of coffee from the colonies ►clubs and coffee houses► intellectual and social centres for debates. the Scriblerus Club( Pope, Swift, and John Gay ) 29

EARLY NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES Aimed at middle class readers Circulated in coffee-houses The editors: Joseph Addison & Richard Steele. • Daily Courant (1702 -04) gossips • The Tatler 1709) mainly essays. ( • The Spectator (1711) politics, literature, art. 30

JOSEPH ADDISON (1672 – 1719) SIR RICHARD STEELE (1672 – 1729) Collaboration in the periodical essay v Addison – urbane, polished gentleman, exquisite refinement of taste & lofty ideas of rectitude & piety but shy, Self-conscious, a little remote & austere v Steele – Bohemian, easygoing, Thriftless, careless but full of generosity & sympathy & an honest love of what is pure & good

SATIRE 18 th Century – The Golden Age of Satire v. A literary technique that mixes criticism with humor v. Uses laughter as a weapon, usually to encourage social reform

SATIRE vevoking toward it attitudes of: v. Amusement v. Contempt v. Scorn vor indignation v. Differs from comic: • Comic evokes laughter v. Satiritist: • Uses laughter as weapon against: • • An individual A type of person A class An institution A nation Human nature itself Among other

STYLE OF SATIRE v. Contains cruel and “dirty” words v. Contains comic words and terms v. Uses conversational and non-literary language v. Tries to produce the unexpected

WEAPONS OF SATIRE • • • Paradox Antithesis Parody Anticlimax Obscenity • • Violence Vividness Exaggeration Irony

LITERARY TRENDS Stressed balance, logic, sophisticated wit, and emotional restraint ØNeoclassicism ØBirth of the novel (Realism) ØSentimentalism ØPre- Romanticism (toward the end of the period in poetry)

THREE PERIODS v. Age of Dryden (Named for John Dryden) v. Age of Pope and Swift • Heavy Neoclassic style v. Age of Johnson • Beginnings of a shift toward Romanticism

NEOCLASSICISM a revival in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of classical standards of order, logic, proportion, restrained emotion, accuracy, good taste and decorum in literature. Alexander Pope, John Dryden and Samuel Johnson artistic models: Ø classical literature ( Homer, Virgil, Horace, etc. ) Ø French writers (Voltaire, Diderot) + Horace’s Ars Poetica & Boileau’s L’Art Poetique

ALEXANDER POPE (1688 -1744) “A little learning is a dangerous thing. ” v. English poet v neoclassicist v. Roman Catholic v. Self taught

3 PERIODS OF HIS CAREER : 1 st period v. Four Pastorals – Vergil immitation v. Windsor Forest v. The essay on criticism v. The Rape of The Lock – a mock epic poem 2 nd period v. The Translation of the Iliad & the Odyssey

3 rd Period v. Satires & Epistles of Horace Imitated v. The Dunciad – a long & elobrate satire on the ‘Dunces” – the bad Poets, Pedants & Pretentious critics of the day v. The Essay on man – a poem in four Epistles Defence of the moral government of the universe & an explanation of the physical & moral evil • Evil is simply part of God’s plan. • “Whatever is, is right”

POPE’S POETIC STYLE v COUPLETS • A PAIR OF LINES OF VERSE WHICH CONSISTS OF TWO LINES THAT USUALLY RHYME AND HAVE THE SAME METER v IAMBIC PENTAMETER • HAS AN UNRHYMED LINE WITH 5 IAMBS OR FEET. IAMBIC MEANS THE STRESS IS ON THE SECOND SYLLABLE, AN PENTAMETER SHOWS US THAT A LINE HAS 5 FEET OR CLUSTERS OF TWO SYLLABLES ADDING UP TO 10 SYLLABLES A LINE. v. HEROIC COUPLETS • A PAIR OF RHYMED IAMBIC PENTAMETER LINES THAT REACH COMPLETION IN STRUCTURE AND IN SENSE AT THE END OF THE SECOND LINE.

EPIGRAM • A SHORT POEM WITH A CLEVER TWIST AT THE END OR A CONCISE AND WITTY STATEMENT. HERE LIES MY WIFE: HERE LET HER LIE! NOW SHE'S AT REST — AND SO AM I. JOHN DRYDEN I AM HIS HIGHNESS' DOG AT KEW; PRAY TELL ME, SIR, WHOSE DOG ARE YOU? ALEXANDER POPE

DRAMA JOHN GAY (1685 – 1731) THE BEGGAR’S OPERA (1728) SATIRE TOWARDS ITALIAN OPERA GEORGE LILLO (1693 – 1739) LONDON MERCHANT OR HISTORY OF GEORGE BARNWELL FATAL CURIOSITY – DOMESTIC DRAMA OR FORM OF TRAGEDY – INCIDENTS WERE TAKEN FROM COMMON LIFE INSTEAD OF FROM HISTORY OR ROMANCE 44

THE RISE OF THE NOVEL FROM ITALIAN “NOVELLA” = A LONG PROSE NARRATIVE. PERIOD OF EXPERIMENTATION → NO DOMINANT FORM Ø DEFOE ► THE REALIST NOVEL Ø SWIFT ► THE PHILOSOPHICAL NOVEL Ø RICHARDSON ► THE SENTIMENTAL NOVEL/ EPISTOLARY NOVEL Ø FIELDING ► THE COMIC NOVEL Ø STERNE ► THE SENTEMENTAL NOVEL. 45

JONATHAN SWIFT (1667 -1745 ) ØIRISH • TRAVELED BETWEEN IRELAND ENGLAND • FOUGHT HARD FOR THE IRISH Ø ANGLICAN PRIEST Ø PESSIMISTIC VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

ü The Battle of the Books (1704) ü Grew out of a controversy in which sir william tample had taken prominent part ü The respective merits of ancient & Modern Lit ü The mock-heroic description of the great battle in the King’s Library between the rivals hosts ü A Tale of a Tub (1704) ü It contains the essence of his thought & style ü Designed to champion the protestant church against the pretensions of the church of Rome & the extravagances of the dissenting sects, & to exhibit the corruptions of modern christianity ü An allegorical story ü Principal figure – 3 brothers – Peter (The Roman church) , Martin (The English Church), Jack (The Calvinists or dissenters)

MAIN WORKS ØTHE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (1704) THE MOCK-HEROIC DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT BATTLE IN THE KING’S LIBRARY BETWEEN THE RIVALS HOSTS ØA TALE OF A TUB (1704) THE CORRUPTIONS OF MODERN CHRISTIANITY AN ALLEGORICAL STORY PRINCIPAL FIGURE – 3 BROTHERS – PETER (THE ROMAN CHURCH) , MARTIN (THE ENGLISH C H U R C H ) , J A C K ( T H E C A L V I N I S T S O R D I S S E nters) ØTHE MODEST PROPOSAL ( ØGULLIVER’S TRAVELS (1728)

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (1728) THREE MAIN THEMES ü A SATIRICAL VIEW OF THE STATE OF EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT, AND OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RELIGIONS ü AN INQUIRY INTO WHETHER MEN ARE INHERENTLY CORRUPT OR WHETHER THEY BECOME CORRUPTED üA RESTATEMENT OF THE OLDER VERSUS MODERNS" CONTROVERSY "ANCIENTS

THE BOOK HAS 4 PARTS v A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT – THE ENGLISH POLITICS OF THE TIME v A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG v A VOYAGE TO LAPUTA, BALNIBARBI, LUGGNAGG, GLUBBDUBDRIB, AND JAPAN ATTACKS PHILOSOPHERS & INVENTORS WHO WASTE THEIR ENERGIES IN THE PURSUIT OF VISIONARY & FANTASTIC THINGS v A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOUYHNHNMS & YAHOOS “ – ‘THAT ANIMAL CALLED MAN”

JONATHAN SWIFT HAS SAILED INTO HIS REST. SAVAGE INDIGNATION THERE CANNOT LACERATE HIS BREAST. IMITATE HIM IF YOU DARE, WORLD-BESOTTED TRAVELER. HE SERVED HUMAN LIBERTY.

DANIEL DE-FOE • • Born into a middle class family of Dissenters. Educated at a Dissenting Academy. Merchant and interest in politics. Journalist (correspondent) contribution to contemporary newspaper: editorial & interview • 1719 Robinson Crusoe a sailorman who was deserted at an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean • 1722 Moll Flanders poor girl seduced by a rich man, → forced to become a prostitute and a thief, managesi n the end to lead a respectable life, repenting for her sins. . 52

DE-FOE AND THE REALIST NOVEL v Defoe’s works are written in the form of fictional autobiography or diary to make them more realistic. v The protagonist must struggle to overcome a series of misfortunes, using only his/her phisical or mental resources. v No psychological development of characters. 53

RONINSON CRUSOE v Inspired by the real story of Alxander Selkirk v Divided into 3 sections v Hero of the middle class → values of hard work, self improvement, belief in God’s providence. v Interpreted as a religious allegory → redemption from sins through hard work v Economic Allegory of merchant capitalism v Imperialist allegory (more recently) → of the British Colonizer who is convinced of hi superiority over the savage. 54

SAMUEL RICHARDSON(1689 --1761) v. The accidental beginning of his literary career came in 1739 when, at the age of 51, Richardson was asked by two bookseller friends to compile a volume of model letters for people without much formal education to practice in their correspondence. Richardson intended that his manual should not only teach people how to write letters but also be morally instructive. He was duly rewarded for his kindness and the pain he had taken for the composition of such moving letters.

v. His works: v. Pamela (1740 -1741) v. Or (Virtue Rewarded, in a Series of Familiar Letters from a Beautiful Young Damsel to Her Parents) v. Clarissa Harlowe (1747) v. Or: Virtue Triumphant v. Sir Charles Grandison (1753 -1754) v. He wrote only three novels, all in epistolary form.

HENRY FIELDING(1707 -1754) v Fielding was a man of extraordinary vitality and capacity. He was a dramatist, an essayist and a novelist. His fame is established chiefly upon his success as a novelist. Joseph Andrews (1742), his first novel. v The History of Jonathan Wild the Great (1743) v The History of Tome Jones, A Foundling (1749) , his masterpiece.

v In both theory and practice, Fielding establishes once and for all the from of the English novel. He has held a unique position in the history of English literature by being called the “father of the English novel”, for his contribution to the establishment of the form of modern novel. Fielding set up theory of realism in literary creation. He wrote specifically "comic epic in prose", the first to give the modern novel its structure and style.

v. Before him, the relating of a story in a novel was either in the epistolary form (a series of letters) as in Richardson's Pamela, or the picaresque form (adventurous wanderings ) through the mouth of the principal character, as in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, but Fielding adopted "the third-person narration". In planning his stories, he tries to retain the grand epical form of the classical works but at the same time keeps faithful to his realistic presentation of the common life as it is.

TOME JONES v. As one of the pioneers of English realistic literature, Fielding portrays the real life of men without disguise. He exposes the hypocrisy and depravity of the ruling class, and pictures the poverty of the working masses who are driven by want to crime. For a time, Tom became a national hero. People were fond of this young fellow with manly virtues and yet not without fault. The fullblooded characters are realistically depicted in brilliant, witty and highly artistic language.

v. Tom Jones is a handsome young man. He is frank and open. His outstanding quality is "good nature" and "goodness of heart". He is never an indifferent spectator of the misery or happiness of anyone. He would not willingly inflict even the most trifling harm on anybody. Yet Tom is very far from being a model character. He lives by impulse, not by reason. The most serious mistake that Tom commits is his liaison with Lady Bellaston after his arrival in London. A simple country boy thoroughly ignorant of the ways of the depraved high society in London, he is completely taken by surprise by a bad woman and becomes, for a short time , her paid lover. But as soon as he learns the true character of the woman , he immediately terminates the connection.

SAMUEL JOHNSON OR DR JOHNSON (1709 – 1784) • the ‘literature dictator’ known from The Life of Johnson (biography), written by James Boswell. • the first compiler of the most complete English dictionary: A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) 62

THE GOTHIC NOVEL v 3. The Gothic novel: the novel which exploits the possibilities of mystery and terror in gloomy landscapes, decaying mansions with dark dungeons, secret passages, instruments of torture, ghostly visitations ghostly music behind which lurks no one knows what as the central story, the persecution of a beautiful maiden by an obsessed and haggard villain. The real originator of English Gothic novel was Horace Walpole, with his famous Castle of Otranto (1764). v. These novels rebel against the increasing commercialism and rationalism opened up to later fiction the dark, irrational side of human nature.

EPISTOLARY NOVEL v 4. Epistolary novel: a type of nnovel in which the narrative is carried on by means of series of letters. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela (1740) and Clarissa Harlowe (1748) are among the best known epistolary novels. v It can be classified into two kinds: the monologue epistolary novel and the dialogue epistolary novel

SENTIMENTALISM v 5. Sentimentalism: is a literal movement in the middle of the 18 th century in England which concentrates on the distressed of the poor unfortunate and virtuous people and demonstrates that effusive emotion was evidence of kindness and goodness. It reveals grief, pains and tears. The representatives are Laurence Sterne who wrote A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1768) and Oliver Goldsmith who wrote The Vicar of Wakefield (1766). v. It came into being as a result of a better discontent on the part of certain enlighteners in social reality.

SENTIMENTALISM v 5. Sentimentalism: is a literal movement in the middle of the 18 th century in England which concentrates on the distressed of the poor unfortunate and virtuous people and demonstrates that effusive emotion was evidence of kindness and goodness. It reveals grief, pains and tears. The representatives are Laurence Sterne who wrote A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (1768) and Oliver Goldsmith who wrote The Vicar of Wakefield (1766). v. It came into being as a result of a better discontent on the part of certain enlighteners in social reality.

WILLIAM BLAKE(1757 --1827) v His life story (Page 283 -284) v His position in English literature: the representative of preromanticist. v His main works: v Songs of Innocence (1789) v The Marriage of Heaven and Hell(1790) v Songs of Experience (1794) v Appreciate the poem London on P. 287

ROBERT BURNS(1759 --1796) v His life story (P. P 290 --293) v The greatest of the 18 th century Scots poet. v His works: v Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect v The Tree of Liberty v My Heart’s in the Highland (Page 294) v A Red, Red Rose (Page 295)