Scribd
Upload
37 views1 page

Restorian

The Restoration period, marked by the return of Charles II in 1660, significantly influenced 17th-century English literature amidst the political turmoil following the English Civil War. The era also coincided with the Enlightenment, emphasizing reason and logic, yet Restoration writers often expressed skepticism towards human reason due to the violent political changes. The displacement of James II in 1688 is sometimes viewed as the end of the Restoration period, although literary styles and themes continued beyond this date.

Uploaded by

Arina Swandani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views1 page

Restorian

The Restoration period, marked by the return of Charles II in 1660, significantly influenced 17th-century English literature amidst the political turmoil following the English Civil War. The era also coincided with the Enlightenment, emphasizing reason and logic, yet Restoration writers often expressed skepticism towards human reason due to the violent political changes. The displacement of James II in 1688 is sometimes viewed as the end of the Restoration period, although literary styles and themes continued beyond this date.

Uploaded by

Arina Swandani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Political Context

In addition to conveniently providing the title for the period, the restoration of Charles II has a
particularly defining influence on the literature that was written in the second half of the 17th century.
The political events of the previous decades resulted in tremendous turmoil for the English people.
The divisions between those who supported a more traditional form of government and those who
wanted a more republican form of government led to strong tensions throughout England. These
tensions led to theEnglish Civil War, which lasted from 1642 to 1651 and was a particularly brutal
experience for many British people. The war culminated with the beheading of Charles I in 1649, and
from 1649 to 1659, various forms of republican government ruled Britain.
In 1660, Charles II became king, thereby restoring the English monarchy. After Charles II died in
1685, his brother, James II, took over the throne. Afraid of the policies James II might introduce,
William III removed James II in 1688 and took over the English throne in 1689. This act is often
referred to as the Glorious Revolution because, relative to the violence of the English Civil War,
the transfer of power was not very bloody.
Some scholars use the displacement of James II as one place to mark the end of the Restoration
period. As with all periods of literature, this is a somewhat arbitrary date, and as we'll see in the rest
of this lesson, not all of the styles and themes common to the Restoration era literature perfectly
coincide with this date.

Philosophical Context
The start of the Restoration period roughly coincides with the beginning of what is known as
theEnlightenment, which lasted until the end of the 18th century. The Enlightenment was defined
by an emphasis on reason and logic; the thinkers of the period, moreover, helped develop the
modern science that treats the natural world as a knowable and testable subject.
Although the influence of the Enlightenment on the Restoration period is tremendous, it's important
to note the humility towards human reason that is common to much Restoration literature. Many
Restoration writers viewed the changes to their government, and the violence that these changes
brought with them, as the direct result of those who dogmatically held to their ideology. In this sense,
the political events that occurred in England provide insight into the skepticism that is at the heart of
Restoration literature.

You might also like