English Civil War & Oliver Cromwell: Political Upheaval & Religious Shift, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica English Civil War & Oliver Cromwell: Political Upheaval & Religious Shift e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! THE CIVIL WAR Charles | succeded his father(James I)in 1625. He tought he was king by devine right.As a consequence, his reign was characterised by a continuous conflict with Parliament wich was wanted to limit the king's power.As a result in 1642 when the king refused to abandon the command of the arm forcies,the Civil War broke out. There were two opposite forcies,Royalists and Parliamentarians(led by Oliver Cromwell). The king was taken prisoner(1647)and after was executed. Oliver Cromwell who abolished monarchy and he governed the country as a republic(known as the “Commonwealth”). OLIVER CROMWELL The “Ironsides” was the name given to a cavalry composed of brave soldiers and their leader was Oliver Cromwell.They were Puritan men who believed that God was fightening on their side. Ireland became an English colony. In 1653 O. Cromwell was called “Lord protector of Englend,Scotland and Ireland”. He had a mercantilist policy,he imposed that all the Engligh imports had to be carried in England's ships. Oliver Cromwell died in 1658. THE PURITAIN HERITAGE IN AMERICA In England the basic tenets oh Puritanism eventually lost out to the Churc of England in America their impact has remainedstrong.The concepts of freedom, religion,expression and congregationalism,as well as salvation and the related Calvinist movement,took hold in the New World. Whereas the Church of England has never taken a strong foothold in America, th Puritan heritage is part of their everyday life. JOHN MILTON He was a puritan and struggled in favour of liberty. He despised all forms of tyranny,from political to religious to domestic. After the return of monarchy(1660)he was sent to prison and his writings were condamned to be burnt,later he was pardoned and he wrote “Paradise lost”. PARADISE LOST Milton chose the epic genre for his masterpiece because of the greatness of his subject,and he followed the the typical epic conventions. . allegory of th political events of Milton's time(Satan's banishment from Heaven is compeared with Charles l’s loss of the throne) . Milton put a great deal of his own into the character of Satan. . Milton describes Satan as a rebel because Milton himself was a rebel againts the political authority of the King and the religious authority of the church of England. . epic form:poetry (drama is abolished) . subject:religious . theme:epic “Of Man's First Disobedience” . place:universe (Heaven , Hell , Eden) . style:elevated and complex . characters:God,Satan,Christ,Man,fallen angels Satan is depicted as an Epic Hero : . he's a leader . he's brave . he refuses to accept defeat . he wants to escape from Hell and attack God's creation (man) Satan doesn't feel equal to God, his reason can make a Heaven of Hell and a Hell of Heaven while Satan lives in resignation,and he accepts his condition. SATAN'S SPEECH E' questo il regno,il suolo,il clima,questa la dimora, disse l'Arcangelo perduto(Satana)che dobbiamo avere al posto del Paradiso, questa triste oscurità al posto della luce celeste? Se è così,visto che chi adesso è il Sovrano può ordinare e dichiarare ciò che è giusto:più lontano da lui siamo meglio e,da lui che ci ha eguagliato per ragione e che la forza ha reso supremo sopra i suoi simili.Addio Campi felici dove la Gioia dimora:Salve orrori,salve mondo infernale e tu profondissimo Inferno, ricevi di nuovo il tuo Possessore:uno che reca uno spirito che il Tempo e il Posto non può cambiare.La mente è la sua dimora e in se stessa può fare di un Paradiso un Inferno,un Inferno di un Paradiso.Cosa importa dove,se io sono ancora lo stesso, cosa dovrei essere,se non tutto tranne che lui(Dio)al quale Tuono lo ha reso più grande?Qui almeno potremo essere liberi;l'Onnipotente non ha costruito qui perla sua invidia,non ci caccerà di qui:qui regneremo sicuri, e nella mia scelta di regnare c'è un'ambizione sebbene nell’Inferno:è meglio regnare nell’Inferno che essere schiavo in Paradiso.Ma perché lasciamo i nostri amici fedeli,i compagni e i partecipi alla nostra perdita giacere così attoniti sullo Stagno dell’oblio,e non li chiamiamo a power through empire and the exploration of landed wealth * powerful state by the power of the king and the court The Whig Party (Dutch Republic) * toleration * Britain as a trading nation (commerce is the route to national greatness) * powerful state through a contractual and participatory model of government THE BIRTH OF POLITICAL PARTIES 1700:the Hanover dinasty succeded the Stuart dinasty The Whigs and the Tories were the first political parties in Britain,the first prime minister was the Whig Sir Robert Walpole(in poer for 20 years). Sir Robert Walpole : - he kept England out of foreign conflicts=taxes could be kept down * trade was stimulated by the removal of customs duties of raw materials(except tea,cofee, chocolate) 1726:Walpole and his government were accused of corruption 1735:The Whig William Pitt entered the Parliament as an opponent of Walpole 1766:he became prime minister (mercantilist policy,to make England strong and economically competitive) Expansion of England's possession in India, North America,Carribean. TORIES AND WHIGS: . the Tories were descendants of Royalists,they were supporters of the church and they believed in the divine right of the King. . the Wighs were descendant of Parliamentarians,they were supporters of the industrial and commercial development,foreign policy and the religious toleration. THE MEANS OF CULTURAL DEBATE 18th century:the spread of cultural debate The spread of new means for expression and for the circulation of ideas. Enlightment and faith in the rational faculty of men. Rise of journalism in England during the 18th century,and the first English periodical was “A Current of General News” published in London in 1622. It encouraged the struggle for political and individual freedom,and people could know the real situation of their country. The Modern periodical took shape in England in the first half of the 18th century. Politicians start to worry:introductions of duties. Advertisements became means of daily survival. From 1722 journalists were allowed to cover Parliamentary debates. The Coffeehouses: «only men «entertainment «circulation of ideas «meeting places Ist Dictionary: “The Dictionary of the English Language”(Samuel Johnson - 1755) “Oxford English Dictionary”(1884):to destinguish BE to AE THE BIRTH OF THE NOVEL Cause:intellectual progress(popular interest in reading),circulation and lending of books, libraries,more printed items;all of these factors contribute to increase the reading public. readers:middle and lower classes writers:middle class people;their value depends on the number of pages he or she wrote. aim:to write in a simple way in order to be understood even by less well-educted readers message:to be self-reliant,reflect and act(puritan ethics) Favorites : * prose * practical needs of different trades * stories of pirates and thieves * journeys to distant countries * accounts of crime * political pamphlets * newspapers