Liceo Scientifico Statale «Leonardo Da Vinci» From the Puritan Age to the Augustan Age English Literature School year: 2018/2019 Prof. Vincenzo Longo

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Liceo Scientifico Statale «Leonardo Da Vinci» 
From the Puritan Age to the Augustan Age
English Literature
School year: 2018/2019
Prof. Vincenzo Longo

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The
Historical
Background
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•From the Puritan Age to the Augustan
Age
• English Literature
• School year: 2018/2019
• Prof. Vincenzo Longo 
The establishment of the Constitutional Monarchy, following the revolution
of 1688 and the Toleration Act in 1689, which ended the religious war and
debate, were the preconditions of a period of complex political stability. This
period was characterised by the triumph of Rationality.
Moreover, in the same period England also sees a wide economic boom,
which characterises the 17
th
and 18
th
centuries. Indeed, thanks to the colonial
expansion, England experiences the First Industrial Revolution (mainly
agricultural), which socially and politically changes the country.
Main events characterising the First Industrial Revolution:
1. The introduction of the Private Property through the Enclosures
2. Wide production of wool, through the invention of specific
machines

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•From the Puritan Age to the Augustan
Age
• English Literature
• School year: 2018/2019
• Prof. Vincenzo Longo 
3.
People’s massive exodus from countrysides to big cities. Cities were
not ready to cope with all these people, as a consequence poor families
were forced to live in terrible subhuman conditions. On this purpose, it
is useful to remark that, it is the first time in which women and
children started being exploited in the factories, obliged to work for
many hours.
4. Travelling became much easier, as many roads were built, thus
allowing people to move to different places.
5. The opening of Coffee Houses, where middle and upper class used to
meet to exchange information about politics, literature, business and
gossip.
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•From the Puritan Age to the Augustan
Age
• English Literature
• School year: 2018/2019
• Prof. Vincenzo Longo 
 This age was named after the Roman Emperor Augustus, hence
“Augustan
Age” as a name. The Roman Emperor embodied the perfect example of Ratio.
However, this period is commonly known in Europe as the Enlightment.
 In fact, one of the main ideals was the reconsideration of Classicism,
characterised by a strict rationality, rigid rules imposed by the classical Latin
and Greek authors.
 The English Enlightment is a bit different from the French one, because it
may be considered as a combination between
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The Classical Intellectual Rationality
Bourgeoise
Sentimentalism

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•From the Puritan Age to the Augustan
Age
• English Literature
• School year: 2018/2019
• Prof. Vincenzo Longo 
 Consequently, there was the birth of the intellectual middle class, which
signed a very turning point into literature but also history.
 Books started circulating especially for women, who started emancipating
through the reading. The middle class distinguished itself from the lower
classes, due to
people’s decorum and common sense.
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The
Literary
Background
6

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The Rise of Journalism
 In the 18
th
century the reading public increased remarkably, due to the wish 
of the middle class to educate themselves and the invention of the Press. 
 There was a widespread desire to be informed and this led to the Rise of 
Journalism, which was a form of expression for news and ideas.
 Coffee Houses were the most popular places where people used to gather to 
read the newspapers and literary periodicals. 
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The most important newspapers
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Joseph Addison
Richard Steele

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•From the Puritan Age to the Augustan
Age
• English Literature
• School year: 2018/2019
• Prof. Vincenzo Longo 
 The two most important newspapers were The Tatler and The Spectator
written by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele.
 The main themes Addison and Steele wrote about were literature, gossip,
moral reflections and some stories.
 Journalism as a form of writing is closer to the following literary genre, the
Novel
,
which develops shortly after.
 In the same period, Journalism characterised Italy as well, where the first
gazzettes
were printed. Here, the main exponent was Carlo Goldoni who
wrote and published periodicals as the English ones.
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