Name : Nidhi P. Jethava
Paper : History of English Literature
– From 1350-1900
Roll No – 14
Enrollment no. -306920200009
Email id – jethavanidhi8@gmail.com
Batch – 2020-22 ( MA SEM-1)
Submitted to – S.B. Gardi Department
of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELIZABETHAN AGE AND NEO-CLASSICAL AGE:
THE ELIZABETHAN
AGE(1550-1620)
Introduction :-
The age of Elizabethan is also known as the age of Renaissance in
England. The character of queen is very significant because very earlier age
Elizabethan became the queen of England. In this little age her childish
character and strong determination brought a great change in the era.
Elizabethan's succession brought two important feature of the period which is
summarized here:
1.Settlement
During this period the English nation was attaining the political
stability. Dynastic problems, though still nerve-racking, did not cause open
warfare, and the union of crowns finally set a rest the ancient quarrel between
Scotland and England. This settlement or stability was proof of good
literature.
2.Development
we all knows that the age of queen Elizabethan is also know as the age
of Renaissance. In this particular age their are lots of political, social,
historical, geographical and astrological invention were happened.
NEO-CLASSICAL AGE(1700-1800)
Introduction :-
18th century is also known as the neo-classical age during this period
great poets like Alexander Pope had translated great works of Homer,
Vergil and Ovid and also followed the rules and regulations of classical era
that's why this age is known age neo-classical age.
This age is also known as
1)THE AUGUSTAN AGE
In the Rome Augustan Caesar's time, there were the
brilliant writers like Virgil , Horace, Ovid, Like that the 18th century is
full of brilliant writers that is the meaning of Augustan age.
2)THE AGE OF REASON AND PROCE
Neo-classicism gave a lots of importance to order,
correctness , the application of reason, in this way the age is known as the
age of Reason and Prose. Matthew Arnold in the essay called " The study of
poetry " called the Augustan age " Our excellent and indispensable
18th century, the age of prose and the reason."
Whatever above given is just basic information of both age.
Now let give the differentiate general characteristics of both ages
Political summery of
the period :-
-Elizabethan age
in the age of Elizabethan all doubts about religion was
vanished and people were free from every religious as well as political
bondages Queen Elizabethan's reign brought great sunrise in that period. The
accession of a queen was the sunrise after a long night.
In Milton's word, we suddenly see England
" a noble and puissant nation, rousing herself, like a strong man
after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks."
At the age of seventeen Elizabethan became the Queen of England. That
time the character of Elizabethan was mingling of frivolity and strength which
reminds one of that irony image with feet of clay, we have nothing whatever to
do. As the student of literature we can find out two facts about this era
: that t Elizabeth, with all her vanity and inconsistency, steadily loved
England and England’s greatness; and that she inspired all her people with the
unbounded patriotism which exults in Shakespeare, and with the personal
devotion which finds a voice in the Faery Queen. Under her administration the English
national life progressed by gigantic leaps rather than by slow historical
process, and English literature reached the very highest point of its
development.
-Neo-classical age
We can divided this particular age into two groups
1.Augustan age (1700-1750)
2.The age of sensibility (1750-1798)
so many authors believe that 18th century consist the fundament of
romantic age. in the year 1685 king Charles II was banished and his own
daughter and sun-in-law marry and William of orange to be throne, marks the end
of the long struggle for political freedom in England. in the year 1694
marry was died and William of orange also died in1702 and the second daughter
of James II, Anne became the queen. In the reign of Charles II the two great
political parties came out and will become well know among the whole England is
that 'Whig' and 'Tory' ; by the year1700 they were in everybody's mouth .
Religious situation in both ages :-
Religious Tolerance in Elizabethan age :-
The most important characteristic of the age was the comparative
religious tolerance, which was due largely to the queen's influence. After
became the queen of England Elizabethan found that the whole kingdom divided
again itself; the North was largely catholic, while the Southern countries were
largely protestant. Scotland had followed the Reformation in its own intense
way, while Ireland remained true to its old religious traditions, and both
countries were openly rebellious. Elizabeth favored both religious
parties, and presently the world saw with amazement Catholics and Protestants
acting together as trusted counselors of a great sovereign. The defeat of the
Spanish Armada established the Reformation as a fact in England, and at the
same time united all Englishmen in a magnificent national enthusiasm. In
nutshell we can say that succession of Elizabethan brought harmony and peace in
religion. Now all the questions was gone about religious tolerance and people
were free to write about religion. This chief event brought freedom of writing in
England and that's why gradually the great writer come on the stage.
The new morality in Neo-classical age :-
Like the age of Elizabethan there no so more religious
questions but in this period so many question about morality in work. The
immorality of the Restoration, which had been almost entirely a Court
phenomenon and was largely the reaction against extreme Puritanism, soon
spent itself. The natural process of time was hastened by opinion in high
quarters. William III was-a severe moralist, and Anne, his successor, was of
the same character. Thus we soon see a new tone in the writing of the
time. and n new attitude to life and morals. Addison, in an early number
of The Spectator, puts the new fashion in his own admirable way: "I
shall Endeavour to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with
morality." Another development of the same spirit is seen in the
revised opinion of women, who are treated with new respect and dignity.
Much coarseness is still to be felt, especially in satirical writing, in
which Swift, for instance, can be quite vile; but the general upward
tendency is undoubtedly there.
social condition of the age :-
social contentment in Elizabethan age :-
As we all know that the era of queen is the era of Renaissance in
England and that's why we have found so many social development. so many people
got employment and it's increasing wealth of England.at least, that for the
first time some systematic care for the needy was attempted. Parishes were made
responsible for their own poor, and the wealthy were taxed to support them or
give them employment. The increase of wealth, the improvement in living, the
opportunities for labor, the new social content—these also are factors which
help to account for the new literary activity.
social development in neo-classical age :-
in the first half portion of the 18th century, we also see the rapid
social development. this century is also known as the industrial development or
revolution. The great industrial revolution was started in this age and so many
needy people got employment and also brought the development in farms, so many
machines and new gadgets. In a single generation nearly two thousand
public coffeehouses, each a center of sociability, sprang up in London alone,
and the number of private clubs is quite as astonishing.[183] This new social
life had a marked effect in polishing men’s words and manners.
Literary development of the age :-
Development in Elizabethan age :-
Elizabethan age is the re- awaking age of dark age and development of so
many fields. In this same way there are three from of literature became popular
among the people and it is as under
1) Poetry
During this age the form of poetry developed by Edmund Spencer.
Especially his work 'Faery Queen'. The Faery Queen is the great work upon which
the poet’s fame chiefly rests. The original plan of the poem included
twenty-four books, each of which was to recount the adventure and triumph of a
knight who represented a moral virtue. Spenser’s purpose, as indicated in a
letter to Raleigh which introduces the poem. In this period there were other
poets who contributed in the poetry and is that Thomas Sackville, Sir Philip
Sidney , George Chapman and Michael Drayton.
2) Drama
The literary form, the drama was largely developed in Elizabethan
age. First the deed, then the story, then the play; that seems to be the
natural development of the drama in its simplest form. before the development of
drama and before the Marlowe, people just enjoy only play which was based on
life of Christ. this form only based on Gospel. Gradually drama was
developed and we can distinguished it in to three groups
I. The Religious period
in Europe , as in Greece the drama has religious origin.in this age
Miracle and Mystery plays were well known. In France the name miracle was
given to any play representing the lives of the saints, while the Mystere
represented scenes from the life of Christ or stories from the Old Testament
associated with the coming of Messiah.
II. The Moral period
The second or moral period of the drama is shown by the increasing
prevalence of the Morality plays. In these the characters were allegorical
personages,—Life, Death, Repentance, Goodness, Love, Greed, and other virtues
and vices.
III. The Artistic period
The artistic is the final stage in the development of the English drama.
It differs radically from the other two in that its chief purpose is not to
point a moral but to represent human life as it is.
In nutshell Marlowe , Shakespeare and ben Jonson are the great dramatist
of that particular era and his contribution brought a great revolution in
the field of drama. Not only this dramatis but also other dramatist like John
Webster, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Heywood contributed much.
3) Prose
Francis Bacon is one the remarkable figure in that era and his
contribution for essay was great. Besides the Bacon there was another writers,
historians, editors who were contributed in the development, and is that Sidney
and Raleigh, John Foxe, Camden and Knox, Hakluyt and Purchase.
Development in Neo-classical age :-
In this era prose writing was dominant, in this age we can't give
particular distinguish and that's why I have write down some important notes
about literary form/work of the age.
-Literary from of classical period is believed to have two purpose -To
instruct and To delight.
-The neo-classical gave importance to instruct.
-Before you delight, you have to teach people, the didactic purpose of
the literature is important
-They gave a lots of importance to form over than content.
-They gave important to use of heroic couplets as against blank verse
that was used in the age of Elizabethan.
-In the Elizabethan period, unrhymed iambic pentameter or blank verse
was predominant. The neoclassical like Dryden, Pope, Johnson, they used the
heroic couplet. They also gave importance to poetic diction. The language of
poetry is higher than the language of ordinary use or the language of prose.
-Restoration comedy was licentious and immortal. And in 1737, that is in
the 18th century , there was the Licensing Act that was passed by Robert
Walpole.
- Two famous clubs also immerge people with literary work is that
Kit-Kat club and Scriblerus club.
-The illustrious members of the Whig club, the Kit-Kat club, include
Horace Walpole himself, William Congreve, the writer of Restoration Comedy,
Addison, Steel, the prose , the prose writer etc.
-The important member of Scriblerus were Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope,
John Gay.
-And, at this time, there was a group of women, literary women, they
were called the Bluestocking Ladies. Samuel Richardson was also the good friend
of Sarah Fielding and some women writers were part of the circle and his
friendship with women writers, it is said , gave Samuel Richardson great
insight into female psychology which is seen in his novels like Pamela.
-like Samuel Richardson's circle, there was Dr. Johnson's circle.
-The first daily in England was THE DAILY COURANT, published in 1701.
very important are the periodicals like THE TATLER, stared by RICHARD STEELE.
-THE TATLER came trice in a week, from 1709 to1711. Followed by THE
SPECTATOR. It was published from 1711 to 1712, and later revived in 1714.
-There are also many other periodical like
RICHARD STEELE'S OWN GARDIAN,
DENIAL DEFOE'S REVIEW,
-THEN DR.JOHNSON'S RAMBLER AND GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE etc.
-The periodicals were the vehicles for the periodical essays. The
periodical essays provided some mild social criticism.
So in this shorts form i have been describe the development of the
literary form of neoclassical age.
conclusion
:-
To summing up the question we can say that both age has rapid change in
so many forms. Elizabethan age is the beginning of the Renaissance in the
English literature while neo-classical followed the rules and regulation, Both
ages are quite different from each other. The Elizabethan age represent the
freshness of each and every field while neoclassical followed the rules and
regulations.
Citation :
Albert, Edward. History of English Literatutre. Ed.
J.A. Stone. New Delhi, 1997.
Hudson, William Henry, Gray & his poetry, Norwood,
Pa.: Norwood Editions, 1977.
Long, William J. English Literature. Delhi: AITBS PUBLISHERS,INDIA,
2019.
Words : 2273
Character : 13,773
Paragraph : 93
Sentences : 85
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