blblblblblblb

From the Reinassance to the Modern Age

The Battle of Naseby was a major turning point, and after Cromwell’s death, the monarchy was restored. At the same time, Europe experienced the Scientific Revolution, which changed how people understood the world and introduced the scientific method.

The period between Charles I’s reign and the Restoration is one of the most important in English history. It saw a civil war between the king and Parliament, the rise of Oliver Cromwell, and the execution of the king. The Puritans played a key role in this time, influencing both politics and the military.

Introduction

Charles I became king in 1625, and from the beginning of his reign, he struggled with the Parliament. He believed in the divine right of kings, meaning he thought that he had the right to rule without Parliament’s approval. This created tension between him and the Parliament, especially when Charles tried to raise taxes without Parliament’s consent.

And the causes of the civil war

Charles I

In 1642, after failed negotiations and increasing distrust, Charles attempted to arrest five leading members of Parliament. This led to open conflict between the king and Parliament, marking the beginning of the English Civil War.

One of Charles’ major mistakes was trying to force the Book of Common Prayer on Scotland in 1637, leading to rebellion. This forced him to recall Parliament in 1640 because he needed money to fight the Scots. However, Parliament refused to grant Charles funds unless he agreed to limit his power, and the disagreements between Charles and Parliament grew worse.

Many of them held important roles in government and the military during the English Civil War. Some of the key figures who were Puritans included Oliver Cromwell, who led the Parliamentarian forces, Sir Thomas Fairfax, a military leader, and John Pym, who was a politician who played a major role in the opposition against Charles I.

The Puritans were a religious group that wanted to purify the Church of England. They believed in strict moral behavior, simplicity, and hard work.

The Puritans

At first, the war was indecisive, with each side winning some battles. However, Parliament had greater resources, including control of major cities like London, and their forces gradually grew stronger. The Royalists, or Cavaliers, supported the king, while the Roundheads, made up of Parliament’s supporters, wanted to limit the power of the monarchy. This division would lead to several years of brutal fighting across England.

The English Civil War

The English Civil War began in 1642 when both King Charles I and Parliament started raising armies. The country became divided, with many in the north and west supporting the king, while most in the south and east backed Parliament.

The English Civil War

Oliver Cromwell was a relatively unknown figure at the start of the civil war, but he quickly became one of its most important leaders. Born into a moderately wealthy family, Cromwell was a passionate Puritan and a dedicated member of Parliament. When the civil war began, he joined the fight for Parliament, and his military skill soon became apparent. Cromwell played a major role in forming the New Model Army in 1645, which became a professional and disciplined force. He led his own cavalry unit, known as the Ironsides, which was crucial in winning many battles for Parliament.

Oliver Cromwell's rise to power

Cromwell’s leadership and military successes made him a central figure in the Parliamentarian cause. He was instrumental in defeating the king’s forces at key battles, particularly the Battle of Naseby.

Oliver Cromwell's rise to power

The Battle of Naseby, fought on June 14, 1645, was the most important battle of the English Civil War. It marked the turning point that led to the defeat of Charles I’s army. By this time, the king’s forces were weakening, while Parliament’s New Model Army, led by Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax, had become stronger and more organized.

The Battle of Naseby

Oliver Cromwell ruled England as Lord Protector from 1653 until his death in 1658. His time in power was marked by strict Puritan rule and military campaigns, especially in Ireland and Scotland. After Cromwell died, his son, Richard Cromwell, tried to take over, but he was not a strong leader. England quickly fell into political chaos, and many people wanted a return to the monarchy.

Death of Cromwell

Charles II brought back many of the traditions and entertainments that had been banned under Puritan rule, such as theaters and public celebrations. Although the monarchy was restored, Charles II had learned from the past and worked closely with Parliament to avoid further conflict.

In 1660, Parliament invited Charles II, the son of Charles I, to return to England and restore the monarchy. This event is known as the Restoration.

The Restoration

While England was experiencing political upheaval, Europe was undergoing a major intellectual transformation known as the Scientific Revolution. This period saw the rise of modern science and a new way of thinking about the world.

The Scientific Revolution

Bacon's ideas laid the groundwork for modern scientific research, emphasizing empirical evidence, hypotheses, and mathematics to form universal laws. Institutionalized Science. The Scientific Revolution also saw the creation of dedicated research institutions.

The scientific revolution

Originated in Europe, introduced a new approach to knowledge acquisition through the scientific method, employing new technologies like the telescope for observation and measurement. Pinpointing the exact dates of the Scientific Revolution is challenging, as it was a gradual series of discoveries and attitude changes rather than a single event. Historians generally agree that the 16th and 17th centuries cover most relevant events and discoveries. The Scientific Method A hallmark of this period was a new way of acquiring and testing knowledge.

The reaction

The scientific revolution

The Scientific Revolution faced skepticism: Some doubted the reliability of new instruments and experiments, believing the senses could be misleading. Religious resistance also was present, with some viewing the new scientific exploration as invadent on divine territory. The Scientific Revolution marked a profound shift in knowledge acquisition, laying the foundation for modern science. Despite initial resistance, the revolution integrated new technologies and methodologies, transforming our understanding of the natural world and improving human life.

Metaphysical poetry, coined by Samuel Johnson, is known for its intellectual depth, unusual imagery, paradoxes, and complex thoughts. It features a group of 17th-century British poets like John Donne and Andrew Marvell, who explored deep philosophical questions with wit and elaborate style. These poems often mix ordinary speech with paradoxes and puns, resulting in strange comparisons called conceits. Themes include religious sentiment, carpe diem, and the interplay between rational argument and intuition. Metaphysical poetry is highly inventive, using dramatic expressions and literary devices to challenge traditional ideas and provoke thought.

Metaphysical poetry

John Donne, born in 1572 in London to a Roman Catholic family during Protestant Queen Elizabeth I's reign, faced significant religious challenges. He began his education at 12 at Oxford and likely continued at Cambridge but couldn't graduate due to his faith. After studying law and traveling through Europe, Donne joined military expeditions and later married Anne More secretly, resulting in his imprisonment. His works, including love poems and religious sonnets, explore profound themes, leaving a lasting legacy in English literature.

John Donne

"Death, not be proud" is a sonnet, blending elements of both Petrarchan and English sonnet forms. The poem is structured into two main sections: the octave and the sestet. Typically, the octave presents an argument or a premise, while the sestet responds, a transition marked by a subtle volta or turn in line 9. The rhyme scheme shifts from ABBA ABBA in the octave to CDDC in the sestet, signaling this change.

Death, Not Be Proud

The speaker is talking to death, who is personified here. Death is treated as a human, capable of pride, which is the most serious of the seven deadly sins. Also the speaker introduces the immunity and says he cannot be killed either. Death is treated shamefully and it has no real power over humanity because the body might perish, but it’s not the end.

Death, Not be proud

John Donne's "Go and catch a falling star", first published in 1633, is a fantastical take on a traditional (and misogynistic) theme: women's inevitable infidelity. In the poem, a speaker tells a listener that finding a faithful women is as unlikely as finding a mermaid or meeting the Devil. The poem’s rhyme scheme make’s clear the hyperbole which gives a satirical and light-hearted tone.

Song And Sonnet

The speaker cynically explores the theme of women’s infidelity, a common, misogynistic trope of the era. Through vivid, fantastical imagery, he insists that finding a faithful woman is as impossible as performing magical or mythical tasks such as hearing mermaids sing or impregnating a mandrake root. These impossible feats serve as metaphors for the unattainability of female fidelity, reinforcing the speaker's belief that no woman can be both "true and fair".

Women's Infidelity

Metaphor and imaginery

The use of metaphors and imagery illustrates the theme of infidelity. The speaker's quest for unattainable goals, like catching a falling star, symbolizes the elusive nature of fidelity in relationships. By likening love to impossible tasks, such as finding an honest woman, Donne underscores the difficulties of maintaining loyalty. Irony is essential to portrait the speaker’s disillusionment with love and fidelity.

Poetic devices unveiled

John Milton

John Milton, 1608–1674, was an influential poet of England and was mainly known for his epic work Paradise Lost. During the English Civil War, Milton supported the Puritans and issued pamphlets for free speech, the right of divorce, and justifying the overthrow of monarchy. He became blind by 1651 but continued his writing with assistants. Milton's most famous work, Paradise Lost, which was written in 1667, is an epic poem about Satan's uprising against God and the loss by Adam and Eve of the Garden of Eden. This great creation is considered one of the most significant works of English literature.

Life

John Milton

Adam and eve

Satan

Paradise lost is an epic poem divided into books, something like chapters. It is the story of Adam and Eve, but Satan is the main character in it. The poem is written in iambic pentameter and has more than 10,000 lines. By this time in his life, Milton was already blind. He thus dedicated the work to different scribes. This poem fleshes out this story and imagines the couple’s reactions to the events that led to them being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

introduction

Paradise lost

Satan's character

Summary

Satan's speech in "Paradise Lost" explores Satan's character and many other themes of the poem. The most remembered speech comes right after Satan has been cast down into Hell along with the fallen angels. In this, Satan expresses his defiance and ambition, saying, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." It shows his determination of his actions in keeping up the sense of power and autonomy, even in defeat.

Satan speech

MANDRAKE ROOT💀💀💀

FRANCIS

Thanks for the attention

Paradise lost: Adam and Eve

This poem keeps in purview mankind's most conspicuous disloyalties: "disobedience, free will, and redemption". It opens with a prologue invoking the muse Urania, Blending together the classical and Christian traditions. "Man's First Disobedience" is Milton's main theme, which comprehends not only Adam and Eva's fall, but also all of humanity's immorality.

Paradise lost: Satan

The narration is in medias res. The story starts with Satan and his fallen angels defeated and cast into Hell by God. Satan is a complex and aspiring character who is determined to continue his struggle against God. He declared that it's Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. Satan is presented as a tragic hero, which highlights his self-confidence and determination, despite the uselessness in his struggles.It is structured in blank verse and includes a catalog of demons, which is a parody of the epic conventions. He discusses the consequences of rebellion and the nature of divine justice. His intention is to "justify the ways of God to men." The poem reflects Milton's Puritan ideals and his belief in the power of the human mind to shape one's perception of reality, suggesting that hell and heaven are states of mind rather than mere physical locations

Love and Cynicism

The poem delves into contrasting themes of love and cynicism. The poem’s message is directed towards a love’s pessimistic way. Donne’s portrayal of love reflects a deeper skepticism towards the sincerity of romantic connections. The speaker’s cynicism towards love shows the complexities of human emotions and relationships.

At Naseby, Cromwell’s cavalry, the Ironsides, played a key role in defeating the Royalist army. Although the Royalists initially had some success, Cromwell’s forces launched a powerful counterattack, which destroyed much of the king’s army. Thousands of Royalists were killed or captured, and the Parliamentarians seized the king’s personal letters, revealing his plans to seek foreign aid. This defeat was a disaster for Charles I, and it effectively ended his ability to continue the war.

Another important figure was Francis Bacon, an English philosopher who is considered one of the founders of the scientific method. Bacon believed that knowledge should be based on careful observation and experimentation, rather than relying on ancient texts or religious teachings. His method of gathering evidence through experimentation laid the foundation for modern scientific inquiry.

Key components of the scientific method included:

• Conducting practical experiments without bias.
• Using deductive reasoning to form hypotheses tested by experiments.
• Conducting multiple experiments across different locations by various individuals to confirm results' reliability.
• Open and critical peer review of experimental results.
• Formulating universal laws using inductive reasoning and mathematics.
• Aiming for practical benefits from scientific experiments and believing in scientific progress.

Satan's speech portrays him as a character that embodies a lot of traits, such as: pride, ambition and stubbornness. Despite his fall, he's still a great leader that inspires others. Through this speech, the theme of free will really comes into play; Satan chooses to embrace his state of a rebel rather than defeat. This therefore reflects Milton's considerations of human actions and the consequences of disobedience.

Satan's speech

Satan's character

Satan's speech

Satan insists that he will never be obedient to God; he would rather rule in Hell than stand and serve in Heaven. It highlights his pride and ambition. He attempts to inspire his other fallen angels, urging them to accept the new reality and to engage themselves in further combat against God. He insists that their condition is an opportunity for rebellion against god. Satan suggests that Hell, with enough time, can become their paradise.

Summary

From 1629 to 1640, he ruled without calling the Parliament a single time, in what is known as the Personal Rule. During this time, Charles made unpopular decisions, including religious changes that upset many Protestants, particularly the Puritans.

Then, the author talks about the Sleep and rest rule which are only pleasures. He says that death is this but with added extra, so Death is an integral part of afterlife. The Sonnet’s last part explain that Death is a slave to fate, meaning that Death has no authority and no control and is existence is correlated to war, sickness, government machinery of law and justice and random accidents. There are some examples of Rhetorical features clear in the sonnet: Alliteration: “For those whom thou think'st...much more must flow...thou then?...we wake...Death, thou shalt die”. Assonance: “thou think'st thou...much more must...bones, and soul's...slave to fate...desperate men…”. Caesura: “One short sleep past, we wake eternally”.

These academies fostered international cooperation, standardizing experiments and instruments across borders. Scientists, regardless of national rivalry, shared their discoveries through journals, books, and public demonstrations.

One of the key figures of this time was Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer and physicist. Galileo made groundbreaking discoveries using a telescope, including the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, which supported the idea that the Earth revolved around the sun. His ideas challenged the traditional view that the Earth was the center of the universe, and he was famously tried by the Catholic Church for his beliefs.

The speaker addresses Death directly, personifying it as a prideful entity that needs to be humbled. Death, often feared, is diminished by being likened to sleep and rest—experiences associated with comfort rather than fear. The speaker suggests that death is merely a short rest before the eternal afterlife, stripping it of its perceived power and finality.Moreover, the speaker argues that Death is not a master, but a servant—a "slave" to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, showing how it operates under external control. Death is also tied to negative elements like poison, war, and sickness. These associations undermine Death’s supposed grandeur and reveal it as a mere transitional state rather than an end. The poem concludes with a couplet, reinforcing the theme of death’s impotence. The couplet asserts that after death, there is an eternal awakening, thus rendering death powerless in the grand scheme of life and the afterlife. The speaker’s bold claim that "Death, thou shalt die" encapsulates the ultimate defeat of death through eternal life, a concept that challenges its authority and finality.

Summary

The speaker gives a list of impossible tasks, such as catching a falling star or hearing mermaids sing, to illustrate the futility of searching for such a woman. Even if someone were able to embark on a long, magical quest and see many wondrous things, they would still never find a woman who is faithful and beautiful. In the end, the speaker concludes that even if such a woman existed, by the time he met her, she would have already been unfaithful.

John Milton

He was a student at Cambridge and studied to become a priest. However, he abandoned his dreams and he started pursuing poetry. Milton was highly educated and fluent in several languages and showed profound knowledge in a wide range of fields such as religion, politics, and literature.