What do
you understand by the term Restoration? Account for the reasons behind the
social changes brought about by this movement.
The term
‘Restoration’, in English history, refers to the reestablishment of the
monarchy on the accession (1660) of Charles II after the collapse of the
Commonwealth and the Protectorate. The term is often used to refer to the
entire period from 1660 to the fall of James II in 1688, and in English
literature the Restoration period (often called the age of Dryden) is commonly
viewed as extending from 1660 to the death of John Dryden in 1700. The
Restoration period was marked by an advance in colonization and overseas trade,
by the Dutch Wars, by the great plague (1665) and the great fire of London
(1666), by the birth of the Whig and Tory parties, and by the Popish Plot and
other manifestations of anti-Catholicism. In literature perhaps the most
outstanding result of the Restoration was the reopening of the theaters, which
had been closed since 1642, and a consequent great revival of the drama. The
drama of the period was marked by brilliance of wit and by licentiousness,
which may have been a reflection of the freeness of court manners. The last and
greatest works of John Milton fall within the period but are not typical of it;
the same is true of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1678). The age is
vividly brought to life in the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, and in
poetry the Restoration is distinguished by the work of John Dryden and a number
of other poets.
This
period was the land mark in European history, when there were so many ups and
downs it has created another sort of phenomenon related social order and
politic structure. King Charles II had spent quite a size of years in France
where he accumulated many experiences which he later promoted in Great Britain.
“Charles II returns from his French exile; returning Royalists brought back an
admiration and influence of French philosophy, literature, literary criticism
and social behavior, new poetic style etc” Robert Burns had remembered the
importance of France in this age.
