Charles II and puritan age

Materie:	Appunti
Categoria:	Inglese
Download:	419
Data:	21.11.2005
Numero di pagine:	2
Formato di file:	.doc (Microsoft Word)

CHARLES II AND THE RESTORATION

The return of Charles II from exile remarked the beginning of Restoration: infact king, parliament, bishop and nobles were retored to their former position. The Restoration was a period of abuot 40 years and all the people was eager to break with the past.
The puritan way of life was very sober and strict, in this period it was replaced by licentiousness and immmorality.
An habit widespread among the nobles was the one of wearing masks and disguise, wich the ladies used to hide their faces and often their real feelings.
The marriage was seen as the quickest way to acquiring and increasing money and power; so, marriage become more and more frequently and love and feeling were disgarded.
The royal society was the name given by Charles II to the first scientific society of great britain. It fosterded the developement of experimental science. The spread of new scientific methods led to a more rational way of looking at life. Its foudation contributed to the improvement of English prose, that became more simple and accurate.
In this period the education make a progress, infact sunday school were opened and the rudimentary elements of education were thaugh to more and more people.
The Restoration Drama was a form of entertaiment only for aristocraticy and prosperuos middle class, and so the gap between the lower and upper class become more strong.

SOCIETY DURING THE PURITAN AGE

PURITANS: (Calvanist teaching) they advocated return to simplicity and a moral life. No ritual (cerimonies, vestments, music, procession). They were against amusement. (They close theatres, against dancing, horse-riding ,gambling, drinking).
They lived for work and success in work was a sign of God.Poverty was considered almost a crime.
They dressed in black in a very simple way.
Frugal meals.
They wore short hair (Round Heads)
In the Puritan family the father was the absolute head (tasks:reading the Bible,saying the prayers)wife and children were expected to give him absolute obbediance.
They believed in Predestination:all men were born sinners and were damned.Only God’s grace can save man which they had to obtain working hard.