The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century by Stephen Greenblatt started in 1660, the year King Charles II was reinstated to the English throne. According to Stephen Greenblatt, the revival took place between 1660 and 1785. The unification of England, Scotland, and Wales as one country, known as Great Britain, was one of its main characteristics. The 1707 merger was governed by the Act of merger. Increased commercial prosperity, international trade, a rise in literacy rates, and the emergence of new social ideologies were other features of the entire time. Any literary piece is categorized according to its characteristics. As a result, Greenblatt's writing primarily qualifies as neoclassical literature. The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century’ began in 1660 the year in which King Charles II was restored to the English throne. The period of the restoration took place between 1660 and 1785 as brought out by Stephen Greenblatt. Some of the key features of this era included the union of English, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain. The Act of Union guided the union passed in 1707. The whole period was also characterized by increased commercial prosperity, global trade, a rise in the literacy levels and emerging social ideas. Any literary work is classified based on its features. As such, the work by Greenblatt mainly fits as a neoclassical piece of literature.
The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century as Neoclassical Literature
Period
The English Neoclassical Movement took place between 1660 and 1798. The events described by Greenblatt in ‘The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century’ took place between 1660 and 1785 (Greenblatt, 2013). For instance, literary works record that one of the greatest changes that took place in the Island of Great Britain was the union into a single nation in 1707 (Greenblatt, 2013). During this period, Greenblatt records that the population in Britain nearly doubled and that dramatic changes in cities came up such as coffee houses, pleasure gardens, and shopping districts. All these changes that Greenblatt records are those that occurred during the neoclassicism movement which took place up to the 19th century.
Form
Neoclassicism literature took a formal method which is majorly a regular rhyme throughout the whole document. In his works, Greenblatt describes the activities that took place during the restoration in a sequential way. First, he explains how the monarchical restoration was accompanied by the re-opening of English theaters and how it was closed during the regime of Cromwell’s Puritan. He also explains how the church and the state were closely intertwined using the test act of 1673 that required the holders of civil and military to take the sacrament of the Anglican Church that governed their behavior in their public offices (Greenblatt, 2013). Greenblatt further explains the reign of King Charles II, how he conformed to Anglicanism outwardly yet still had sympathies to the Catholic Church. King Charles also had no legitimate heir and the works by Greenblatt explain in a formal all the events that took place during the restoration. As such, the format that Greenblatt adopts in his works is that of neoclassicism.
Topic
Neoclassicism subjects mainly focused on the proper study of humanity by looking at matters such as governance, great leaders, social issues and political concerns in a particular era. In the works by Greenblatt ‘The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century’ he focuses on the religious activities of the people during this time, their politics and governance and other social matters. For instance, he explains how the church was closely related to state issues as it governed the behavior of individuals who held public offices. He also talks about the reign of King Charles II, the governance of Queen Anne who took over after his father and continues to explain all the events that occurred up to the Georgian period.
In social matters, Greenblatt explains how the court of King Charles II ensured that the right of the social elite in England to pursue pleasure and libertinism (Greenblatt, 2013). At this time, women began to take female roles on stage. The acceptance of received religious beliefs was also regarded as dangerous during this restoration period (Greenblatt, 2013). Therefore, the works by Greenblatt can bring out the activities that took place in the lives of the individuals during the restoration and the eighteenth century as expected from the topic of the works.
Tone
In neoclassical literature, the authors were mainly calm and rational, and they avoided personal and spontaneous tones in their writing. Similarly, Greenblatt in his writing, he has used a smooth tone when explaining the events that took place during the restoration and the eighteenth century (Greenblatt, 2013). The restoration era had both exciting and challenging times for the citizens who lived in Britain at the time. For instance, during the reign of George II, most individuals longed for a new social order that would be based on liberty and radical reform. However, the reign also made Britain a super colonial power. Although King George II may have been unfair to some individuals during his long reign, the author can remain impartial throughout his narration.
Conclusion
The works by Greenblatt are distinguished as neoclassical other than romantic. First, the works were written during the period when neoclassicism movement was at its peak. The characteristics of the work also match those of the neoclassical movement as opposed to the romantic one. The works are formal as opposed to the informality employed by romantic authors. Greenblatt also uses a calm and rational tone and explains all the activities that describe the life of humanity during a particular period when bringing out the meaning on the topic of his literary work.
References
Greenblatt, S. (2013). The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
