Puritan Age

 PURITAN AGE (1600-1660)

A.

1. The 17th C up to 1660 was dominated by the Puritanism.

2. This age is also called as the Puritan Age or The Age of Milton.

3. Milton was one of the noblest representatives of the Puritan spirit.

4. The Puritan age is also considered as the Second Rennaisouce movement.

5. This age was marked by the rebirth –

1. of the moral rebirth of man

2. This was followed by the intellectual awaking of Europe.

3. The Puritan movement stood for the liberty of the people from the shackles of the despotic ruler.

4. This movement was for the introduction of moral and high ideals in politics.

6. Thus this movement had two objects–

1. Personal righteousness and

2. Civil and religious liberty 

7. In other words, it aimed at making men honest and free.

B

1. With the beginning of the restoration period, the Puritan age was looked down as–

1. Narrow–minded

2. Gloomy

3. One against all amusement and recreation.

2. But this was not so. They were also profoundly religious they did not form any separate religions seat. They were real champions of liberty. They stood for toleration. 

3.      The name is Puritan Age was given to those who advocated certain changes in the form of worship of the reformed English church under Elizabeth.

4.  King Charles and some of the counsellors and clergymen the under the leadership of Bishop Laud opposed this idea.

5.    Very soon the Puritan movement became a national movement against the tyranny of the king for the liberty of the people.

6. But then the extremists among the Puritans were fanatic and stern. This made the milder ones also hard and narrow.

7. Charles 1 was defeated and beheaded in 1649.                  

8. Puritanism won with the establishment of the commonwealth under Cromwell.

1. with the stern laws were passed,

2. simple amusement was banned, 

3. Austere standard of amusement was compelled on the people.    

9. On the one side-

1. Puritans restricted simple pleasure

2.  On the other side, Puritans gave liberty from the tyranny 

      of the rulers.  

3.    They made the life of the people base and their property  

        also.               

10. The literature of the Puritan Age has the same confusion as we 

     find in religion and politics.

11. The medieval standard of chivalry, and the love and romance of 

     Spenser and Sydney have disappeared.

12. There was no literature standard.

13.   Imitations of the older poets replaced the Elizabeth writers.

14. But this age gave us one master –John Milton.         

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