RESTORATION RESEARCH BLOG

RESTORATION - research blog 
 

The double dealer is based in the 17th century, that is a key section of history due to the change of society and the out brake of theatre and pubs and partying was bought back after years of being told that everything was banned and not being allowed to do anything. so after the king had changed everyone went wild with partying and socialising and drinking so the whole behaviour of society changed.

The english civil war happened during the years off 1642 till 1652, so a few years before The Double Dealer however this doesn't mean that William Congreve didn't get influence by the actions that had just happened with politic. The English civil war was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations parliamentarians known as the roundheads and the royalists known as the cavaliers, the war was over principally manner of the government. The first Civil war was during the 1642 to 46 then lead to the second civil war that happened two years after the first, so it took place in 1648 till 49. Those wars pitted the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the 3rd civil war 1649 to 1651 was saw fighting between supports of king Charlers II and supporters of the Rump parliament.

The Civil war ended with the Parliamentarian having victory at the battle of Worcester on the 3rd of September 1651. This lead to an overall outcome of the war was threefold; the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son Charles II; and the replacement of english monarchy with, at first the commonwealth of England. Then the Protectorate that happened in 1653-59 under Oliver Cromwell’s personal rule this is were the Interregnum took place. 

The Interregnum of England, Scotland and Ireland first started with execution of Charles I in january 1644 (september 1651 for Scotland) lead to decisively need in July 1660, where son Charles II  was restored yo the throne of 3 realms but however his didn't acclaimed king of Scotland till 1650. in the 16th and 17th century. During the 16th and 17th centuries there was an enlist group called the Puritans that was including but not limited to English Calvinists. The group was founded by john Calvin from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558. In modern language the word ‘puritan’ is used to mean ‘against pleasure’.  The word when used historically, is pejoratively to characterise the group as extremists, similar to the cathars of France.

However as years pasted by the term Puritan, never did formally defined sect or religious division within Protestantism, it was used rarely t describe people after the turn of the 18th century. On the other hand Puritan ideals either became incorporated into the church of England, such as the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism; which fell out favour such as the beliefs in demonic possession. this then went on to be absorbed into many Protestant sect that emerged in the late 17th and 18th centuries in Americans and Britain’s.

while during the time that the Puritan mail took action during the 17the century; Oliver Cromwell who was born in 25th april 1599 and passed away in 1658 3rd september, done his fair shears in office, as becoming part of the cambridge Parliament 1640 till 1644 that precede by council of stat. However before working with the Cambridge parliament he worked for Huntingdon in 1629 to 1629, as you can see there is a 11 years gap which lead some people questions his work when moved to Cambridge Parliament.

However Oliver Cromwell was known as working as Lord Protector, Protectorate was a period during the commonwealth under family dictatorship. Even though Oliver Cromwell worked as from1653 till 1658 (his death bed), it didn't take long for his brother  Richard Cromwell to take over in 1658 till 1659. he worked with the upper house Parliament during that year but however worked lower house, house common from 1654 to 1656.

Charles II was born on the 29th 1630 of May, passed away on the 16th of February 1685. A few years before William Congreve wrote the double dealer. Charles II , father is the Charles I and mother of Henriette Maria of France. He reign from May 29th 1660 till february 1685 then king of Scotland January 1649 till September 1651, the predecessor was Charles I. He was only 12 when the Civil war began and two years later was appointed nominal commander in chief in west an England. However with the victory going to parliament, he was forced into exile on the continent. he was in the Netherlands he also learnt of his father execution.

Then 1650 charles did a deal with Scotland and was proclaimed King. Then with a Scottish army he invaded England however was defeated by Cromwell at the battle of Worcester in 1651. Then again escaped into exile and this time wasn't till 1660 when he was invited back to England to reclaim his throne. Then even though those had signed Charles I’s death warrant were punished, the new king pursued a policy of political tolerance and power-sharing. Hid desire for religious toleration, due to the large part to his own leaning towards Catholicism, were to prove more contentious. so he made a umber of attempts to formalise toleration of Catholics and non-conformists but was forced to back down in the face of strongly hostile parliament.

Charles II was knowing for liking to party; therefore he reopened all the Theatre , the man two that was only funded by the king was 

The restoration of the english monarchy began in 1660 when the English and Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored by Charles II. The term Restoration is used two describe both actual; event by which the monarchy was restored. The period of several years after which a new political settlement was established. However we know restoration as drama as it reflect a lot of the politics  and the event that happened around that timing.

So after the Restoration saw the emergence of the first professional actress and playwrights. some people believe that women went on stage straight as women however years before women would disguised themselves as mean so that they would reveal their ankles and leg in mean clothing ( as we know that was shamed on in the 17th century). This was quickly proved very popular in Restoration drama. 

However the first women to appear on the professional stage in England is generally considered to be Margaret Hughes who performed at the veer street theatre in 1660 in a production of Othello. many young girl of the time was inspired by her act to stage, others though it a it was joke. However as it became more well known Davenat employed eight actress to perform wit his company shortly after Margaret Hughes. 

Other well known actresses include Elizabeth Barry who was known as the queen of tragedy she was one of the few actress that was trained for the stage by the notorious womaniser, the first Earl of Rochester he also loved her, they then became lovers. When the most infamous actress of the 17the century was Nell Gwyn, that was painted nude for Charles II and bore two children.

Picture of Margaret Hughes.  

Picture of Nelly Gwyn.

There was also well known actress such as Susanna Mountfort, she was the daughter of Thomas Percival who was a minor actor in the Duke’s Company. However Susanna Mountfort made her debut in 1681 with the Key’s Company. This offered her great opportunities for such a young actress. she became more of an outstanding comedienne.

So after women took to the stage the restoration period also saw women become recognised as professional playwrights, the most famous of those were Aphra Behn. This was a group of woman that wrote plays that also took part on stage; the type of women this group include people such Susannah Centlivre who wrote 19 plays one Included ‘A Bold Stroke For a wife ‘.

 This doesn't mean that mean didn't take over, William Congreve that was well known during 1693 (The double dealer was written) then till 1700, he spent his childhood in ireland, where his father  has settled during therein of Charles II. His education was at kilkenny college where he met Jonathan they stayed friends for the rest of etches life and helped with each others work; however when originally moved to London wasn't for drama it was to study to law but felt more towards drama.The type of play he wrote were high-brow sexual comedy the double dealer is a great example of this, as this was during restoration period.

There other play writes like William Congreve such as Sir George Etherege that was an english dramatist he wrote play like Comical Revenge or, Love in a Tub in 1664.

When Charles II went  ahead and restored to the throne and then the theatre companies were quick to provide the public performances again, initially in converted tennis courts. However this freedom was short lived and Charles II soon reorganised the Theatre. He done this by creating a monopoly through royal patent. 

The licensed only allowed two companies to produce theatre in London, these theatres were Lincoln’s Inn Field and Drury lane became known as the ‘pstent theatres” and were managed by two well known doctors that made people want to go and watch shows and want to become actors. Those directors were Thomas killigrew and William Davenant.

Charles really like the idea of entertainment such a drama and opera as he had seen quite a lot while being in exile in France. Therefore he encourage killigrew and Davenant to introduce women on stage that Killigrew did by add Margaret Hughes to the stage. The type of work that patent put on were tragedies, comedies, plays, opera and musical theatre.

This is an huge impact to drama as it bough it back a lot earlier then that it would have been so all actress should be grateful to Charles the II to the history that we have in drama.   

Those picture are some example that theatre use to look like.

Theatre is not what its like today were people watch and get involved , theatre was more about the involvement back in the 17th century, this was be the audience point at the higher class a laughing and people talking over the actors; as people went to socialise and audience would throat fruit and vegetable at the actress. 

There is evidence saying that all those event happened due to some man called Samuel Pepys, who was an Englishman that was member of parliament who is mow most famous for the Diary that he kept far decade while still relatively. This is because it is one of few document left describing the event that happened in the 17th century. 

The event that his diary mention is the great fire of London and how much was left in London after the fire and what was destroyed this is key to history as it tells us what happened word to word the disadvantage is that its only one persons words that we are really following. Other even that is key in the diary is the great plague of London Samuel describes each day as it goes part this really help give an insight in to how people felt. 

However he relates back restoration as he documented on Thomas Killigrew plays and this event  to the whole history of restoration. 

Picture of Samuel Pepys -  

During the 17th and 18th century there were a few poets that played a big part of theatre and history as they relayed history with in their poems. One those key people were Jonathan Swift was born november 1667 and passed in october 1745, was an anglo-irish satirist and political pamphleteer then of course poetry and cleric that became Dean of St patrick’s Cathedral of Dublin. However remembered for work such as Gulliver’s Travels ext…. 

Jonathan Swift was regarded by the Encyclopeadia Britannica as a foremost proses satirist in the english language however around the time he was less known for his poetry as he originally published all of the work he done under pseudonyms if not he would publish it anonymously.

another well known play write was John Wilmott, 2nd earl of rochester. John was an english poet and courtier of Charles II’s Restoration court. The restoration was reacted against the ‘spiritual authoritarianism” of the puritan ( puritan id discussed above). however was well known for his wild life style with his poetry. those were often inerlinked with each other. his poetry reflect upon the day  on the 17th century.

The picture is of John Willmott - the long sleeves show his wealth ————->