9. Milton's Politics

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this final module, Diane explores how Milton perceived his own role in the English Civil War and its aftermath. In particular, it seems that he was baffled that, despite the Parliamentarians' victory in the Civil War, by 1660 there was a Stuart monarch on the throne called Charles who was married to a Roman Catholic. It was in the context of nothing seeming to have changed that Milton wrote 'Paradise Lost'. This module also includes a brief survey of the other works that Milton wrote which serve to cast light upon his thinking at this time.

Course

This course provides key historical context for John Milton's 'Paradise Lost', looking in particular at the figure of Charles I. The course is divided into nine parts. The first seven look at Charles' early years (1600-25), his early reign (1625-29), the period of Personal Rule (1629-40), his problems in Scotland (1639-40) and Ireland (1641), and the English Civil War (1642-51). The last two look at the impact of Charles' reign on Paradise Lost, as well as Milton's own politics in this period.

Lecturer

Diane Purkiss is a Professor at Keble College, Oxford. She has published two books on the English Civil War - 'The English Civil War: A People's History' (2006) and 'Literature, Gender, and Politics during the English Civil War' (2005).