7. The English Civil War

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, Diane explores how Charles attempted to restore his authority by having key opponents in the Commons arrested. With the Five Members (as they came to known) already having escaped, Charles decided to flee London, setting up the Oxford Parliament to replace the Parliament which he had left in Westminster. Over the following months, cities and towns across the country declared their support either for Charles or for Parliament, and not long after that fighting broke out between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians. The war was bloody and brutal, and had a profound impact on Milton when he came to write 'Paradise Lost'.

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).