POWER AND VIRTUE IN ELKANAH SETTLE’S IBRAHIM
Throughout the Medieval and Renaissance periods, British literary works concerned with the Orient served to underpin negative opinions about the people, and particularly the rulers, of the region. One might have expected the significant social, political and religious changes that were brought about by the Civil Wars and the Enlightenment to have altered that trend. However, uncomplimentary aspects of Middle Eastern life, as it was understood by Western writers, continued to circulate during the Restoration and eighteenth century. One writer stands out among the playwrights and authors of the period. In contrast to his contemporaries, Elkanah Settle extends the impact of the prevailing positive atmosphere beyond the shores of Britain and projects it into the Orient. In his play Ibrahim, Settle presents an Oriental ruler who shows true merit in his character, rather than the usual despotic and dictatorial traits adhered to in other plays of the genre. The ruler, Solyman, possesses a level of virtue which makes his family members and his subjects alike admire him and even allows them to criticize, and even rebuke him, when he deviates from the path of honor and virtue. Solyman has wisdom enough to seek advice, accept criticism, admit his weakness and try to redress the injuries he has caused to others by his recklessness. These are rare abilities among the rulers portrayed in Oriental plays of the period. The aim of this article is, therefore, to affirm how Settle, as a writer of a particular genre at a particular point in history, differs greatly from his contemporaries, apparently showing a much more positive face to life in the Orient
Libertines and Radicals in Early Modern London: Sexuality, Politics and Literary Culture, 1630-1685
List of illustrations Preface List of abbreviations and frequently cited works 1. Pornographia and the markings of prostitution: an introduction 2. Ceremonies of abjection: sex, politics and the disorderly subculture 3. 'The posture of a free state': political pornography and the 'commonwealth of women', 1640-1660 4. The wandering whore's return: the carnivalization of sexuality in the early Restoration 5. Monstrous assemblies: bawdy-house riots, 'libertine libels' and the royal mistress 6. 'Making yourself a beast': upper-class riot and inversionary wit in the age of Rochester Epilogue: 'In Bathsheba's Embraces old': pornographia rediviva at the close of Charles II's reign Notes Index.
Science and Society in Restoration England
Book synopsis: Although much has been written on the intellectual achievements of the age of Newton, Boyle and Hooke, this book provided the first systematic assessment of the social relations of Restoration science when it was published in 1981. On the basis of a detailed analysis of the early history of the Royal Society, Professor Hunter examines the key issues concerning the role of science in late seventeenth-century England. The nature of the scientific community, the links between science and technology and science's political affiliations are all explored, while much light is cast on contemporary priorities in religion and learning through a reconsideration of attacks on science. At once wide-ranging and authoritative, this remains a work that no one concerned with science and its social integration in this formative period can afford to ignore.