Page 21 - FEN1(2)C01 LITERATURES IN ENGLISH PAPER I: From Chaucer to the Present

Jacobean Era and its Political and Literary Characteristics.
(Grim humour, moral corruption, violence, counter-
reformation)
Prescribed Texts: John Donne, Sun Rising. John Webster The
Duchess of Malfi - Act IV

Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish
history that coincides with the reign of King James I
(1603– 1625) of England, who was also James VI of
Scotland. The Jacobeans had a particular style of
architecture, visual arts, decorative arts, and literature
predominant of that period. The word "Jacobean" is
derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, which is the
original (and Graeco-Latin) form of the English name
James. While Shakespeare was still writing during this
period, he was no longer the lead playwright, giving way
to a whole new generation of playwrights. The Jacobean
plays, however were not full of the same romantic love as
Shakespeare's plays but instead were grim satires of
contemporary society and contained a great deal of
realism. Jacobean plays were particularly violent, cynical,
pessimistic, and frequently dealt with the theme of
society's moral corruption.