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British Library: Discovering Literature: Philip Pullman's Introduction to Paradise Lost
Philip Pullman first read Paradise Lost as a schoolboy and was dazzled by the sound of its poetry as he and his classmates read it aloud. Since then, he has become fascinated by Milton's tremendous powers of storytelling, and how he...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Oroonoko: Historical and Political Contexts
As a young woman, Aphra Behn was a spy for Charles II's government in Antwerp and probably in South America. Two decades later, she used these experiences to write Oroonoko, the story of a prince kidnapped from West Africa, enslaved, and...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Newspapers, Gossip, and Coffee House Culture
This article explains how the coffee-house came to occupy a central place in 17th and 18th-century English culture and commerce, offering an alternative to rowdy pubs and more formal places of business and politics.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Neoclassicism
Writers and craftsmen including Alexander Pope, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift, and Josiah Wedgwood found inspiration in the classical period. This article explores how their works adopted the style, genres, aesthetic values, and subjects...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Letters, Letter Writing and Epistolary Novels
This article explores the real and fictional letters published in the 18th century, from the correspondence of Alexander Pope and Ignatius Sancho to Samuel Richardson's hugely popular epistolary novel "Pamela" and the works it inspired.
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British Library: Teaching Resources: Aphra Behn, the Rover: Carnival
These activities allow students to explore how Aphra Behn uses character types and tropes associated with carnival in "The Rover". Students can relate this to the play's context of production, and comic theories relating to the...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Collection Items
Discover a wealth of original sources from the Restoration and 18th century period, including literary manuscripts, letters, first editions, playbills, maps, and prints.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: African Writers and Black Thought in 18th Century Britain
This article describes how four writers, taken from Africa as children and sold into slavery, grew up to write works that challenged British ideas about race, called for African brotherhood, and demanded the abolition of the slave trade.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery in Britain
Towards the end of the 18th century, a movement emerged calling for an end to the slave trade and, later, slavery itself. This article traces the road to abolition from the 1780s to the 1830s, highlighting the impacts of grass-root...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to the Beggar's Opera
"The Beggar's Opera" was an instant hit and became the most performed play of the 18th century. This article explores the elements that made up John Gay's work, from its popular tunes and dances to its satirical targets and depiction of...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to "She Stoops to Conquer"
Oliver Goldsmith published several critiques of audiences and playwrights before writing a laughing comedy that was the triumph of its season and that continues to be performed today. This article introduces "She Stoops to Conquer",...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to Robinson Crusoe
Playwright Stephen Sharkey describes his own first encounter with Robinson Crusoe and examines how the novel was shaped by Daniel Defoe's religious dissent, imperialist beliefs, and fascination with money.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to Restoration Comedy
This article introduces the characters, conventions, and historical context of Restoration comedy, and explores what the genre has to say about gender, courtship, and class.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded
"Pamela", or "Virtue Rewarded" evolved from a collection of model letters into a bestselling novel. This article introduces Samuel Richardson's work and its exploration of gender, class, sexual harassment, and marriage.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to Gulliver's Travels
Jonathan Swift initially did his best to conceal the fact that he was the author of Gulliver's Travels. This article explores how Swift constructed the work to operate as an elaborate game, parodying travel literature, pretending to be...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to Evelina
Frances Burney's "Evelina" unveils the dizzying and dangerous social whirl of Georgian London, where reputations and marriages are there to be made and broken. This article investigates Burney's critique of fashion culture and the...
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British Library: Discovering Literature: An Introduction to 18th Century British Theatre
This article charts the growth of 18th-century theatre, looking at the new venues, stage technology, audiences, playwrights, and great actors of the age.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Volpone
Read an overview of the play "Volpone" by Ben Jonson and view additional resources such as articles, and collection items.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Twelfth Night
Read an overview of the play "Twelfth Night" by Shakespeare and view additional resources such as articles, collection items, and teacher resources.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: John Webster
Familiarize yourself with the life and works of the playwright John Webster. This source contains a quick fact sheet, a short biography, and links to related articles, collection items, and works.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: Ben Jonson
Familiarize yourself with the life and works of the poet and playwright Ben Jonson. This source contains a quick fact sheet, a short biography, and links to related articles, collection items, and works.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: John Donne
Familiarize yourself with the life and works of the poet John Donne. This source contains a quick fact sheet, a short biography, and links to related articles, collection items, and works.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: The Tempest
Read an overview of the play "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare and view additional resources such as articles, collection items, and teacher resources.
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British Library: Discovering Literature: The Taming of the Shrew
Read an overview of the play "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare and view additional resources such as articles and collection items.