Module overview
During his lifetime Charles II was described as charming, indolent and a womaniser, while his court was seen as far more informal than that of his father, Charles I. This module will seek to assess the validity of this view and it will consider the challenges Charles II faced a monarch. While the primary focus is upon Charles II, we will place him in a wider context by considering the relationship of the king and his capital, the changing role of the city of London and draw comparisons with Paris and Versailles. We will also look at how Charles II responded to practical challenges such as plague and fire in London, as well as political and religious threats such as the Popish plot, the place of women in society and the role of coffee houses as a site of political discourse.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The changing nature of kingship in this period and how people responded to the restoration of the monarchy
- The key events in the reign of Charles II
- The similarities and differences between the English and French courts
- Court and popular culture in London
- The impact of plague, fire and plots on court culture and the people of London
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Gather information and organise it into an accurate and coherent essay
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Make well-supported judgments about the value of different historiographical perspectives on different aspects of Charles II's reign
- Formulate your own responses on the key topics under discussion and be able to communicate them effectively in formal written exercises
- Evaluate and analyze critically a variety of primary written and visual sources.
Syllabus
Indicative topics may include
- Execution, exile and restoration - the changing nature of kingship and monarchy in England in the second half of the seventeenth century
- Creating the king's image: portraiture, clothing and reputation
- Wives and mistresses: the place of women at the Caroline court
- Documenting the period: The writings of Pepys, Evelyn and Defoe
- 1665: Plague in London
- 1666: The immediate effect of the Great fire of London and its long term impact on the architecture and layout of the city
- Comparisons with and influences from the court of Louis XIV at Versailles
- 1685-89: Monarchy in crisis? The succession crisis and the Glorious Revolution
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
Lectures and seminars
Individual consultations on essays
Learning activities include
Individual preparatory reading for seminars
Further reading and research for the practice and assessed essays
Accessing on-line resources
Preparing and presenting seminar papers.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 72 |
Completion of assessment task | 100 |
Seminar | 12 |
Wider reading or practice | 92 |
Lecture | 24 |
Total study time | 300 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
R. Ollard (1979). The Image of the King: Charles I and Charles II. London.
A. Ribeiro (2005). Fashion and Fiction: Dress in Art and Literature in Stuart England. London and New Haven.
M. Ashley (1971). Charles II: The Man and the Statesman. London.
C. Tomalin (2002). Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self. London.
R. Hutton (1989). Charles II: King of England, Scotland and Ireland. Oxford.
R. Ollard (1974). Pepys: A Biography. London.
A Bryant (1934). The England of Charles II. London.
T. Harris (2006). Restoration: Charles II and his Kingdoms, 1660-1685. London.
P. Mansel (2005). Dressed to Rule: Royal and Court Costume from Louis XIV to Elizabeth II. London and New Haven.
B Coward (2003). The Stuart Age: England 1603-1714. London.
T. Harris (1990). London Crowds in the Reign of Charles II: Propaganda and Politics from the Restoration until the Exclusion Crisis. Cambridge.
D. de Marly (1987). Louis XIV and Versailles. London.
C. Macleod and J. M. Alexander eds (2001). Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II. London.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Written assignment | 40% |
Essay | 60% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Written assignment | 40% |
Essay | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External