Plague, Fire and Popish Plots: The Worlds of Charles II

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the impact of the plague, the Great Fire and plots on court culture and the people of London
• the changing nature of kingship in the late 17th century and how people responded to the restoration of the monarchy
• the similarities and differences between the Stuart and Bourbon court
• court and popular culture in London
• the key events in the reign of Charles II

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• research and communicate your findings convincingly and concisely in written reports
• locate and use effectively textual, visual and material culture sources in the library and on-line
• utilise and develop your time-management skills

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• evaluate and analyse critically a variety of written and visual sources relating to the world of Charles II
• formulate your own responses to the key topics under discussion and be able to communicate them effectively verbally and in writing
• make well-supported judgements about the secondary literature on different aspects of the reign of Charles II

Topics to be covered in this module are likely to 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
• Court and urban culture
• Religious tensions and the impact of the 'Popish' plot
• 1685-89: Monarchy in crisis? The succession crisis and the Glorious Revolution

Teaching methods: lectures and seminars

Learning methods: source analysis, reading

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

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.