The Jacobean Age (1603-1625) - Literary Periods

The [[Jacobean Age]] is named after the reign of King James I (1603-1625), whose name in Latin is Jacobus. This period is a direct continuation of the Elizabethan Renaissance but is marked by a significant shift in tone. The optimism and patriotic fervor of the Elizabethan era waned, replaced by a more critical, satirical, and psychologically complex mood in literature.

Key Context and Influences

Change in Monarchy: The transition from the iconic Queen Elizabeth I to King James I, a Scottish king, brought a sense of political uncertainty and a change in court culture.
Growing Instability: The period saw rising political and religious tensions between the King and Parliament, and between Anglicans, Puritans, and Catholics. This atmosphere of conflict and intrigue sowed the seeds for the future English Civil War.
The Gunpowder Plot (1605): This failed Catholic plot to assassinate King James I created a widespread sense of paranoia and conspiracy, which is reflected in the era’s drama, with its fascination with plots, betrayal, and hidden motives.
A Mood of Disillusionment: The boundless optimism of the previous age gave way to a more cynical and realistic view of humanity. The literature is marked by a darker tone, a fascination with moral decay, corruption, and evil.

Major Genres and Authors of the Jacobean Age

Jacobean Drama

Drama remained the dominant literary form, but it evolved to reflect the darker sensibilities of the age.

1. [[Revenge Tragedy]]

This genre reached its peak in the Jacobean era. The plays became darker, more violent, and more psychologically intense than their Elizabethan predecessors.

William Shakespeare: His greatest tragedies were written during this period and reflect its somber mood.
- Key Jacobean Works: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and the tragicomedies/romances Measure for Measure, The Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest.
John Webster: Considered a master of dark, violent, and poetic revenge tragedy. His plays are filled with a sense of moral decay and human cruelty.
- Key Works: The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi (his masterpiece).
Thomas Middleton: A versatile dramatist who co-wrote the famous revenge tragedy The Changeling with William Rowley.

2. [[City Comedy]] / Comedy of Manners

This satirical genre focused on the lives, vices, and follies of the urban middle class in London.

[!note]- What is a Comedy of Humours? This type of comedy, perfected by Ben Jonson, is based on the ancient medical theory of the “four humours.” In the plays, each major character is dominated by a single, overriding trait or obsession (e.g., jealousy, greed) which represents an imbalance of these humours. This “humour” dictates their actions and makes them a target for satire.

Ben Jonson: Wrote his influential “Comedies of Humours,” which were sharp satires of London life. He also wrote serious tragedies.
- Key Comedies: Volpone, or The Fox (a satire on greed), The Alchemist.
- Key Tragedies: Sejanus His Fall, Catiline His Conspiracy.
Thomas Middleton: Excelled at city comedy, such as A Chaste Maid in Cheapside.
Thomas Dekker: Called “The Dickens of the Elizabethan stage,” known for The Shoemaker’s Holiday.

3. [[Tragicomedy]]

A new hybrid genre that mixed serious tragic elements with comedic ones, always ending with a happy resolution.

Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher: A famous collaborative duo who perfected the tragicomedy. Their plays were immensely popular, even rivaling Shakespeare’s.
- Key Collaborative Work: Philaster.
- Beaumont, on his own, also wrote The Knight of the Burning Pestle.

Jacobean Poetry: The [[Metaphysical Poets]]

While its roots are in the late Elizabethan period with John Donne, this distinctive style flourished in the Jacobean and Caroline ages.

[!note]- Who were the Metaphysical Poets? The term was applied critically by later writers. John Dryden said John Donne “affects the metaphysics,” and Dr. Samuel Johnson famously defined their style as one where “the most heterogeneous [dissimilar] ideas are yoked by violence together.” The poets did not form a conscious group but shared a common intellectual and witty style.

Key Characteristics:
- Intellectual & Witty: The poetry is highly intellectual and often structured like a logical argument.
- Colloquial Language: It uses the rough rhythms of everyday speech, often beginning with an abrupt, dramatic opening (e.g., Donne’s “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love”).
- Use of Conceits: Their most famous device.
- Use of [[Paradox]] and Pun: These figures of speech were used to explore complex ideas.
- Themes: Love, death, and religion were their primary subjects, explored with psychological realism.
[!note]- What is a [[Metaphysical Conceit]]? A conceit is a clever and unconventional extended metaphor that establishes a surprising parallel between two very dissimilar things. For example, in “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” John Donne compares the souls of two separated lovers to the two legs of a geometer’s compass—a strange, un-poetic image that he develops through logic to show their spiritual connection. It is a hallmark of the intellectual style of the Metaphysicals.
Major Poets:
- John Donne: The pioneer and leading figure. His work is passionate, logical, and intellectually rigorous.
  - Key Works: “The Flea,” “The Sun Rising,” “Death Be Not Proud,” “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,” “The Canonization.”
- George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Henry Vaughan, Richard Crashaw, Abraham Cowley. (These poets wrote across the Jacobean, Caroline, and Commonwealth periods).

Jacobean Prose

The King James Bible (1611): Also known as the Authorized Version, this translation was a monumental achievement of English prose commissioned by King James I. Its powerful and rhythmic language profoundly influenced all subsequent English literature.
Francis Bacon: Continued his influential work and is considered the Father of the English Essay. His prose is a model of the concise and memorable aphoristic style.
- Key Jacobean Works: The Advancement of Learning (1605), Novum Organum (1620), and the final edition of his Essays (1625).
Robert Burton: Known for his massive and eccentric work, The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621), an exhaustive and learned study of depression.

Summary for Quick Revision:

The Jacobean Age (1603-1625), named after King James I, was a continuation of the Elizabethan Renaissance but with a darker, more cynical tone due to political instability (Gunpowder Plot) and disillusionment. Drama remained dominant, with the rise of Revenge Tragedy (Shakespeare’s major tragedies, John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi) and City Comedy (Ben Jonson’s Volpone). Tragicomedy was perfected by Beaumont and Fletcher. Jacobean poetry saw the flourishing of Metaphysical Poets like John Donne, characterized by intellectual wit, colloquial language, and conceits. Key prose works include the monumental King James Bible (1611) and Francis Bacon’s essays, known for their aphoristic style.