Charles the Second (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Ronald Hutton
- First Published: 1990
- Type of Work: Historical biography
- Time of Work: 1630-1685
- Setting: England and Europe
- Principal Characters: Charles II, Sir Edward Hyde, Louis XIV, Henrietta Maria, Louise-Renee De Kieroualle, James Stuart
- Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography
- Subjects: Politics, Europe or Europeans, Exile or expatriates, Social issues, England or English people, Theater, Treason, Throne restoration, Monarchy
- Locales: Europe, England
The moment in English history known as the Commonwealth found democracy reborn but in its infancy, when the common man was testing his strength against centuries of another notion: rule by monarchy, a hereditary line of governance here-tofore inaccessible by talent or aspiration, neither questionable nor questioned. For a brief time, the forces of political and social dynamics were such that Oliver Cromwell, representative of another notion—the idea of puritanical righteousness as a parliamentary prerequisite for a governing force—gained the ascendancy against the traditions of...
[The entire page is 2129 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
