Romantic literature:

1. Features, attidudes and views:

1. tumultuous emotions, 2. interest into, about nature, 3. stormy expressions, 4. wild, power, force, 5. appeal to people sences and emotions, 6. interested in folklore, 7. idealised beautiful nature, 8. protest against classicism, 9. return to nature, 10. critical attitude to reality. 11. Earlier the head controlled the heart, now the heart controlled the head.12. Passionate 13. Included a lot of feeling and passion.

2. Interests and inspiration:

1. 1. Liberty / Freedom

   2. equality

   3. fraternity (vendlus) ( die Bruderschaft)

   4. native themes

   5. simple/rural life

   6. emotional exuberance (küllus, ülevoolavus) (der Überfluss)

   7. interest in common feeling

   8. spontanouty

   9. interest in folklore and mythology

   10. interest in nature

   11. dreamed about the future or the past

3. Names:

W. Scott, W. Wordsworth, S.T. Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelly, George Gordon Byron, John Keats.

„Lyrical Ballads“, It’s importance:

It’s a collection of poems by Coleridge and Wordsworth, it was published in two parts, first in 1798, second in 1800. Spontaneity, excess, power, and emotion are the key features of Lyrical Ballads. It was written from people to people, not form aristrocrats to aristrocrats, the use of language was natural, similar to what ususal people talked.

William Wordsworth:

Through his poetry, people spoke to people, the form of the poetry was not strict, he used the form that was sutiable to particular occasion, the use of language was natural, similar to what ususal people talked. Wordsworth’s poetry gave the charm of novelty to things of everyday, he dealt with the familiar things, expressed the sense of wonder.

His poetry looks inward, rather than outward, he wants to see into the hear of things, When WW wrote that „the child is the father of the man“ he meant that adults can learn form children. He wanted to write in a simple way about everyday life and people.

Works:

• „I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud“

• „Westminster Bridge“

• „We Are Seven“

S. T. Coleridge:

He wrote about supernatural persons and characters, but in a way that made them credible (usutav). He dealt with the strange and unfamiliar things, expressed the sense of wonder. Coleridge sometimes creates symbolic landscapes. „Kubla Khan“ is a poem about creative imagination, it is not complete and has the subtitle „A Fragment“, We can conclude that the vision is complete, but it is so powerful that it can only be stated in parts and fragments. The journey in „The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“ symbolises a christian journey from innocence (süütus, lihtsameelsus) to experience.

Works:

• „Kubla Khan“

• „The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“

• „The Nightingale“

• „Frost at Midnight“

Geroge Gordon Byron:

Works:

1. Period (1807-1809)

• “Hours of Idleness” — a collection of lyric poems written while studying still at Cambridge

• “English Bards and Scotch Reviewers” — attack on Wordsworth and Coleridge, Sctoch Reviewers had criticised him in “Edinburgh Review”

2. Period (1809-1818)

• “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” — Cantos 1-2 made him famous in 1812; Canto 3 written in Switzerland in 1816; Canto 4 in Italy in 1818

• “Hebrew Melodies” — a collection of lyric poems

• So-called Eastern poems:

  • “The Giaour”

  • “The Bride of Abydos”

  • “The Corsair”

  • “Lara”

• In Switzerland:

  • “The Prisoner of Chillon” — a poem

  • “Manfred” — a verse drama

3. Period (1818-1824)

• In Italy:

  • “Beppo” — a satirical poem

  • “Marino Faliero” — a drama

  • “Cain” — drama

  • “The Vision of Judgement” — a satirical poem

  • “Don Juan” — unfinished

The Imporance of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage

1. The main character is an interesting person, he is an outcast (väljaheidetu) from society and he seeks consolidation with nature.

2. There are good descripitons of contemporary European life in the poem.

3. There are important social and political ideas in the poem, e.g. struggle for freedom.

4. Byron presents picture of the past. His attidude to the past differs from of the earlier romanticists, he turns the past into an example for present day struggles.

The Romantic and Realistic elements in „Don Juan“

The plot and the way the hero is depicted are realistic. Don Juan is not a typical romantic character, but a naive young man. He falls in love with Donna Julia, because he is young and she is beautiful. He becomes very unhappy, when his mother sends him abroad. Making Don Juan act in natural way, Byron shows a true-to-life character.

The romantic element is strongly felt, too. Like other romantic poets, Byron acts against tradition: in the works of other authors Don Juan was shown as a man who tempted women into sin, Byron’s Don Juan is not seducer of women, bu is seduced by them. The beautiful descriptions of Southern nature make Don Juan a typical romantic poem.

The Byronic Hero:

proud, gigantic, lonely fighting, rebellious (mässuline), passionate, hating oppression, unconventional, gloomy (morn, kurb, sünge) (bedrückt), silent, alien in spirit, scornful (põlastav) (höhnisch), defiant (trotsiv)(trotzig).

Sir Walter Scott

• He writes about revolution, history and social change.

• Characters are from all levels of society

• His novels:

  • Scottish: „Waverly“, „Rob Roy“, „Guy Mannering“

  • English: „Ivanhoe“, „The Monastery“, „The Abbot“

  • Continental: „Quentin Durward“

• His mastery:

  • He created Scotland as a historical setting and gave the nineteenth-century world, especially nineteenth-century Great Britain, historical identity.

  • He made the novel most popular literary forms in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

  • Described the historical past of his country.

  • Sometimes idealised old times.

  • His descripitons of life, customs and habits of his people are very realistic.

• Scott as a poet:

  • He started his literary activities as a romantic poet writing a number of ballads, but soon he realised that it was out of fashion.

Jane Austen:

• Her main interest is in the moral, social and psychological behaviour of her characters.

• Her observation of people apply to human nature in general.

• Her 6 novels:

  • „Sense and Sensibility“ – 1811

  • „Pride and Prejudice“ – 1813

  • „Mansfield Park“ – 1814

  • „Emma“ - 1816

  • „Northanger Abbey“ – 1818

  • „Presuasion“ - 1818

„Pride and Prejudice“

Principal Characters:

• Mr. Bennet, father of five daughters

• Mrs. Bennet, his opinionated wife

• Elizabeth, their intelligent middle daughter, and Mr. Bennet’s favorite child

• Jane, Elizabeth’s beautiful older sister

• Lydia, the Bennet’s impetuous youngest daughter

• Mr. Binglcy, Jane’s rich and amiable suitor

• Mr. Darcy, Bingley’s arrogant and wealthy friend

• Reverend Collins, a conceited bore

• Mr. Wickman, an army officer

The main subject of the novel is courtship and marriage, a man looking for a woman or a woman looking for a man.

Themes:

• Happy and strong marriage takes time to build and must be based on mutual feeling, understanding, and respect .

• Pride and Prejudice depicts a society in which a woman’s reputation is of the utmost importance. A woman is expected to behave in certain ways.

• The lines of class are strictly drawn. While the Bennets, who are middle class, may socialize with the upper-class Bingleys and Darcys, they are clearly their social inferiors and are treated as such.

Characters:

• Elisabeth Bennet:

  • She is lovely, clever, intelligent, and, in a novel defined by dialogue, she converses as brilliantly as anyone.

  • Her honesty, virtue, and lively wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society.

  • Her sharp tongue and tendency to make hasty judgments often lead her astray (eksiteele).

• Mr Darcy:

  • He is intelligent and forthright (otsekohene), he too has a tendency to judge too hastily and harshly, and his high birth and wealth make him too proud and too conscious of his social status.

• Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley:

  • They both are cheerful, friendly, and good-natured, always ready to think the best of others; they lack entirely the prickly (okkaline) egotism (isekus) of Elizabeth and Darcy.

  • Jane’s gentle spirit serves as a foil for her sister’s fiery (ägedus, raevukus), contentious nature, while Bingley’s eager friendliness contrasts with Darcy’s stiff pride. Their principal characteristics are goodwill and compatibility, and the contrast of their romance with that of Darcy and Elizabeth is remarkable.

1. First told religious stories, where performed near churches, subjects were events of religious history (disobedience of Adam and Eve, Noah and the great flood, Abraham and Isaac, events of life of Christ etc.) These plays were called Miracles or Mystery Plays and were acted by townspeople on pagent – stage on weels. English comedy was born in Miracles (characters in the play become human in their behavoir).

2. Morality Plays – similar to Miracles, but characters were virtues and vices which walked and talked. Best-known is „Everyman“ from 15^th century, which was translated from dutch.

3. The Interlude – common in 15^th and 16^th centuries, the origin of this name is uncertain (perhaps they were played between long Moralities, perhaps in the middle of meals). They are often funny and were performed away from church. Until the beginning of 16^th century the author are unknown.

The Renaissance

• The word reneissance meant the rebirth of classical arts and science in Europe in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. In that time many writers and learned men – humanists – became interested in antique literature. Humanistic learning placed man in the center of life on the earth and taught that man had right to live and enjoy himself.

• The literature of the middle ages taught that man was an evil being and that his life on earth was sinful.

• The Reformation took place at the same time, many countries broke away from Catholic Church.

• The great geographical discoveries made by Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan changed greatly the map of planet. Great men appared in science art and literature.

• Renaissance began in the 14^th century in Italy and came to England later and more slowly, the last half of 16^th century and the beginning of the 17^th century were the golden age in English literature (Shakespeare). By that time the Wars of Roses were over, most of great feudal barons had been killed, England was united under one king, towns grew fast. In literature plays became very popular.

The Development of Theatre

• Most important period of renaissance was the reign of Elisabeth I. The Elisabethans – great philosophers, explorers and dramatist of that time. At that time there was a sudden rise of drama, which was closely connected with the development of the theaters.

• At first there were no playhouses and acting companies travelled from one place to another, acting in market-places and in inn courtyards.

• The life of actors was hard, because the laws against the poor were very cruel, so actors had to find a patron for themselves among the noblemen. That is why comanies were called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men etc.

• Puritans, who formed a religious sect, were also the enemies of the actors. They taught that acting was bad for people’s moral, so they attacked the theatre. The big merchants also attacked the acting companies because part of the money in inns went to the actors.

• The first playhouses were round wooden buildings, the stage was covered with a roof, but most of the building was open to the sky, most people had to stand duirng the performances. There were no curtains and little scenary. Performances began at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, from the beginning to the end of the performances there was a flag on top of the building. First theaters were the Globe built in 1599 and the Theatre built on 1574.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 on April 23. His father was wool an lether merchant, his mother was the daughter of a wealthy landowner. At the age of seven he went to the local grammar school which he attended for six years. He was taugth reading, writing, Latin and Greek.

In 1577 he was taken from school, because his father’s affairs took a turn to worse and william had to help his father. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway and their first child Susanna was born in 1583. Twins Hamnet and Judith were born two years later. From 1585 to 1592 after leaving his hometown to London virtually nothing is known about his life.

He was a good actor and as the director of the play he took the shorter parts for himself. He wrote comedies, historical plays and tragedies. By 1594 his was a shareholder in Lord Chamberlain’s Men and at least six of his plays had been produced. In 1599 the comapny built the Globe Theatre. After Queen Elisabeth’s death in 1603, the comapny was sponsoreb by King James and became known as King’s Men. In 1608 the comany acquired a second theatre in Blackfirars.

In 1607 Shakespeare stopped acting and between 1608 and 1613 he wrote his last five plays. In 1612 he returned to Stratford and bought the finest house in town. He died on 23 April 1616 and is burried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

Sonnet

Sonnet was originally a Italian form. The sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, written in iambic pentameter. Each line has ten syllables with stress on every other syllable, starting with unstressed syllable. English sonnet divides into three quatrines and a rhymed couplet. The usual rhyme sheme is abab cdcd efef gg.

Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. Shakespeare’s cycle seems to tell a story. Three main chracters are the Poet, his Friend, and the Dark Lady. The Firend must be younger and of higher rank than the Poet. The Poet gives his Friend advice, they seem to be psychologically dependent on each other. The Dark Lady is the beloved of the Poet, she is false and vicious, but the Poet, although aware of the fact, cannot help loving him. At the end the Friend and the Black Lady betray the Poet.

Shakespeare’s work

1. Optimistic Period (1590-1600)

During this period he wrote 10 comedies:

1. The Comedy of Errors – Eksituste komöödia

2. The Taming of the Shrew – Tõrksa taltsutus

3. The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Kaks veroonlast

4. Love’s Labour’s Lost – Asjatu armuvalu

5. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Suveöö unenägu

6. The Merchant of Venice – Veneetisa kaupmees

7. Much Ado About Nothing – Palju kära eimillestki

8. The Merry Wives of Windsor – Windsori lõbusad naised

9. As You Like It – Nagu teile meeldib

10. Twelth Night – Kahteteistkümnes öö

He also wrote 11 chronicles or historical plays, for example:

1. Henry IV

2. Richard III

3. Richard II

4. King John

5. Henry VI

6. Edward III

• They are written in playful manner, ful of wit(vaimukus) and optimism. They are written in bright spirit of renaissance. The heroes are the creators of their own fate, they are notable for their wit and smoothly flowing langugage. The comedies take place usually in some imaginary country, the main motifs are the right of individual to free choice of love and contrast between appearance and reality.

• Shakespeare’s poems also belong into this period, most famous are „Venus and Adonis“ and „Lucrece“.

• He also wrote two trragedies „Romeo and Juliet“ and „Julius Caesar“.

2. Pessimistic period (1600-1608)

In this period he wrote mainly tragedies:

1. Hamlet

2. Triolus and Cressida

3. Othello

4. King Lear

5. Macbeth

6. Antony and Cleopatra

7. Coriolanus

8. Timon of Athens

• In this period Shakespeare reaches his full maturity.

• He proves that human relations depend on social problems.

• He was aware of discrepancy between the reneissance ideals and the possibility of their realisation in the conditions of that time.

• He turned from marry story-spinner into a severe critic and time of his time.

• He had faith in man’s suffering.

• In his tragedies in the end good always wins.

• Tragedies are devoted to the nature of power.

• His tragedies and historical plays made him the gratest humanist of English Renaissance.

• Characters:

• they are universal personalities of great depth an unusual intellects.

• The development of heroes can be seen.

• Noble figures are caught in difficult situations, where some weakness of their nature is exposed.

• A man’s tragedy is not individual, it spreads to other people.

• In early tragedies the death was caused by accident or political conflicts, in late tragedies the death is caused by some trait of one’s character.

3. Romantic Dramas (1608-1612)

The style has changed, the emotional and ideological conflicts are less strong.

Evil is not absolute, it has become realtive.

Shakespeare transports us into world of fantasy and allegory.

The plays meant here are: „Pericles“, „Cymbeline“, „The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest.

Shakespeare’s contribution to World Literature

• Shakespeare created a new epoch (ajajärk) in world literature.

• Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest dramatist the world has ever known.

• Characters are universal personalities of great depth an unusual intellects.

• He believed in better future for mankind.

• The development of characters can be seen.

• Shakespeare was the first dramatist to mix comedy and tragedy.

• He was great master of plot.

• Shakespeare’s plays do not grow old with time.

• Every generation discovers new ideas in his works.

• He was the first poet to write in the English language.

• He understood human nature.

• Shakespeare had knowledge in music, the law, the Bible, military science, the stage, art, politics, the sea, history, hunting, woodcraft and sports.

• By 1612 he had become England’s most popular playwright.

• He contributed greatly to the development of English languge.

• He invented phrases like: fair play, catch cold, for goodness’ sake, vanish into thin air, be hoodwinked, sleep not a wink, one’s own blood and flesh, lie low.

• Historians consider Elisabethan age as a peak of English culture.

• Most serios actors have considered the major roles of Shakespeare to be the supreme test of their art.

• Shakespeare’s ideas on such subjects as heroism, romantic love and the nature of tragedy helped to shape the attitudes of millions of people.

• His central themes:

The idea of freedom for people

Freedom for individual

Humanism

Patriotism

National unity under a strong monarch

The masses as political force

Love and friendship

The struggel against cruel medieval blood feud (verevaen)

Shakespearean theatre:

• The globe was octagonal building with roof only covering thr perimeter of the era.

• Under roof there were three levels of galleries surrounding 65 metres wide yard.

• Rectangular main stage occupied about a third of the yard, behind it was small curtained inner stage for indoor scenes.

• Above inner stage were two galleries, the first level was used as a balcony, musicians performed on the second level and sound effects came from the hut on top of the stage roof.

• Groundlings – less wealthy spectators, stood in the yard during the play. More wealthy sat on the galleries.

Costumes were allways colorful but there was almost no scenary.

Dramatic conventions of that time:

• No women appeared on the stage, women’s amd children’s roles were played by boys.

• In soliloquy the actor is alone on the stage, speaking to himself and revealing to the audience his inner thougts and feelings.

• In an aside the actor speaks words that the other characters on stage are not supposed to hear.

Hamlet

Hamlet, prince of Denmark is at the University of Wittenberg. A poor student, Horatio, becomes his friend. Unexpectedly Hamlet learns of his father’s death and goes home to Elsinore. He is shocked at finding his mother married to his father’s brother Claudius, who is now King of Denmark. His mother now takes on the tone and manner of her new husband. Hamlet suspects what his fathers ghost appears to teil him: that his brother murdered him and robbed him of Country, Crown and Queen.

Hamlet considers the murder of his father to be an indication of the general corruption of the age, and he wants to see all evil abolished. But Hamlet is not a fighter and humanist only, he is a philosopher, too. He foresees difficulties which cannot be overcome. His soliloquy tells us why he is dilatory in action. He simulates madness to conceal his plans. He puts aside his love for Ophelia. Hamlet’s mother thinks that her unfaithfulness has made him mad, Polonius thinks Hamlet’s love for his daughter Ophelia is the only reason. Seeing the change in Hamlet, Ophelia’s heart nearly breaks with sorrow and pity.

Hamlet wants to make the King admit his crime. He arranges a performance in which the actors perform a murder before the Court: the king is poisoned and the murderer marries the queen. Claudius now understands that Hamlet knows his secret. He dreads revenge and sends Polonius to play the spy on Hamlet. Seeing him behind a curtain in his mother’s room, Hamlet thinks it is the King himself, and stabs him. Ophelia becomes insane because of her father’s death, and she drowns herself.

Ophelia’s brother Laertes is ready to avenge his fathers death. The King arranges a duel between him and Hamlet. Laertes dies. Hamlet kills the King, his mother drinks poisoned wine, Hamlet is also poisoned and dies. Before he dies, he asks his friend Horatio to tell the world his sad story.

Although Hamlet is depicted as a pessimistic character, he is high-spirited, strong and courageous. He is limited in his opportunities to fight against evil.

Hamlet’s character:

He is many-sided. He is noble, beautiful, courageous. He does not fear to look truth into its face. His capacity for action and capacity for making decisions are one part of his nature. He also doubts, puts things off, falls into complete pessimism, avoids action. Indecision, doubts, hesitation are the other side of his character. These both sides are closely interconnected. He is a real live, clever man. He critisises himself for his slowness and not for having the will to act. He rises against his own weakness. Victory is that he had overcome his doubts. Play „Hamlet“ is the interior drama of human soul.

The new class – the bourgeoisie – began to play the leading role in society. It had its own party called the Whigs, which was constantly at war with the Tories, the party of the landlords. The Tories supported the Church and the King and they were intolerant towards dissenters, the Thories were more popular in the country. The Whigs did not believe in the absolute power of the King and the Church, members were nonconformists or tolerant towards them, they were more popular in the towns.

The bourgeoisie gained both political and economic power because it was practical and knew how to make use of the new inventions and discoveries. So people came to think that it was possible to achieve much by means of education. They thought man to be good by nature, and that it was society, corrupted by the feudal system that made man evil. The writers thought it was their duty to improve the world by means of teaching people, enlightening them. So the 18th c.is sometimes called the century of the Enlightenment in literature. The two groups of Enlighteners were:

1. Hoped to better the world by teaching people: Daniel Defoe, Alexander Pope, Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne.

2. Protested openly agains the vicious social order: Jonathan Swift, Henry Fielding, Oliver Goldsmith, Richard Sheridon, Robert Burns.

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)

Daniel Defoe was born in the family of a butcher in London. His father was a religious man and brought up his children in a puritanical way. He sent Daniel to an excellent school. Daniel read much poetry, was fond of music and developed a weakness for horseracing. His father wanted him to become a minister of the church but the boy tried his luck in trades of several kinds. He failed everywhere because he was impractical.

At the age of 33 he chose the field of politics and journalism. Defoe was a sharp-minded politician. He advocated a better network of roads, advised extension of the banking system, etc. In his pamphlet “The Shortest way with the Dissenters” Defoe attacked the Tories. It was written with irony, said dessenters should captured, tortured and burnt. For that he was made to stand in the pillory. On the day of the punishment his “Hymn to Pillory” was sold in the streets and the writer was greeted by the crowds.

Defoe’s famous novel is ‘The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe”. It was followed byother novels,such as ”Colonel Jacques”. “Moll Flanders” and “Lady Roxana”.

D.Defoe died in 1731.

“‘Robinson Crusoe”

The suggestion for the novel came from the adventures of the sailor Alexander Selkirk, who had spent 4 years on a desert island. Besides this fact Defoe used other books on voyages, his own knowledge of ship-building, and a lot of geographical information gathered during his travels,

The novel consists of 3 parts, yet only the first part is familiar to the reader today. The events are told as follows:

Old Mr.Crusoe wants his son Robinson to be a lawyer but the young man disobeys him and leaves for Africa. After a number of adventures his ship gets wrecked in a storm and of all the sailors Crusoe alone reaches the shore of a desert island. He spends the night in a tree. In the morning Crusoe sees the wreck of his ship not far from the shore. He builds a raft and spends many days carrying the things that he can take from the wreck. Then Robinson begins to settle on the island, he learns to build, tame wild goats, grow rice and barley, make bread and do many other things. In the course of many years of hard work his life becomes comfortable.

But Robinson is not happy because he misses society. One day he saves a captive of cannibals that have come to his island for their terrible feast. He calls the man Friday. Friday turnsout to be a clever man. He quickly learns to do all the things that Robinson teaches him. and to speak English as well. Friday becomes Defoe’s devoted servant and they live happily together.

At last an English ship comes close to the island. Crusoe and Friday save the captain from trouble, and they leave for England. This is the end of the first part ofthe novel.

Robinson’s chrachter:

He was optimistic. He never lost hope, believed that he would be saved. He was enthusiastic, hi did everything wholeheartedly. He was practical, he brought tools from ship, he had many skills, he built house, he made everything to make his life easier. He was bourgeoisie, he took the money from the ship, even though he couldn’t use it on that island. He had confidence in himself and he believed that he could overcome all difficulties and hardships. He was racist and supported negro slavery, first thing he taught Friday was to say “Master”, he made Friday his servant. He was religious, he believed in the God and prayed often. He ignored beauty. He is also very diligent (usin), and presistent (visa, püsiv). On the other hand he is a faithful member of the class who cares first of all for material things and his own comfort.

What We Must Remember about ”Robinson Crusoe”

The novel became popular because it stresses the dignity of labour. The reader shares Robinson’s delight in making things. Reading the book is equal to tracing the history of human civilisation.

Defoe’s importance:

Defoe tries to teach the reader both by means of the conduct of his central character and by saying directly what man should do and what is bad to do . He made an ordinary man the central character of his novel. He made him act simply and naturally. Defoe had a talent for creating an atmosphere of reality in his novels. That is why he is considered to be the founder and master of the English realistic novel.

Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745)

The greatest of all prose satirists in the English language, Jonathan Swift was born in a poor English family in Dublin. With the help of his uncle he could study theology at the university. But his main interests were literature, languages and history. At 21 Swift went to England and became secretary to Sir William Temple, a well-known Diplomat of that time. Swift read and studied much, especially Greek and Latin authors.

In 1726 his greatest work “Gulliver’s Travels” appeared.Swift was 59 and seriously ill. He suffered from deafness and and terrible headaches. He died in Dublin in 1745.

Swift has written many pamphlets:

1. “A Tale of a Tub” – 1699 – a comic piece that ridiculed the extravagances of religion, literature and academy. The main idea is that religion diverts people from the need to fight for their rights.

2. “The Battle of the Books” – 1704 – a mock(pilkav) debate between ancient and modern authors.

   The classical and the modern books in a library descend from their shelves and fight a battle for who will get the best places on the shelves.

3. “A Modest Proposal…” – It is a satire aimed at Ireland’s serious poverty problem, the propsal is that the children of the poor should be offered in the sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom, so they could eat them.

“Gulliver’s Travels”

The book is about the surprising adventures of Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon on a merchant ship, and the fantastic lands he visited. Gulliver makes four voyages which are described in the four parts of the book.

On the first voyage Gulliver is shipwrecked. He swims to theshore cf a strange land. It is called Lilliput. The tallest of Lilliputians is six inches high. They tie the sleeping Gulliver hand and foot, and do not free him until they are sure that he is harmless. Little by little Gulliver gets used to their life and even takes part in the war with the neighbouring state of Blefuscu. He ties all the enemy’s ships to a string and draws them into the port of Lilliput. The King of Blefuscu is made to beg for peace. The Emperor of Lilliput gives Gulliver the highest title of the country. Some Lilliputian ministers do not like this and they secretly decide to put Gulliver in prison. Gulliver escapes in a boat which he has found on the shore. An English merchant ship takes him back to England. The political conflicts are made ridiculous: the difference between the two parties of the state is in high or low heels; the cause of war is the breaking of eggs — whether it should be done at the big or small end; one’s career is dependent on high-jump: those who can jump the highest get the highest office.

On the second voyage the ship meets with a terrible storm and stops near the land of Brobdingriag to renew its supply of fresh water. Going along the shore, Gulliver is caught by giants, each of whom is the size of a lighthouse. On the whole, the Brobdingnagians are kind-hearted people, though they laugh at Gulliver’s small size and look upon him as a toy. On one occasion the travelling box in which Gulliver is taken to the seashore is seized by a large bird that drops it into the sea. Luckily, Gulliver is saved by a passing English ship. Here the king is clever, honest, and kind to his people. He makes Gulliver tell him about his country and concludes: “the bulk of your natives is the most pernicious (hukatuslik) race of little vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth”.

Gulliver sets out on his third voyage as the captain of a ship. It is caught by pirates and Gulliver is left on a desolate island. Suddenly he sees a strange body in the sky moving towards the island. It is the flying island of Laputa. The islanders catch sight of Gulliver and take him with them. Gulliver visits the Academy where he sees very strange scientists.They try to get sunrays out of cucumbers, turn ice into gunpowder and make cloth from cobwebs. Gulliver is made to take part in the ceremony of licking the dust before the emperor’s throne. He rerurns home after an absence of over four years.

After four months the tireless traveller starts out on another voyage. The sailors seize the ship and set Gulliver ashore in a strange land. This is the land of horses who are much cleverer and kinder than men. They do not lie or steal.The rest of the population of the country consists of Yahoos, beasts in the shape of men. The Yahoos have all the bad qualities of men: they are dirty, envious,and greedy. Gulliver likes the life of the horses as much as he dislikes the Yahoos, who remind him of the people living in his native country. The story ends in Gulliver’s return home to his wife and children.

The importance of the “Gulliver’s travels”

The book is a satire in which Swift attacks all kinds of oppression – political, economic and religious. He also mocks at man’s foolishness and inhumanity.

The first part of the book is a biting satire on the English court and aristocracy. Swift laughs at their “great” wars. He describes the foolish quarrel between Lilliput and Blefuscu on the question whether eggs should be broken at the big or small end. It is a parody on the war between England and France. Swift hates war. He also mocks at the stupidity of England’s state system. He shows how men are chosen for high posts at the emperor’s court. The candidates must dance on the tight rope and whoever jumps the highest, gets the post.

Swift looks for a better state system. Like other writers and philosophers of the Enlightenment, he believed that an enlightened king could give happiness to his people. In the second book Swift finds his ideal in Brobdingnag, the country of the giants. This country is ruled by a clever, honest and kind king. Such a king may be useful for thp people but he cannot do much for them.

In the third book Swift becomes a republican. In the Academy of Laputa there is a school of political projectors whose members are even madder than those Laputans who try to turn ice into gunpowder, the satire is directed against philosophers, men of science, historians and speculators. Swift critisices the parody on science, because it didn’t serve any practical purpose. Swift also attacks monarchs whose policy brings nothing but suffering to their subjects.

Disappointed with reality, Swift turns to fantasy. The fourth book of “Gulliver’s Travels-’ is a Utopia and at’the same time a parody on Utopia. Swift describes an ideal land ruled by a noble race of horses. Reason and justice govern in their country. However,the servants of the horses, Yahoos, are ugly, greedy and dishonest creatures. They have all the evil traits of men, including the thirst for gold. This country is very far from Swift’s idea of an ideal society. It is a grim warning to mankind. Swift calls on people to return to reason.

Swift’s greatness lies in the satirical depiction(kujutamine) of the vices of his age.