VICTORIAN

ERA
 Table of Contents

Victorian Victorian Developmen Advantage

introduction Thinkers t of literary and
pieces disadvanta
ge
 VICTORIAN ERA
 It started in 1830 when Queen Victoria reigned and ended when she died.
 It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national
self-confidence for Britain.
 The political situation was divided between two parties: Whigs and Tories.
 It also plays a vital role in history and literature of Victorian Era.
 The Victorian Era pertains to the 64 year reign of Queen Victoria of
England
 VICTORIAN THINKERS
Victorian thinkers has been evolved and known for their ideas that until now was used in
philosophy of teaching.

1. John Smart Mill [1806-1873]

- philosopher who created two ideas:
• Utilitarianism- the object of moral cation was to bring about the greatest good for the greatest
amount of people.
• Liberalism- governments had the right to restrict the actions of individuals only when those
actions harmed others, and that society should use its collective resources to provide for the
basic welfare of others. Also encouraged equal rights for women.
2. Charles Lyell [1797-1875]
- showed that geological features on earth had developed continuously and slowly over
immense period of time.
 VICTORIAN THINKERS
3. Charles Darwin [1809-1882]
- introduced the survival of the fittest theory and origin of the species.
4. John Raskin [1819-1900]
- the most Romantic prose of the Victorian Era
- Ruskin’s greatness is as striking as his singularity, an instance of the effect of Evangelicalism
and Romanticism.
5. John Henry Newman [1801-1890]
- master of Victorian non-fictional prose
6. Herbert Spencer [1820-1903]
- applied Darwinism to human society: as in nature, survival properly belongs to the fittest, those
most able to survive and the social Darwinism was used of Victorians people.
7. Adam Smith
- 18th century economist, held that the best government economic policy was to leave the market
alone- to follow a laissez faire or “let it be” policy of little or no gov’t intervention.
 VICTORIAN LITERATURE
 Novels: dominant literary form ; ‘social problem’ novel, ‘domestic ‘ novel

 Poetry: influenced by Romantic period; dramatic monologue – a lyric poem in the voice
of a speaker who is not the poet

 Drama: frivolous, romantic, witty; mocked contemporary values [satirical]

 Non-fiction: essays, criticism, history, biography, newspapers, and magazines

- “The Age of Periodicals”
- “The Age of Reading”
 DEVELOPMENT OF
NOVEL
A. EARLY-VICTORIAN NOVEL- or social-problem novel dealing with social
and humanitarian themes. There is realism, criticism of social evils but
faith in progress, general optimism. The main representative was
CHARLES DICKENS.

B. MID-VICTORIAN NOVEL- the novel of purpose. It showing Romantic

and Gothic elements and a psychological interst. The main representative
writers were the BRONTE sisters and ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

C. LATE-VICTORIAN NOVEL- is a naturalistic novel near to European

Naturalism showing a scientific look at human life, objectivity of
observation, dissatisfaction with Victorian values. The main representative
writers were THOMAS HARDY and OSCAR WILDE.
 DEVELOPMENT OF POETRY
 Very large and varied lyrical output and a fresh work of literature.

 The greatest poets of the period are ALFRED LORD TENNYSON and
ROBERT BROWNING.

 Other important poets are MATTHEW ARNOLD, GERARD MANLEY

HOPKINS, CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, ELIZABETH BARRETT
BROWNING. THOMAS HARDY is considered the best poet of the
late Victorians.
 DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA
 The theater was a flourishing and popular institution during the Victorian
period. It was the only genre which developed less in comparison of other
genres.

 The popularity of theater influenced other genres. Several of the major

poets wrote tragedy on the accepted line and models. This is also the
reviving of POLITICAL DRAMA and the popularity of the dramatic
monologue.

 BERNANRD SHAW and OSCAR WILDE transformed British theater with

their comic masterpeices. LORD TENNYSON was also considered as one of
the writer, he wrote the “Queen Mary “ [1875], Harold [1876], Becket
[1884]
 Advantage & Disadvantage
The period of Victorian Era was very important into this days. The
technology and science been the development that until now has been
growing and increasing the knowledge and help the country of this
development. But there is also the disadvantage because of the invention
of the technology and experiments of science that they used animals for
their samples. The growth of industrialization had also an after affect in
the Victorians people there are some discrimination when it comes to
status of people or class of Victorians. But it also have an advantage
because it became four times faster than before and the high standard
of living been growing. All these development and changes in our country
was inevitable and unavoidable so as a citizen of the country be
responsible of what we’re doing because it can affect in our future.
Thank You
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