Glorious Causes - The Grand Theatre of Political Change, 1789-1833

Zusatztext Social and cultural historians interested in theatre or politics in the age of reform will find much of value in this innovative and readable study. Informationen zum Autor Julia Swindells is Director of English Studies, Homerton College, Cambridge Klappentext Glorious Causes explores the British nation as a stage for reform in the late Georgian era. Liberation movements for social and political change, for slaves, for factory and rural workers, for women, and for the vote, drew their energies crucially from theatre as well as political agitation, together creating the drama of reform. Zusammenfassung Glorious Causes explores the politics of theatricality and the theatricality of politics in late Georgian Britain, at a time when the British nation can be described as a stage for reform. 1832 is particularly significant for legislation in relation to both the drama and the parliamentary franchise. In many ways, though, the forces of change date back to the later part of the eighteenth-century, and were set in motion by powerful liberation movements, not only in France and North America, but in Britain itself. Particularly important, in addition to agitation for the vote, were the movements for abolition of the slave trade and slave emancipation, the attempt to improve conditions in the factory, resistance to the exploitation of agricultural workers and, not least, the early struggle for women's rights. Political rhetoric was characterized by a rich vocabulary, drawing on theatrical language and forms, from melodrama and tragedy, to comedy and burlesque. Most importantly, activity in the theatres themselves, often dismissed until recently as vulgar or sentimental, was highly charged with political dynamic and controversy, central to the drama of reform.

Product details

• Authors: Julia Swindells, Swindells Julia
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.03.2001
• EAN: 9780198187295
• ISBN: 978-0-19-818729-5
• No. of pages: 216
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; History: specific events & topics, HISTORY / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Advocacy, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / European, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / History & Criticism, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Political activism, Theatre Studies, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, United Kingdom, Great Britain, History: specific events and topics, British Isles, C 1700 To C 1800, History of Performing Arts, Political activism / Political engagement