CONTEXTOS-CULTURALES-1.

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Estudios Culturales en Lengua Inglesa I

1º Grado en Estudios Ingleses

Facultad de Filología
Universidad de Sevilla

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 CONTEXTOS CULTURALES 1.
TACITUS, AGRICOLA. THE BATTLE OF MONS GRAUPIUS.

Tacitus was a Roman, who sided against the Roman invasion in Britannia. He was
related to Agricola, a Roman general that commanded the final conquest of Britanna.

The Roman invasion in Britain started under the rule of Julius Caesar, but the plan to
annex Britain to the empire had to be postponed. The full conquest was organized by Anulus
Plautius, who got the submission of 11 British kings and became the first governor of Roman
Britain. Eventually, Agricola expanded the Roman control over the island, but didn't fully
conquer Scotland and Ireland, so the Picts remained a menace.

GILDAS. DE EXCIDIO BRITANNIAE.

Gildas was Christian monk, born in a wealthy family.

In the 5th century, after Vortigern (one of the Briton’s leaders) asked the Saxons to help
him expel the Picts and the Scots from England, in exchange for land. After successfully
expelling them, more Saxons began to arrive at the territory that had been ceded to them, but
the lack of resources made them rebel against the Britons. Vortigern and his son managed to
kill Horsa (one Saxon leader), but Hengist (the other leader) survived and conquered Kent.
Eventually, the Britons organized themselves under the command of Ambrosius Aurelianus
(new leader), and managed to control the Saxons, achieving peace for half a century after the
Battle of Mount Bardon.

BEDE. HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA GENTIS ANGLORUM.

Bede was a Christian monk, who dedicated his life to teaching and writing, mostly in
Latin. He was one of the first English monks to gain international recognition and is
remembered as the first historian to date events from the birth of Christ.

In the Ca 423, St Patrick started a quick conversion of Ireland to Christianity. Then Then
in 597, St Agustine was sent to England commanded on a mission by Pope Gregory. King
Aethelberth of Kent allowed him to preach at Canterbury and converted to Christianity, after
naming St Augustine first Bishop of Canterbury. The conversion was Pyramidal and soon other
kings followed Aethelbert’s example. England fully joined Western Christendom after the
Synod of Whitby, conflict between Roman and Celtic churches that ended up with the Roman
usage being followed.

THE BATTLE OF BRUNANBURH.

In 788, the first Vikings arrived in Britain and sacked Lindisfrane. However, it was not
until the 9th century that Danish occupation began at the hands of the Great Heathen army.
Given this, the Anglo-Saxons chose King Alfred "the Great" as their hero, and under his
command they won the Battle of Edington. After this, Britain was divided between the "house
of Wessex" and the Vikings, led by Guthrum. Alfred's successors continued to face Danish
attacks but managed to reconquer part of the territory in confrontations such as the Battle of
Brunanburh.

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 THE ANGLOSAXON CHRONICLE: THE WOECESTER CHRONICLE.

King Edward was a weak ruler, so he had to reign with the help of Godwin, Earl of
Wessex. The king was married to Godwin's daughter, but the lack of heirs meant that after her
death he gave the throne to Harold, Godwinson's son, and new Earl of Wessex. However,
Edward had also promised the throne to William of Normandy, who after Harold's coronation:

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invaded southern England, imprisoned Harold and forced him to recognize William as the
rightful heir. Finally, he was crowned at Westminster Abbey, ending the reign of the Anglo-
Saxons.

ROGER OF HOVEDEN’S: HENRY II AND THOMAS BECKET.

Henry II was the first Plantagenet king of England, and had good relations with Thomas
Becket, whom he proposed to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury, trying to recover control
of the church. However, Becket's loyalty to the church prevailed over loyalty to the king,
causing a dispute between them. Given this, the King withdraws England from the obedience
of the pope, and the archbishop of York crowns Prince Henry as co-king; causing the Pope to
excommunicate England. Henry reconsidered what happened and called back Becket from
exile, who suspended all those who participated in the prince's coronation. Eventually, the king
asked to get rid of the Archbishop, who ended up being murdered by 4 knights and, shortly
after, canonized.

RICHARD THE LIONHEART.

Richard is remembered as a symbol of English chivalry. Richard became the Duke of

Normandy and King of England in 1189, after fighting (helped by the French King) against his
Father Henry to force him to name Richard his successor. Once he became king, he began
raising funds to go on the Third Crusade, of which he emerged victorious after allying with King
Philip of France. Then, he didn't accept Leopold of Austria’s demanded rights on Acre, and
ended up being imprisoned.

Meanwhile, King Philip allied with Richard’s brother John in an attempt to conquer his
lands in France. Likewise, Eleanor, Richard's mother, organized the resistance against John and
raised money to get Richard out of prison. Finally, Richard died without issue, in the war
against the king of France, so he was succeeded by John.

MAGNA CARTA.

The “Magna Carta” was written by the nobility and the church of England in the 13th
century, in response to the conduct of King John, who inherited the throne after his brother
Richard. John began to have problems with the church after being excommunicated for
refusing to accept Stephen Langton as the new Archbishop of Canterbuty; him being acquitted
after declaring England fief to the pope. At the same time, he had problems with the nobility
due to high taxes and the expropriation of land, which was carried out to pay for the war with
France. The barons rebelled against the king, and together with the Archbishop, forced John to
sign the Magna Carta.

Despite everything, John never respected the treaty and asked the Pope for its
annulment, which led to the First Barons' War, in which the barons were supported by Prince
Louis of France (with the intention of being named king). However, after John's death, he was
succeeded by his son Henry, who re-signed the Magna Carta.

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Estudios Culturales en Lengu...
Banco de apuntes de la
 THE WAR OF SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE. THE DECLARATION OF
ABROATH.

In the 13th century, the death of King Alexander III, without heirs, begins a war of
succession arbitrated by King Edward (England), who chooses John Balliol as king of Scotland.
However, Edward's abuse of power ends in the outbreak of the Scottish War of Independence.

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Despite his alliance with France, John is captured and Edward manages to invade Scotland; but
Scottish resistance does not wane and Robert De Bruce claims the Scottish crown. Likewise,
Edward is replaced by his son, who ends up losing the war. Finally, Robert ends up
excommunicated after refusing to sign the truce proposed by the Pope, and the Scottish
nobles sign the Declaration of Arbroath.

THOMAS WALSINGHAM, THE PEASANTS’ REVOLT.

The Peasants Revolt is one of the greatest popular revolts against the King. It was promoted by
the large increase in taxes that were imposed during the reign of Richard II to cover the
expenses of the Hundred Years' War, against France. The uprising began in southeast England,
and was led by John Ball, Wat Tyler, and Jack Straw. The revolutionaries marched towards
London with the intention of negotiating, who accepted the requests without the intention of
respecting them and the leaders of the revolt were executed.

WILLIAM SHAJESPEARE. THE HUNDRED YEARS’ WAR: THE BATTLE

OF AGINCOURT.

The Hundred Years' War between France and England, lasting from 1337 to 1453,
began due to the problematic situation of Aquitaine (belonging to England, but fief to the
French crown) and when Edward III claimed the French throne (which was given to Philip VI).
After the battle of Sluys, England gained control of the Channel, winning two other battles in
Crecy and Poitiers, taking the lead in the conflict. However, both countries end up signing the
Treaty of Bretigy in which England renounces the French throne and secures territories in
France, ending the first phase of the war.

WILLIAM DUNBAR: "TO THE PRINCESS MARGARET ON HER ARRIVAL

AT HOLYROOD."

William Dunbar was a Scottish poet, who served at the court of James IV.

The poem talks about Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England (first king
of the Tudor dynasty). The main strategies of the Tudors were alliances and a strong control of
power in the kingdom. Therefore, Henry married his daughter to James IV of Scotland, making
his descendants entitled to both thrones.

PROLOGUE OF TYNDALE’S NEW TESTAMENT.

The Reformation period begins at the beginning of the 16th century when Martin
Luther defends that only the Bible can be a source of doctrine, which Henry VIII opposes in
defence of the Catholic Church. At the same time, William Tyndale requests, without success,
to be able to translate the Bible, so he moves to Germany to work on it. It was not until 1526
that he was able to publish the entire translation of the New Testament, which became a
crime in England to possess. Tyndale was arrested, and later executed for committing heresy.

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 ROBERT BOLT: A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.

Despite having defended the Catholic Church against Protestantism, and with the
intention of divorcing, Henry summons a parliament to transfers the power of the English
church from the pope to the crown. In this way, England goes from being Catholic to being
Anglican, with a new Archbishop: Thomas Cromwell, who annuls the marriage of Henry and
Caterina, and marries him to Anna Boleyn. Likewise, the Bible was translated and installed in
every church in England. Given this, there were some who opposed it, such as Sir Thomas
More, who supported the Catholic Church and was executed for treason.

ROBERT SOUTHWELL: “DECEASE RELEASE”.

Robert Southwell was a Jesuits priest from a catholic and wealthy family. He was
executed during Elisabeth I’s reign, being considered one of the most important English
martyrs.

This text was written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England and after the
execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. Mary was the daughter of the "Auld Alliance", being
a descendant of King Henry VII of England. Mary was Catholic so upon inheriting her throne,
she had problems with the Protestant barons, who after the death of her husband Henry
Stuart, blamed her and imprisoned her. Ella Mary was able to escape and raise an army, but
she was defeated and sent to England where she was imprisoned for 19 years. Her presence in
England was a threat to Elizabeth, which increased with the constant plots on replacing her
with Mary. Finally, after the Babington Plot, Mary was executed for plotting political
assassination.

QUEEN ELIZABETH I, “SONG ON THE ARMADA VICTORY”.

This poem is “Song on the Armada victory, believed to be written by Queen Elizabeth I,
known as the Virgin Queen, since she had no heirs (according to her since she was totally
dedicated to her nation).

The text was written in the context of a war between England and Spain for control of
colonies. The English fleet was better prepared than the Spanish armada (known for being
invincible) and had the help of the Sea-Dogs (privateers). The confrontation took place on the
English coast, where the wind favoured the English who managed to finish off the Spanish
after sending 8 fire-ships to them. The victory spread a strong nationalist sentiment, as well as
a belief that God protected them, since they were the "chosen nation." Likewise, anti-
Catholicism was promoted, and Catholics were persecuted and sentenced to death as traitors.

James I & VI: BASILIKON DORON.

This text is part of Basilikon Doron, written by James I & VI, as a guide on how to be a
good king for his heir, Prince Henry. James was the son of Mary QS, as well as the heir of
Queen Elizabeth, becoming the first king of England and Scotland.

However, his reign was full of conflicts with the puritans (who had to escape to New
England) and with parliament, as James often exceeded his power due to his belief in the
Divine Right of Kings (by which God chooses the king as his representative, and everything that
limiting his power was heresy). Furthermore, James had very expensive expenses that
Parliament refused to cover, so the king resorted to creating taxes and monopolies. As a

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 solution, the population was looking forward to Henry being king, but after his death, Charles
becomes the heir.

JOHN SMITH, THE GENERAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, NEW ENGLAND

AND THE SUMMER ISLES-

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John Smith was an English soldier who fought in the low counties against Spain. He is
well known for founding the first British colony in North America: Jamestown.

At the time this text was written, England was seeking to establish colonies in North
America under the orders of Queen Elizabeth I. After several failed attempts by Captain John
White, the Virginia Company of London was founded with the aim of establishing a colony on
the North American coast. John Smith was then appointed to the colony's Governing Council.
Eventually, they established the colony of Jamestown on the Chesapeake Bay and Smith
became governor.

RICHARD LOVELACE: “TO ALTHEA FROM PRISON”.

This text was written by Richard Lovelace, a royalist poet who was the prototype of the
perfect cavalier. He was a member of the king’s court, but he was after presenting a petition to
the House of Commons he was imprisoned at Gatehouse (where he writes this poem).

This text was written while England was in a civil war, promoted by arguments between
the king and parliament, which divided the population into Cavaliers (royalist) and roundheads
(parliamentarist). Like his father, King Charles had many expenses that Parliament refused to
cover, forcing them to present a Petition of Rights against the king's abuses, which Charles is
forced to accept. At the same time, the Bishops' War was taking place in Scotland, after
Charles's attempts to impose Anglicanism. It ended with the Treaty of Ripon, that led Charles to
recall a parliament, who presented a Bill against the king's demands, being dissolved again.
Tensions between parliament and the king cause parliament to ally itself with Scotland, but
after being captured, Charles manages to get the Scots to side with him. However, the
Parliamentarian army, led by Cromell, defeats them, beginning the period known as the
Commonwealth.

KATHERINE PHILIPS, “ON THE FAIR WEATHER JUST AT THE

CORONATION”.

JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER: “REGIME DE VIVRE”.

This text is contextualized at the beginning of the Restoration Period, after the
Commonwealth and the Declaration of Breda (made by Charles II to ensure that he would be
accepted as king). The monarchy was finally reinstated in April 1661 with the coronation of
Charles, and so where the institutions. Charles was married to Catherine de Braganza, whose
Dowry included the port cities of Tangier and Bombay, bringing to England the tradition of
drinking tea. During this period, the royal family was suspected of being Catholic, generating
growing discontent among the Anglican population, which led to a strong campaign of
repression and the division of parliament into country and court. After Charles' death, his
brother James continued to face rebellions against Catholicism.

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 JOHN WILMOT, EARL OF ROCHESTER: “REGIME DE VIVRE”.

John Wilmot was a the Earl of Rochester in the 17th century. His behaviour caused him
to be banished from the Court several times. He died at the age of 33, reputed to have had
affairs with famous actresses.

Reservados todos los derechos. No se permite la explotación económica ni la transformación de esta obra. Queda permitida la impresión en su totalidad.
This text is contextualized at the beginning of the Restoration Period, after the
Commonwealth and the Declaration of Breda (made by Charles II to ensure that he would be
accepted as king). The monarchy was finally reinstated in April 1661 with the coronation of
Charles, and so where the institutions. The royal family was suspected of being Catholic,
leading to public discontent and a division of parliament into Country and Court. Within the
Court faction, we find the Witty (men of letters) and the Libertine (disregard for conventional
manners and values).

CHARLES SACKVILLE: “MY OPINION”.

During the Restoration, the royal family was suspected of being Catholic, leading to
popular discontent and the division of Parliament into Country and Court. The Country faction
took advantage of the anti-Catholic hysteria to promote the exclusion of James, Duke of York,
from the succession to the crown, replacing him with his daughter Mary (Protestant). Given
this, parliament presented the first Exclusion Bill, which due to the chaos caused by anti-
Catholicism, was not passed and parliament was dissolved. Eventually, James succeeded his
brother, facing rebellions from the beginning of his reign.

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