How Dickens Explained Everything Wrong With Victorian Britain | Literary Classics

Charles Dickens' classic novel 'A Tale Of Two Cities' tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. But what was going on in Dicken's personal life that he was trying to express through this novel?

Jane Eyre was released in 1847 and is considered a masterpiece of literature, offering a critique and celebration of Victorian society. Brontë stunned the aristocratic Victorian elite by boldly criticizing prevailing Victorian ideals in her novel, crafting a love story that defied conventional expectations. Charlotte Bronte, the author, was born in 1816 and grew up in a household marked by sickness and death, losing her mother at a young age. Charlotte's early education included a harsh experience at the Cowbridge Clergy Daughters School, which influenced her depiction of Lowood in Jane Eyre. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

Anglo-Saxon poetry reflects a fourth or fifth-century Pagan reality, creating noble pagan characters, such as Beowulf, in a Christian context. The tension arises as Christian theology requires damnation for these pagan characters, yet the poet sympathetically presents them in a favorable light. Beowulf, set in a fifth-century Danish Dynasty, exemplifies the heroic ideal of a pagan Anglo-Saxon. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

Journey across Britain with leading archaeologists as they unearth ground-breaking discoveries that rewrite human history. In this documentary episode, we travel from Norwich Castle Museum into the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens to explore Must Farm - Britain’s "Bronze Age Pompeii" - revealing industrial-scale fishing, pristine log boats, and combat-scarred weaponry. 💚 Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 📺 You can now become a History Hit member right here on the original video platform! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.

Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet living in the late 1300s, witnessed significant societal changes in England during the transition from feudalism to a more mercantile system. Chaucer began writing the Canterbury Tales around 1387 during a period when the Catholic Church still held extreme power and the Black Death and the 100 Years War were still having profound impacts on England. Chaucer employs satire, irony, and humor throughout the tales, making readers laugh at first and then revealing the seriousness and tragedy beneath. His innovative use of the five-stress line in Middle English enhances the complexity of his mature poetry, setting him apart as a groundbreaking writer. Despite the unfinished nature of the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer's overarching design and exploration of morality and social reality make it one of the greatest works in English literature. Join the Absolute History club to get access to exclusive member benefits! 💚

Alexander managed to conquer much of the known world in just 12 short years, but how was this possible? Discover the real history behind the rise and fall of one of the most remarkable men in history. Odyssey is your journey into the world of Ancient History; from the dawn of Mesopotamia to the fall of Rome. We'll be bringing you only the best documentaries that journey into the mysteries and ruins of worlds long lost.