Jacobean Era (1603–1625)

in English Literature

– History, Writers & Works

✅ Introduction

The Jacobean Era (1603–1625) marks a significant phase in English Literature following the glorious Elizabethan Age. Named after King James I (Latin: Jacobus), this era is known for its dark themes, political intrigue, and literary masterpieces. It was a time when tragedies, metaphysical poetry, and prose flourished, shaping the course of English literary history.
In this article, we will explore the historical background, important events, key features, major writers, and their famous works of the Jacobean period.

✅ Jacobean Era (1603–1625):

Time Period: 1603–1625
Named After: King James I (Latin: Jacobus), who succeeded Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.
Position in Literary History: Follows the Elizabethan Era and precedes the Caroline Era.
Significance:
- Known for dark and complex themes in literature.
- Development of tragedy and satire in drama.
- Rise of metaphysical poetry.
- Exploration of political, social, and religious tensions.

✅ Historical Background

1603: Death of Queen Elizabeth I → James I (James VI of Scotland) becomes King of England → Union of Crowns (England & Scotland under one monarch).
Religious Issues:
- Conflict between Anglicans and Puritans.
- Gunpowder Plot (1605): Catholic attempt to blow up Parliament and kill the King.
Political Situation:
- James believed in Divine Right of Kings, causing tension with Parliament.
Colonial Expansion:
- 1607 – Founding of Jamestown (first English settlement in America).
Social & Cultural Context:
- Rise of courtly life, masques, and aristocratic entertainment.
Science & Philosophy:
- Works of Francis Bacon (empiricism, scientific method).
Bible Translation:
- King James Bible (1611) – major cultural and linguistic influence.

✅ Important Events (1603–1625)

Year	Event
1603	James I becomes King of England
1604	Hampton Court Conference (discussions with Puritans)
1605	Gunpowder Plot (Guy Fawkes)
1607	Establishment of Jamestown (first English colony)
1611	Publication of King James Bible
1620	Pilgrim Fathers sail to America on the Mayflower
1625	Death of James I → Charles I becomes King

✅ Features of Jacobean Literature

Dark Tone: Shift from Elizabethan optimism to Jacobean pessimism.
Themes:
- Corruption, moral decay, revenge, death, ambition.
Drama:
- Revenge tragedies were popular.
- Use of violence, intrigue, and sensationalism.
Poetry:
- Metaphysical Poetry (John Donne & followers).
- Cavalier Poets (early stage).
Prose:
- Religious prose (sermons).
- Scientific prose (Francis Bacon).

✅ Important Writers and Their Works

1. William Shakespeare (Late works in this era)

Plays:
- Macbeth (1606)
- King Lear (1606)
- Othello (1604)
- Antony and Cleopatra (1606)
- The Tempest (1611)

2. Ben Jonson (1572–1637) – Master of Comedy & Masques

Plays:
- Volpone (1606)
- The Alchemist (1610)
- Bartholomew Fair (1614)
Masques: Popular in court entertainment.
Poetry: Epigrams and lyrical poems.

3. John Webster – Revenge Tragedy

The Duchess of Malfi (1613–14)
The White Devil (1612)

4. Thomas Middleton & William Rowley

The Changeling (1622)
Women Beware Women (1621)

5. George Chapman

Known for tragedies and translations of Homer.
Bussy D’Ambois (1604)

6. Francis Bacon – Prose & Philosophy

Essays (1597, expanded in 1612 & 1625)
The Advancement of Learning (1605)
Novum Organum (1620)

7. Metaphysical Poets (Early Works)

John Donne: Songs and Sonnets, Holy Sonnets
George Herbert: (later Caroline era but seeds here)

✅ Key Characteristics of Jacobean Drama

Revenge tragedy popularized by Webster & Middleton.
Cynicism and corruption in characters.
Blood and horror on stage.
Complex plots and dark humor.

A) DRAMATISTS (Playwrights)

William Shakespeare

Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, The Tempest

Ben Jonson

Volpone, The Alchemist, Bartholomew Fair

John Webster

The Duchess of Malfi, The White Devil

Thomas Middleton

The Changeling (with William Rowley), Women Beware Women

William Rowley

The Changeling (co-author), A New Wonder, a Woman Never Vexed

George Chapman

Bussy D’Ambois, translations of Homer

Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher (Collaborators)

Philaster, The Maid’s Tragedy, A King and No King

Philip Massinger

The Roman Actor, A New Way to Pay Old Debts (slightly post-Jacobean but linked)

Thomas Dekker

The Honest Whore, The Roaring Girl (with Middleton)

Cyril Tourneur

The Revenger’s Tragedy

John Marston

The Malcontent, Antonio’s Revenge

B) POETS

John Donne – Father of Metaphysical Poetry

Songs and Sonnets, Holy Sonnets

George Chapman – Also poet and translator

Samuel Daniel – Court poet

Michael Drayton – Poly-Olbion

Sir John Davies – Nosce Teipsum

C) PROSE WRITERS

Francis Bacon

Essays (1597, 1612, 1625), The Advancement of Learning, Novum Organum

King James I

Daemonologie, Preface to King James Bible (1611)

Robert Burton

The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621)

Sir Walter Raleigh (Late works)

History of the World (published 1614)

Sir Thomas Browne (Early writings, mostly later Caroline period)

✅ Masque Writers

Ben Jonson – Most famous for Court Masques.

Inigo Jones – Designer and masque collaborator.

✅ Religious & Translation Writers

Translators of King James Bible (1611) – A team of 47 scholars under King James I.

✅ Jacobean Era MCQs (For UGC NET / UPSC / Literature Exams)

1. The Jacobean Era is named after which king?

a) James I
b) Charles I
c) Henry VIII
d) Edward VI
Ans: a) James I

2. The Jacobean Era lasted from:

a) 1558–1603
b) 1603–1625
c) 1625–1649
d) 1649–1660
Ans: b) 1603–1625

3. Which major religious text was published in 1611?

a) Tyndale Bible
b) Geneva Bible
c) King James Bible
d) Douay–Rheims Bible
Ans: c) King James Bible

4. Which famous conspiracy took place in 1605?

a) Pilgrim Revolt
b) Gunpowder Plot
c) Boston Tea Party
d) Civil War
Ans: b) Gunpowder Plot

5. The Gunpowder Plot aimed to assassinate:

a) Queen Elizabeth I
b) King Charles I
c) King James I
d) Oliver Cromwell
Ans: c) King James I

6. Which of the following is NOT a Jacobean dramatist?

a) John Webster
b) Ben Jonson
c) Christopher Marlowe
d) Thomas Middleton
Ans: c) Christopher Marlowe

7. Which Shakespearean play is considered a Jacobean tragedy?

a) Hamlet
b) Macbeth
c) Romeo and Juliet
d) A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ans: b) Macbeth

8. ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ was written by:

a) Thomas Middleton
b) John Webster
c) Cyril Tourneur
d) Philip Massinger
Ans: b) John Webster

9. Who wrote The Revenger’s Tragedy?

a) John Webster
b) Cyril Tourneur
c) Thomas Middleton
d) George Chapman
Ans: b) Cyril Tourneur

10. The Changeling is a play by:

a) John Webster
b) Thomas Middleton and William Rowley
c) Ben Jonson
d) Francis Beaumont
Ans: b) Thomas Middleton and William Rowley

11. Which dramatist wrote Volpone?

a) Ben Jonson
b) John Fletcher
c) George Chapman
d) Thomas Dekker
Ans: a) Ben Jonson

12. Which of the following is NOT by Ben Jonson?

a) Volpone
b) The Alchemist
c) Bartholomew Fair
d) The White Devil
Ans: d) The White Devil

13. Who wrote The White Devil?

a) John Webster
b) Thomas Middleton
c) George Chapman
d) Francis Beaumont
Ans: a) John Webster

14. The Jacobean Era saw the popularity of which dramatic form?

a) Comedy of Manners
b) Revenge Tragedy
c) Miracle Plays
d) Romantic Comedy
Ans: b) Revenge Tragedy

15. Who wrote Bussy D’Ambois?

a) George Chapman
b) John Marston
c) Philip Massinger
d) Thomas Middleton
Ans: a) George Chapman

16. Which prose writer is called the father of English essays?

a) John Lyly
b) Francis Bacon
c) Thomas Browne
d) Robert Burton
Ans: b) Francis Bacon

17. Francis Bacon’s famous collection of essays was first published in:

a) 1597
b) 1605
c) 1612
d) 1625
Ans: a) 1597

18. Which work by Bacon discusses scientific method?

a) The Advancement of Learning
b) Novum Organum
c) Essays
d) De Augmentis Scientiarum
Ans: b) Novum Organum

19. Who is considered the founder of Metaphysical Poetry?

a) George Herbert
b) Andrew Marvell
c) John Donne
d) Henry Vaughan
Ans: c) John Donne

20. Which of the following is NOT a Jacobean poet?

a) John Donne
b) George Herbert
c) Andrew Marvell
d) Michael Drayton
Ans: c) Andrew Marvell

21. The term ‘masque’ in Jacobean times refers to:

a) A type of epic
b) A court entertainment
c) A morality play
d) A tragicomedy
Ans: b) A court entertainment

22. Who was famous for writing court masques?

a) William Shakespeare
b) Ben Jonson
c) Thomas Dekker
d) George Chapman
Ans: b) Ben Jonson

23. Who collaborated with Ben Jonson in designing masques?

a) Francis Beaumont
b) Inigo Jones
c) John Fletcher
d) Philip Massinger
Ans: b) Inigo Jones

24. Which work is by Robert Burton?

a) The Anatomy of Melancholy
b) Religio Medici
c) Essays
d) De Augmentis Scientiarum
Ans: a) The Anatomy of Melancholy

25. Religio Medici was written by:

a) Robert Burton
b) Sir Thomas Browne
c) Francis Bacon
d) George Chapman
Ans: b) Sir Thomas Browne

26. Which year marks the death of James I?

a) 1603
b) 1611
c) 1625
d) 1649
Ans: c) 1625

27. Who wrote Philaster?

a) Beaumont and Fletcher
b) Ben Jonson
c) Thomas Middleton
d) George Chapman
Ans: a) Beaumont and Fletcher

28. Which play is NOT a tragedy?

a) Macbeth
b) The Duchess of Malfi
c) Volpone
d) The Changeling
Ans: c) Volpone

29. Which of these themes dominated Jacobean drama?

a) Optimism
b) Pessimism
c) Fantasy
d) Nationalism
Ans: b) Pessimism

30. Who wrote Antonio’s Revenge?

a) Thomas Dekker
b) John Marston
c) Philip Massinger
d) John Webster
Ans: b) John Marston

31. The first English colony in America was established in:

a) 1605
b) 1607
c) 1611
d) 1620
Ans: b) 1607

32. Which Shakespeare play is considered his last work in the Jacobean period?

a) The Tempest
b) King Lear
c) Macbeth
d) Hamlet
Ans: a) The Tempest

33. The Honest Whore was written by:

a) Ben Jonson
b) Thomas Dekker
c) Francis Beaumont
d) George Chapman
Ans: b) Thomas Dekker

34. Who wrote A New Way to Pay Old Debts?

a) Philip Massinger
b) John Fletcher
c) Thomas Middleton
d) John Marston
Ans: a) Philip Massinger

35. The phrase ‘Divine Right of Kings’ is associated with:

a) Francis Bacon
b) James I
c) Ben Jonson
d) John Webster
Ans: b) James I

36. Which poet wrote Poly-Olbion?

a) Samuel Daniel
b) Michael Drayton
c) John Davies
d) John Donne
Ans: b) Michael Drayton

37. Which was a major theme of metaphysical poetry?

a) Courtly Love
b) Religious Devotion
c) Chivalric Romance
d) Nationalism
Ans: b) Religious Devotion

38. Which work is a scientific prose of Jacobean age?

a) The Anatomy of Melancholy
b) Novum Organum
c) Religio Medici
d) Poly-Olbion
Ans: b) Novum Organum

39. The Roaring Girl was written by:

a) John Webster
b) Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker
c) Ben Jonson
d) John Fletcher
Ans: b) Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker

40. Which literary form declined in Jacobean age?

a) Drama
b) Epic
c) Sonnet
d) Masque
Ans: c) Sonnet

41. Who among the following was NOT a dramatist?

a) John Webster
b) Ben Jonson
c) George Herbert
d) Thomas Middleton
Ans: c) George Herbert

42. Which play is an example of a tragicomedy?

a) The Duchess of Malfi
b) Philaster
c) The White Devil
d) Macbeth
Ans: b) Philaster

43. Which poet wrote Nosce Teipsum?

a) Samuel Daniel
b) Michael Drayton
c) John Davies
d) John Donne
Ans: c) John Davies

44. Which of the following was an architect and masque designer?

a) Ben Jonson
b) Inigo Jones
c) Francis Bacon
d) Robert Burton
Ans: b) Inigo Jones

45. Who is called the father of English scientific prose?

a) Robert Burton
b) Francis Bacon
c) Sir Thomas Browne
d) Ben Jonson
Ans: b) Francis Bacon

46. Which dramatist wrote mainly comedies and masques for court?

a) John Webster
b) Ben Jonson
c) John Fletcher
d) Thomas Dekker
Ans: b) Ben Jonson

47. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Jacobean drama?

a) Dark themes
b) Revenge motive
c) Courtly love idealism
d) Blood and violence
Ans: c) Courtly love idealism

48. Which book by Francis Bacon was published in 1605?

a) Essays
b) The Advancement of Learning
c) Novum Organum
d) De Augmentis Scientiarum
Ans: b) The Advancement of Learning

49. Which year saw the publication of The Anatomy of Melancholy?

a) 1605
b) 1611
c) 1620
d) 1621
Ans: d) 1621

50. Which poet wrote Holy Sonnets?

a) George Herbert
b) John Donne
c) Andrew Marvell
d) Michael Drayton
Ans: b) John Donne

✅ Conclusion

The Jacobean Era was a period of transition in English literature, reflecting the political and social instability of the time. From the masterpieces of Shakespeare to the metaphysical poetry of John Donne and Bacon’s prose, the literature of this age showcased intellectual depth and dramatic intensity. It paved the way for later developments in the Caroline and Restoration eras.

Keywords:

Jacobean Era literature, Jacobean drama, Jacobean writers, Jacobean age features, Shakespeare Jacobean plays, Ben Jonson works, John Webster tragedies, King James Bible 1611, Jacobean poetry.

Hashtags:

#EnglishLiterature #JacobeanEra #LiteraryHistory #WilliamShakespeare #BenJonson #JohnWebster #FrancisBacon #MetaphysicalPoetry #UGCNET #UPSC