The Whig oligarchy : representation and imagery, 1700-1733
There has been a marked interest over the last decade in understanding the nature of early modern âpublic opinionâ. One noticeable feature has been the utilisation of the vast array of cheap print, including pamphlets, ballads and newspapers, to highlight contemporary political interests. This thesis aims to use these resources to look at the popular representation of four key political figures of the early eighteenth century âWhig Oligarchyâ, Charles 2nd Viscount Townshend, James 1st Earl of Stanhope, Charles 3rd Earl of Sunderland and Sir Robert Walpole. This research project attempts to reassess the importance of these figures in a cultural context and to offer a unique comparative framework, evaluating public concerns over ministerial lives, actions and initiatives. This is not a series of biographical accounts but an analysis of how these statesmen were viewed in different literary forms and imagery, revising the importance of âpolitical personalityâ to the early eighteenth century consumer. The tendency is often to portray Walpoleâs rise to de facto prime minister as a solitary drama with a cast of supporting figures, creating a political history of the early eighteenth century that is
Tolley, S. G. A.
The Whig oligarchy : representation and imagery, 1700-1733. There has been a marked interest over the last decade in understanding the nature of early modern âpublic opinionâ. One noticeable feature has been the utilisation of the vast array of cheap print, including pamphlets, ballads and newspapers, to highlight contemporary political interests. This thesis aims to use these resources to look at the popular representation of four key political figures of the early eighteenth century âWhig Oligarchyâ, Charles 2nd Viscount Townshend, James 1st Earl of Stanhope, Charles 3rd Earl of Sunderland and Sir Robert Walpole. This research project attempts to reassess the importance of these figures in a cultural context and to offer a unique comparative framework, evaluating public concerns over ministerial lives, actions and initiatives. This is not a series of biographical accounts but an analysis of how these statesmen were viewed in different literary forms and imagery, revising the importance of âpolitical personalityâ to the early eighteenth century consumer. The tendency is often to portray Walpoleâs rise to de facto prime minister as a solitary drama with a cast of supporting figures, creating a political history of the early eighteenth century that is
whig oligarchy representation imagery marked interest nature early_modern public_opinion noticeable feature utilisation vast array cheap print include pamphlet newspaper highlight contemporary political interest aim use resource look popular representation four_key political figure whig oligarchy charles james earl charles earl sir walpole project_attempt reassess importance figure cultural_context offer_unique comparative framework evaluate public concern ministerial life action initiative series biographical account analysis statesman view different literary form imagery revise importance political personality consumer tendency often portray walpole rise facto prime_minister drama cast supporting figure create political_history