Public roles and private lives : aristocratic adultery in late Georgian England
This thesis examines the complex links between morality and leadership, by using adultery as a window through which to reassess the position of the aristocracy in late Georgian England. It analyses the construction and performance of aristocratic roles, and illustrates how various literary representations played an active part in manipulating public attitudes and creating change. It charts ways in which narratives of adultery were exploited for commercial and political motives, undermining the traditional basis of hereditary power by questioning moral fitness to rule, and ultimately contributing to the fundamental re-imagining of social structure expressed in the 1832 Reform Act. The old âaristocratic political historyâ is reassessed through the lens of new cultural history by re-integrating literary evidence, to contribute new perspectives on the social and cultural position of the aristocracy. A key argument is that aristocratic roles were constructed over time through the interaction of successive layers of performance in everyday life and literature. This theory is intended as a fresh contribution to wider current debates on how readers interpret and respond to texts, by exploring notions of representation,
Law, Susan Carolyn
DA Great Britain
Public roles and private lives : aristocratic adultery in late Georgian England. This thesis examines the complex links between morality and leadership, by using adultery as a window through which to reassess the position of the aristocracy in late Georgian England. It analyses the construction and performance of aristocratic roles, and illustrates how various literary representations played an active part in manipulating public attitudes and creating change. It charts ways in which narratives of adultery were exploited for commercial and political motives, undermining the traditional basis of hereditary power by questioning moral fitness to rule, and ultimately contributing to the fundamental re-imagining of social structure expressed in the 1832 Reform Act. The old âaristocratic political historyâ is reassessed through the lens of new cultural history by re-integrating literary evidence, to contribute new perspectives on the social and cultural position of the aristocracy. A key argument is that aristocratic roles were constructed over time through the interaction of successive layers of performance in everyday life and literature. This theory is intended as a fresh contribution to wider current debates on how readers interpret and respond to texts, by exploring notions of representation,
public role private_life aristocratic adultery late georgian england examines complex link morality leadership use adultery window reassess position aristocracy late georgian england analysis construction performance aristocratic role illustrate various literary_representation play_active part manipulate public attitude create change chart way narrative adultery exploit commercial_political motif undermine traditional basis hereditary power question moral fitness rule ultimately contribute fundamental imagining social_structure express reform act old aristocratic political_history reassess lens new cultural_history integrating literary_evidence contribute new_perspective social_cultural position aristocracy key argument aristocratic role construct time interaction successive layer performance everyday_life literature theory intend fresh wider current_debate reader interpret respond text explore notion representation