Romanticism: revolt of the spirit

Shelley’s death and funeral epitomises the individualistic and emotional spirit of the Romantic Age and serves as a focus for this film. The writers of the age were turning away from the conventional, established themes of literature. They wrote personal, simple subjects, as the dramatisation of Wordsworth’s ‘Solitary Reaper’ and Hood’s ‘Seamstress’ reveals. The Romantic artist dealt directly with his emotional responses - Victor Hugo’s indignation at the injustices of society is shown in a scene from Les Miserables; Shelley’s pity and compassion for his fellow men emerges in his ‘Son to the Men of England’. The death scene from Wuthering Heights shows the passionate response to love and death that charactised the era. Includes extracts from Wordsworth, Shelley, Victor Hugo and Emily Bronte.