Plague Discourse: Political, Religious, and Medical Publications in England, 1603–1666

Abstract

Throughout the seventeenth century, printed texts in England increased in quantity, popularity, and accessibility. England also faced multiple outbreaks of plague during this time and the result was an influx of texts concerning the illness. The political, religious, and medical realms were looked to for answers and various authorities answered through print. Using qualitative discourse analysis and historical research, as well as quantitative content analysis, this thesis examines a sample of texts from these three spheres to gain insight into the information being conveyed to the public about the plague at this time and discover how the discourse of these three spheres coexisted. The findings of this study offer insight into the relationships between the political, religious, and medical spheres and how they were affected by plague between 1603 and 1666. They also provide timely insight into responses to widespread health emergencies, such as the current (2019¬–2022) coronavirus pandemic.