A Perceived Profusion of Vice: Assessing a "Scandalous' Period C1615-1625

Political scandals shock and delight, but how far are they the stuff of politics or a distraction from it? As
'Partygate' demonstrated, reactions to scandals can shape politics, yet scandal and corruption are
contingent sets of perceptions. This project centres on an arena supposedly rife with corruption, sexual
scandal and financial recklessness: the Court of King James I, c.1615-1625. What was corrupt then? How
sensitive were Jacobeans to 'corruption'? How did they perceive non-normative sexuality during a
bisexual king's reign? Combining political history, history of sexuality, literary criticism, anthropology and
recent political psychology experiments, this thesis establishes how different groups perceived the
'corrupt' court and era. An interrelated aim is to problematise the decade's supposed surge of scandals.
What was distinct about the political culture? The project makes a vital contribution to early modern
studies, and to ongoing debates over these ever-present themes.
3. Description