Henry Fielding, Pasquin: A Dramatick Satire on the Times

Thomas R. Cleary (University of British Columbia)
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The full title under which this work was published - “Pasquin: A Dramatick Satire on the Times: Being the Rehearsal of two Plays, viz. A Comedy call'd, The Election; and a Tragedy call'd, The Life and Death of Common Sense” - indicates the salient structural-generic characteristic of this play. The first of a series of highly successful, dangerously political, rollickingly satiric experiments in “irregular” drama that Fielding staged at the “Little Theatre” in the Haymarket between its opening night, 5 March 1736, and the passage of the Stage Licensing Act in 1737,

Pasquin

(so named after a statue in ancient Rome to which anonymous satiric writings were affixed at night) is a double “rehearsal play.” Set in the “Little Theatre” (representing itself on a rehearsal…

820 words

Citation: Cleary, Thomas R.. "Pasquin: A Dramatick Satire on the Times". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 August 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2905, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2905 Pasquin: A Dramatick Satire on the Times 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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