Thoughtful laughter : the aesthetic, moral, and social implications of dramatic criticism in the plays of Henry Fielding

Abstract

An examination of the plays which Henry Fielding wrote before becoming one of England's greatest novelists has revealed that they possess strong comic merit and are worthy of serious critical attention. Before turning to the plays themselves, the critical corpus on Fielding's plays has been considered, and the nature and purpose of Fielding's dramatic burlesque has been defined.Fielding's burlesque embodies the serious comic purpose of exposing vice and folly in the theater. Specifically, Fielding objects to the restrictions imposed on playwrights by dramatic conventions as well as by the critics and theater managers; furthermore, he criticizes the rude behavior and insipid taste of contemporary playgoers.This theatrical criticism has illuminated Fielding’s comic craft, displaying the ways in which he uses the vehicle of vice and folly in the theater to expose these flaws in social, political, and professional institutions as well.