Speed the Plough

Morton, Thomas, 1764-1838Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 117K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Speed the Plough by Thomas MortonAuthor: Morton, Thomas, 1764-1838,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Sep 29, 2006

Editor's review

Speed the Plough is one of the representative comedies by the English playwright Thomas Morton, a rural-themed work staged in Britain from the late eighteenth to the early nineteenth century, released by Project Gutenberg as a free ebook. The play revolves around a country family, inheritance, and romantic misunderstandings; its characters speak in marked rural dialects and are drawn with comic exaggeration, the dialogue is lively, and the plot advances through misunderstanding and disguise. It is well suited to experiencing the stage rhythm and rural social milieu of English comedy of the period. As a public-domain dramatic text, its value for readers lies more in its significance as a sample of literary and theatrical history than in the kind of strong plotting modern readers are used to. The original is an English-language play script with stage directions and dialect spellings, which takes some adjustment for readers unaccustomed to reading plays. Approaching it as a "read-through" is recommended: first sort out the character relationships, then read act by act, and read the dialogue aloud where necessary to appreciate the comic effect. It is suitable as supplementary reading for English literature students, theater enthusiasts, and readers interested in English rural comedy.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature or drama students who need exposure to sample texts of English comedy
Readers who enjoy reading plays and are interested in English rural comedy
Advanced learners who want to practice English dialogue and spoken expression through public-domain scripts
Organizers of theater groups or reading clubs looking for readable, adaptable material

Not a good fit for

General readers who prefer the strong plotting and fast pace of modern novels
English beginners unaccustomed to reading play formats and stage directions
Readers expecting in-depth social critique or discussion of modern issues

Reading tips

First make a character chart clarifying family and property relationships, then begin reading act by act.
Read the dialogue aloud act by act, paying particular attention to dialect spellings, to feel the comic rhythm.
After finishing, revisit the key points of misunderstanding and disguise to map out the plot structure.
Supplement with background material on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English comedy to understand the play's stage tradition.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What kind of play is this, and is it hard to read?

It is an English rural comedy whose plot revolves around family, inheritance, and romantic misunderstandings, in a light, exaggerated style. The text is an English play script with stage directions and dialect spellings, so readers unfamiliar with play formats will need some adjustment; but the storyline is not complicated, and reading goes fairly smoothly once the character relationships are clear.

Can I understand it without knowing English theater history?

You can follow the main plot and character relationships, because the comic conflict is driven mainly by misunderstanding and disguise and does not depend on extensive background knowledge. Still, knowing something about the stage conventions and rural character types of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English comedy makes it easier to appreciate the formulaic humor and period flavor; reading alongside a brief literary-historical background is recommended.

What if the dialect spellings in the script make it hard to understand?

The dialect spellings are mainly for stage effect and do not affect the main storyline. When you meet difficult words or passages, first infer from context, then check; you can also read aloud and reconstruct the dialogue by pronunciation, which is often easier than silent reading. If a passage is really tough, skip the details and grasp the characters' intentions to keep going.

Is it suitable as reading material for a theater group?

Fairly suitable. The characters are vivid and the dialogue lively, and the misunderstanding and disguise scenes have stage appeal, so role-by-role reading can work well. The text is fairly old, however, and some dialect and vocabulary need to be clarified in advance; groups are advised to do a full read-through and some cutting first, then assign roles and rehearse, for a more reliable result.

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About the author

Morton, Thomas, 1764-1838 Author · British · 1764–1838

Thomas Morton (1764–1838) was a British playwright active on the London stage in the early nineteenth century, known for his comedies and melodramas. His representative work, Speed the Plough, was one of the popular stage pieces of its time and reflects his skill in plotting and comic effect. Public information is limited: little can be confirmed about the details of his life, the number of his works, or his specific experiences, and the library holds only one of his works. Overall, Morton's writing belongs to the tradition of popular early nineteenth-century British drama, consisting mainly of entertaining plays written for theatre audiences.