The Old Debauchees. A Comedy

Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0

Word count: 62K words
Chapters: 7

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.The Old Debauchees. A Comedy by Henry FieldingAuthor: Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 4, 2011

Editor's review

The Old Debauchees. A Comedy is a comedy by the eighteenth-century English novelist Henry Fielding, circulated as a public-domain ebook digitized by Project Gutenberg. Fielding is known for novels such as Tom Jones, and his plays carry the same satirical edge. This comedy revolves around the conflict between a libertine and family morality, mocking hypocrisy and indulgence through exaggerated plots and witty dialogue. As a dramatic text, its value lies in showing the comic tastes and moral satire tradition of the eighteenth-century English stage. It is short and suitable as supplementary reading for those studying early English drama or Fielding's development. Readers should keep the historical context in mind, as some of the humor and moral judgments bear clear marks of their time. It is best read aloud as a script or analyzed through dramatic structure to appreciate the rhythm of the dialogue and the satirical intent in the characterization.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying eighteenth-century English drama and satirical literature
Literature lovers interested in the full scope of Henry Fielding's work
Learners who want to practice reading English drama through short plays
Collectors of public-domain English dramatic texts

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting modern comic pacing and contemporary humor
Beginners with little experience reading English drama who need annotated translations
Readers uninterested in the eighteenth-century tradition of moral satire

Reading tips

First learn the basic genres and stage conventions of eighteenth-century English comedy before entering the text.
Read aloud scene by scene, noting the wit of the dialogue and the pacing of plot reversals.
Read the moral satire alongside similar themes in Fielding's novels to observe the continuity of his writing.
Mark period expressions as you go and look them up together afterward, so as not to interrupt reading frequently.

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 is the relationship between this comedy and Fielding's novels?

Fielding is known for novels such as Tom Jones, but in his early years he was active in the London theater and wrote several comedies and satirical plays. This comedy reflects his satirical interest in hypocrisy, indulgence, and family morality, consistent with the moral observation in his novels, and can serve as an early text for understanding his development.

How much background in English drama is needed to read this play?

Basic experience reading English plays is enough, but familiarity with eighteenth-century English comic stage conventions, character types, and satirical traditions will clearly improve comprehension. If background knowledge is limited, read an overview of English comedy from the Restoration to the eighteenth century before entering the text.

Does this edition have notes or an introduction?

The Project Gutenberg edition mainly provides the public-domain original text and usually does not include detailed scholarly notes or an introduction. Readers who need notes can consult library or academic-press collections of Fielding's plays. When reading public-domain ebooks, it is advisable to prepare background materials or use them alongside relevant literary history chapters.

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About the author

Fielding, Henry, 1707-1754 Author

Henry Fielding (1707–1754) was an English novelist and playwright. The library holds 15 of his works, including The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, the two volumes of Joseph Andrews, The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great, Amelia, and partial collected works. These writings mostly deal with personal growth and social observation, written in a humorous and satirical style that reveals human nature and social manners through the protagonists' wanderings. The common category is inspirational growth. As public information is limited, details of his life are omitted; this introduction focuses on the subjects, style, and influence of his works rather than fabricating his education, awards, or specific experiences.