Title
The Knight of the Burning Pestle (New Mermaids),New
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'Let him kill a lion with a pestle, husband; let him kill a lion with a pestle.'So exclaims the Grocer's wife who, with her husband and servants, is attending one of the London's elite playhouses where a theatre comany has just begun to perform. Peeved at the fact that all the plays they see are satires on the lives and values of London's citizenry, the Grocer and his wife interrupt and demand a play that instead contains chivalric quests and courtly love. What's more, they nominate their apprentice Rafe to take on the hero's role of the knight in this entirely new play.The author, Francis Beaumont, ends up not just satirising the grocers' naive taste for romance but parodying his own example of citizen comedy. This playwithinaplay becomes a pastiche of contemporary plays that scorned those who were not courtiers or at least gentlemen or ladies. Like Cervantes in Don Quixote, Beaumont exposes the folly of those that take representations for realities, but also celebrates their idealism and love of adventure.The editor, Michael Hattaway, is editor of plays by Shakespeare and Jonson as well as of several volumes of critical essays, and author of Elizabethan Popular Theatre, Hamlet: The Critics Debate, and Renaissance and Reformations: An Introduction to Early Modern English Literature. He is Professor Emeritus of English Literature in the University of Sheffield.
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- Q: What is the main theme of 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle'? A: The main theme of 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' is the contrast between the idealized notions of chivalry and the reality of everyday life, as it parodies the tastes and expectations of the common people in contemporary society.
- Q: Who is the author of this play? A: The author of 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' is Francis Beaumont, a notable playwright of the English Renaissance.
- Q: What is the significance of the Grocer's wife's role in the play? A: The Grocer's wife plays a crucial role as she voices the desire for a play that aligns with her romantic ideals, highlighting the disconnect between artistic representation and the audience's expectations.
- Q: Is this book a first edition or a reprint? A: 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' being sold is a 2nd edition, published on July 15, 2009.
- Q: What is the item condition of this book? A: The item condition of this book is 'New', indicating it has not been previously owned or read.
- Q: How many pages does the book contain? A: The book contains 160 pages.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This edition of 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' is bound in paperback.
- Q: Who edited this edition of the play? A: This edition was edited by Michael Hattaway, a respected scholar known for his work on English literature and plays.
- Q: What genre does this play belong to? A: 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' belongs to the genre of British and Irish drama, specifically within the context of early modern theater.
- Q: Can you describe the writing style of Beaumont in this play? A: Beaumont's writing style in 'The Knight of the Burning Pestle' features satirical elements and a play-within-a-play structure that critiques societal norms and the nature of theatrical representation.