Fielding's mousetrap: Hamlet, Partridge, and the '45. (a character, a Shakespearean play and portrayal of events in the UK in 1745 that are featured in author Henry Fielding's book 'The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling')

Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, June 22nd, 1997

Author Henry Fielding's book 'The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling' features a scene in which the protagonist Tom, his servant named Partridge and some other characters attend a performance of the Shakespearean play 'Hamlet.' A close examination of the book indicates that the play mirrors the acute political crisis unfolding in the UK in Dec. 1745 and Partridge, in particular, reflects a surprising sense of the author's political leanings.

If we follow those scholars who have mapped the plot of Tom Jones onto a calendar, then it is on a night very close to the winter solstice of 1745 that To...

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