The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont || Summary and Analysis

Francis Beaumont was one of the major authors of the Jacobean period of English literature who in collaboration with John Fletcher produced several popular dramas. One of his solo work that gained success was The Knight of the Burning Pestle which was first performed in 1607. It was a successful satire on chivalric romance. This drama is a parody of the then-popular kind of dramas which were often episodic, sentimental, and chivalric. It depicts a play within a play. Shakespeare first experimented with this sort of drama in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labours Lost. Beaumont took this idea and took it to greater heights. The drama depicts a performance of a drama titled The London Merchant which itself was a parody of Thomas Dekker’s play ‘The Shoemaker’s Holiday.’ Thomas Dekker often created citizen drama and The Knight of the Burning Pestle is a parody of citizen dramas that satirizes the common audience and how they react. It is a farcical comedy. A Grocer names ‘Citizen’ goes to watch a play along with his wife and servants. However, he is not very happy with the subject of the play and continuously demands changes within the play. The play is a strong satire against the rising demands of the middle class of those times. Beaumont also parodied the fellow dramatists of his era in this play. We have discussed all The Knight of the Burning Pestle. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature as we aim at completing the full course for the preparation of UGC NET English, GATE English, NTA NET English, TGT PGT English, PGTRB English, and other major exams. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!