Rape Upon Rape - Themes

Themes

Although the play deals with political themes, politics is not the play's purpose, nor is a critique of politics. The play has obvious political connections as title refers to the rape case of Colonel Francis Charteris, dubbed "Rapemaster General of Great Britain". However, the play is more focused on morality and there is no direct correlation between any of the characters and Charteris. Of course, the contemporary audiences would have known that there was a connection, as Bertrand Goldgar argues, "there can be little doubt that the audiences at the Haymarket in June would have immediately connected Fielding's Rape upon Rape with the Charteris affair." However, the use of "rape" in the play is more than just forced sexual intercourse; it is used to describe all abuses of freedom and the corruption of power.

The title, without needing to actually include Charteris, allows for the play to serve as a critique of abuses of power and immorality. Justice Squeezum represents the flaws of society, while Justice Worthy represents England as it tries to deal with the various problems. The play serves as a way for Fielding to express his own views about society in his comedy. Fielding furthered this end by using Aristophanes as a model, and the theatre became his means to encouraging social change. However, the play is still a comedy, and the social agenda stands besides romantic intrigue and traditional comedic situations. There is an emphasis on legal matters, and the final words deal with crime. As such, the theatre serves as a kind of courtroom, and the characters are judged throughout the play with Fielding serving as a sort of prosecutor.