Joseph Andrews as a

Comic Epic Poem in

Prose

1
• Among the eighteenth century novelists, it is
Fielding who most inventively exploits the
possibilities of the comedy. In The Anatomy of
Criticism, Northrop Frye offers a general account of
the plot of comedy, from Greek new comedy to the
novels of Charles Dickens, which applies particularly
well to Fielding’s major novels.

2
• Fielding claimed that he was founding a new genre
of writing called “comic epic in prose” but this was
not entirely accurate. There was a long tradition of
such writing before him, though it was not
completely developed or established. According to
Aristotle, Homer had produced a 'comic epic in
verse' but again according to Aristotle verse is not
the only criterion for poetry. Fielding has only
combined the ideal of 'comic epic' and the 'prose
epic' to produce what he termed as 'comic epic
poem in prose'.
3
• In the Preface to the novel, Fielding rejects burlesque as
the depiction of the monstrous, whereas he, as a comic
writer, seeks to depict the ridiculous; that is, while
burlesque heightens distortions of value into a sense of
unreality, comedy depicts only the forms of absurdity
that exist in real life. The phenomenon of the true
Ridiculous in literature arises from the exposure of
Affectation, which is itself the source of much of the evil
in the world. Thus, in his preference for comedy over
burlesque and for the ridiculous over the monstrous,
Fielding has a didactic and ethical purpose in addition to
his simply humorous one.
4
An Epic
• An epic is a story of "a conspicuous man who falls
from prosperity to adversity because of his some
error of judgment. His death is, however, not
essential. But his fall arises a sense of pity and fear
in us". It also has heroic style and bombastic
language. And a comic epic is just reverse to it in
most of its prerequisites except a few.

5
A heroic epic vs An Epic
• an ordinary hero,
• A heroic epic has a
conspicuous hero • a journey from one place to
another place,
• a grand theme,
• mock-wars,
• a continuous action,
• digressions,
• a journey to underworld,
• discovery,
• wars,
• humour,
• digressions,
• a high moral
• discovery,
• a bombastic diction.
• high seriousness,
• a high moral lesson,
• bombastic diction 6
• So, it can be termed as a 'comic epic poem in prose'.
We can also call "Joseph Andrews" as "The Odyssey on
the road" because both the works, Homer's "Odyssey"
and Fielding's "Joseph Andrew" in the first place
involve a journey. Like Odysseus, Joseph Andrews after
the displeasure of a lady, who is superior from him in
position and power, sets out on his way home and
meets with many misfortunes on the way by the lady
who has fallen in love with him. So it would be fairly
justified to call "Joseph Andrews" an "Odyssey on the
road". Hence it is a 'comic epic poem in prose' as well.

7
• Unlike a heroic epic, the hero of "Joseph Andrews" is an
ordinary boy. He is a foot-man of Lady Booby who has fallen in
love with him. But Joseph is very innocent and virtuous.
Therefore, he leaves the service of the Lady and goes to meet
his beloved Fanny. On the way he has to face many hardships.
• Though the action of the novel is not as great as the action of
an epic yet it is enough to term the novel a comic epic. Joseph
sets out from London to Somersetshire to see Fanny. On the
way, Joseph crosses many roads, highways, country sides, stays
at many inns and meets many people; all this constitute a big
action.
• Through the journey of Joseph, Fielding satirizes the society of
the day and ridicules them. The corrupt and hypocritical clergy,
Parson Trilluber and Parson Barnabas, individual like Lady
Booby and Mrs. Slipslop, the Squire of Fools and the Squire of
False Promises have been satirized. 8
• The element of wars is very important in an epic and
it is no exception in "Joseph Andrews". We see a war
took place in an inn where Joseph was insulted by
the host. Parson Adams was annoyed and challenged
the host. There started the first war between both
the parties. Soon Mrs. Slipslop and landlady also
joined in the battle. There are many other epical
elements in the novel to call it a comic epic.

9
• Another epic convention is the use of digression.
There are two major digressions in "Joseph
Andrews". There are, seemingly, irrelevant stories
of Leonara and Mr. Wilson. Epic writers considered
them as embellishments.Fielding, however, makes
the interpolations thematically relevant. For, these
are not irrelevant in reality.

10
• The formula of discovery, as described by Aristotle,
an essential element of an epic, has also been used
by Fielding. In the end of the novel, we see that
Joseph is recognized to be Mr. Wilson's child and
Fanny as the sister of virtuous Pamela.

11
• High seriousness is an important element in epic. But in "Joseph Andrews"

there is a great deal of comedy and humour, because it is a comic epic

novel. But behind this comedy, there lies a serious purpose of reformation.

We have a gamut of vain and hypocritical characters in Parson Trilluber,

Parson Barnabas, passengers in the stage-coach, Mr. Tow-wouse, Mrs.

Slipslop, Peter Pounce and the various Squires. The surgeon and the lawyer

and the magistrate are also some other example of hypocrisy and vanity.

Each of these characters provides a great deal of humour and amusement

under a serious purpose.

12
• Fielding’s proclaimed aim was to tear the veil off affectation and
expose it to ridicule, which is the true source of laughter. Humour,
naturally, occupies an important place in Fielding’s concept of
novel. Satire has an equally important role, for it has to strip the
mask off the ills of society, holds up a mirror to human folly and
corrects human beings of their vanities and hypocrisy.

In his Preface to “Joseph Andrews", Fielding concludes that

affectation is the source of the ridiculous, springing from vanity or
hypocrisy. Fielding intends to laugh mankind out of its follies and
foibles. Fielding, thus, employs ironical and satirical humour in
several places. But he does not confine himself to these two
varieties. Essentially a comic genius, he often indulges in other forms
of humour, among which pure fun is very common.

13
• Joseph Andrews has a large variety of humour. Farce is not excluded. Several

farcical situations such as the fight scene at the inn, Joseph falling from his horse

and hurting his knee, Joseph sitting by the fireside while the hostess of the inn

rubbing his knee, Parson Adams in a pan of hog’s blood, the hounds of the Squire

tearing at Parson Adams’ cassock, Mrs. tow-wouse discovering Betty in Tow-

wouse’s bed, the bed-room scene in Booby Hall, Didapper mistaking the room and

entering Mrs. Slipslop’s room and Adams mistaking Didapper for the distressed

lady and getting hold of Mrs. Slipslop as the attacker, punching her mercilessly till

Lady Booby arrives on the scene with a lighted-candle. Adam’s taking a wrong turn

in Fanny’s bed and goes to sleep; all these scenes are farcical.

14
• We cannot dismiss the farcical scenes as a rough and ‘low’ kind of fun, but
they embody a serious purpose. Fielding does not really forget that he was
writing to ‘laugh mankind’ out of folly. But his satire is mild and amusing. The
irony is, similarly, not devastating but gentle. Even Adams himself is not
spared of ironical humour. His advice to Joseph on acceptance of misfortune is
thrown to the winds when his own son is reported to be drowned. His desire
to read to Mr. Wilson a sermon on vanity is riddled with irony. He is vain
enough to consider his sermon a masterpiece. There are, of course, sharp
touches of irony in Mrs. Slipslop’s portraiture and Lady Booby’s affectation.

15
• Satire and irony mingle in the portraiture of Pamela. She is a priggish hypocrite. Indeed,

Fielding does not leave an opportunity to satirize Richardson’s Pamela.

Fielding develops the satirical theme most effectively in the scene where each of the coach

passengers is stripped spiritually naked in their confrontation with naked Joseph.The lady’s

false delicacy, the old gentleman’s selfishness and the lawyer’s professional cautiousness, are

all exposed. But the poor postilion swears and declares that he would rather go in a shirt than

leave a naked man to die. The crowning irony is that the poor postilion who showed his human

feelings was later transported for stealing a hen-roost.

The society of the day comes in for plenty of ridicule by Fielding. The corrupt and hypocritical

clergy, similarly, comes in for attack. But through particular examples, through the individuals

like Lady Booby, Mrs. Slipslop, Trilluber, Barnabas, the Squire of Fools and the Squire of False

Promises, general human follies and foibles are satirized. 16

• Joseph Andrews abounds in humorous characterization. The most
remarkable figure Parson Adams is eccentric, forgetful, gullible, idealistic but
entirely human. He is indulged in odd gestures and mannerism. Adams never
loses his dignity, however much of humour is involved in his portraiture –
that speaks of Fielding's skill as a comic artist.

Mrs. Slipslop is another entirely humorous character. She is almost disgusting

in her short stature and bearded face, with small eyes and a long nose. She
affects long words wrong under the impression that she seems very learned.

Parson Trulliber is another comic creation. Rearing pigs and being with them
continuously has made him appear increasingly like a pig.

In Joseph Andrews there is plenty of burlesque in diction. The mock-heroic

technique produces plenty of humour in the novel. The discrepancy between
the high style and the ridiculous situation produces laughter.

17
• Fielding was basically a comic artist, master of the
various forms of humour – farce, satire, irony,
humorous characterization, and the comic style.
Joseph Andrews manifests these various forms of
humour. Fielding’s comic vision is based on a genial
acceptance of human folly, which he endeavours to
correct. Fielding’s humane viewpoint makes him
broadminded and realistic. Fielding’s humour
“shines like a sun on the evil and the good”.

18
• Every epic has a moral lesson in it and this is no
exception with a comic epic. Fielding's views on
morality are practical, full of common sense and
tolerance, liberal, flexible and more realistic. These
are devoid of prudish and rigid codes. Fielding
wanted to tear the veil of vanity and hypocrisy.

19
• The use of grand, bombastic and elevated language
is an important element in an epic. It has heroic
diction. But in "Joseph Andres" we see that
Fieldinghas used prose for poetry because it brings
us close to the real and actual life and it is much
more suitable for Fielding's purpose of dealing with
human nature. However, his use of prose is very
good, up to the mark and apt for his novel.

20
• So, we can conclude that the theory of the 'comic
epic poem in prose' as described by Fielding in the
preface of "Joseph Andrews" manifests itself in the
novel. Fielding has assimilated the rules and
adapted them to his way of writing so well that we
are not consciously aware of the formal principles
which give unity to his materials. According to
Thornbury, "Joseph Andrews" by Fielding is: “An art
which conceals art, but is the art of a conscious
artist.”

21