Class Struggle and Satire in The Knight of the Burning Pestle

Perhaps one of the most inherent aspects of London life during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the distinct separation of various social and economic classes. As is true in modern times, London had at that time a high, middle, and low class structure. This separation was much more apparent at the time however, and was portrayed in many different theatrical productions staged in and around London. One such play from this period that utilized this socio-economic classism is Francis Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle. In his play, Beaumont seems to primarily focus on the middle, merchant class society. By using a highly satirical style to portray the middle class, Beaumont portrays the struggle of those who are in it. In doing so, the author creates a piece that reveals the view that many of those in middle class society are trying to ascend themselves into upper class life. In essence, Beaumont seems to express that these people display themselves as something they are not.

The first act of The Knight of the Burning Pestle begins with the Citizen, a grocer (one profession seen as a middle class profession), interrupting the Prologue of a play called The London Merchant and demanding the actors put on a play which portrays the profession of a grocer. The grocer suggests the play be titled The Grocer's Honour, but the Prologue explains that The Knight of the Burning Pestle would be a much better one. The title suggested by the Prologue is satirical in itself by its elevation of the status of a grocer to that of a knight. A "burning pestle" is scored with very sexual connotation, particularly the "burning" which could be an allusion to some sort of venereal disease (many of which were present at the time). The satire of the middle class gains steam from this scene as the Citizen and his Wife make their way to the stage seating, an area reserved for those of the gentle, or high, class. The ignorance of the Citizen and his Wife grows from this point as well.

The Citizen and the Wife demand that their young apprentice Rafe play the role of the Knight. Although the story of a knight does not fit into The London Merchant in any way, the theater producers comply with the request. This is not without consequence, however. As Rafe begins his role as a knight-errant, the producers begin a stunning assault on this grocer turned knight. Sending Rafe on a number of episodic adventures, they transform this character into a laughable, Quixotic character. Don Quixote was not a true knight, but a man who had simply lost his mind. Therefore, he portrayed someone he was not. Like Don Quixote, Rafe shows his lunacy when, among other things, he argues with the host of the Bell Inn over his twelve-shilling charge. As Rafe explains to the host:

"Sir knight, this mirth of yours becomes you well; But to requite this liberal courtesy, if any of your squires will follow arms, he shall receive from my heroic hand a knighthood, by the virtue of this pestle (III, 64)."

Rafe is even more complex and wound up in an identity loss than Don Quixote; while Don Quixote was a middle class man acting as a knight, Rafe is an apprentice playing a grocer who is acting as a knight.

Rafe cannot see the idiocy portrayed by his character, as is true of the Citizen and his Wife as well. Although the periodic interruptions of Rafe's adventures are suppose to be comical, the Citizen and Wife do not pick up on the sarcasm. In fact, they gain great joy as they feel that the trade of a grocer is being portrayed in a very noble light. The abrupt change from the intended, classic story of The London Merchant to that of Rafe's adventures also provides us with and interesting juxtaposition. The London Merchant being a much more traditional and plot-lined play, the loose and episodic adventures of Rafe seem even more ridiculous. Therefore, the Citizen and his Wife look even more unrefined in their acceptance of Rafe's adventures.

Beaumont also satirizes the middle class's struggle for ascension with the behavior of the Citizen and Wife. Throughout the play, both characters frequently interrupt the goings on in the play. The Wife in particular seems to be unable to decipher the play from reality, a sign that she is not as well refined as the average playgoer. For example, after Humphrey is beaten by Jasper on stage the Wife calls to the actor playing Humphrey:

"Come hither, Master Humphrey; has he hurt you? Now beshrew his fingers for't. Here, sweetheart, here's some green ginger for thee. Now beshrew my heart, but 'a has peppernel in's head as big as a pullet's egg.
Alas, sweet lamb, how thy temples beat! Take the peace on him, sweetheart, take the peace on him (II, 254)."

The Citizen and Wife also act contrary to reason and etiquette by their incessant demands to the actors. At one point in the play the Citizen tells a boy working with the company, "Sirrah boy, come hither; let Rafe come in and fight with Jasper." The boy replies to the Citizen, "Sir, you must pardon us; the plot of our play lies contrary, and 'twill hazard the spoiling of our play." The Citizen replies, "Plot me no plots. I'll ha' Rafe come out. I'll make your house too hot for you else'' (II, 261). The Citizen simply does not care that his will is not what was intended in the play. Again, Beaumont implies that the couple does not fit into the play-going crowd, at least not a playhouse of the magnitude in which they are in. This was shown in the beginning of the play as well when the Citizen asks for the "waits of Southwark" instead of the music that was being played before the beginning of The London Merchant (Introduction, 103). The waits, or oboes, the Citizen asks for were common to the playhouses in Southwark, a theatre district which attracted a wider variety of social classes.

Clearly there is some essence of class struggle in Beaumont's play, particularly among the middle class. The satirical characters of the Citizen and the Wife are portrayed as people with lower education and social standing. Rafe's role as a grocer turned knight shows that the Citizen thought of his position in life to be one of great moral and social character. In fact, the role of the Knight of the Burning Pestle becomes somewhat of a metaphor for the middle class struggle, at least according to Beaumont. The knight is someone who sees himself as a more noble entity than he really is, and in doing so he makes it clear to those who are of higher status that he is not what he perceives himself to be. This is true of the Citizen and the Wife as well; they both do not realize that they are out of their element. It is difficult to know for certain that Londoners acted in this manner during Beaumont's period, but records have shown that there was a distinct class system in London during that time. Perhaps Beaumont's portrayal of the Citizen and Wife is exaggerated in order to get the point across that there were frequent cases of upper mobility among Londoner's at the time. Exaggerated or not, The Knight of the Burning Pestle is a wonderful piece of literary and historical significance to the city of London.