Cato. Cato, a Tragedy is a play written by Joseph Addison in 1712 and first performed on 14 April 1713.
Based on the events of the last days of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis, a Stoic whose deeds, rhetoric and resistance to the tyranny of Julius Caesar made him an icon of republicanism, virtue, and liberty. Addison's play deals with many themes such as individual liberty versus government tyranny, republicanism versus monarchism, logic versus emotion, and Cato's personal struggle to hold to his beliefs in the face of death.
The play has a prologue written by Alexander Pope and an epilogue by Samuel Garth. The play was a success throughout England and its possessions in the New World as well as Ireland.
Frederick, Prince of Wales put on a production at Leicester House on 4 January 1749 to promote his own support for English liberty against the supposed tyranny of his father, George II of Great Britain. The cast featured four of Frederick's children, including the future George III, who spoke a specially-written prologue, which included the line What, tho' a boy? it may with pride be said / A boy in England born, in England bred to contrast to George II's German birthplace.
The play continued to grow in popularity, especially in the American colonies, for several generations. Indeed, it was almost certainly a literary inspiration for the American Revolution, being well known to many of
Based on the events of the last days of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis, a Stoic whose deeds, rhetoric and resistance to the tyranny of Julius Caesar made him an icon of republicanism, virtue, and liberty. Addison's play deals with many themes such as individual liberty versus government tyranny, republicanism versus monarchism, logic versus emotion, and Cato's personal struggle to hold to his beliefs in the face of death.
The play has a prologue written by Alexander Pope and an epilogue by Samuel Garth. The play was a success throughout England and its possessions in the New World as well as Ireland.
Frederick, Prince of Wales put on a production at Leicester House on 4 January 1749 to promote his own support for English liberty against the supposed tyranny of his father, George II of Great Britain. The cast featured four of Frederick's children, including the future George III, who spoke a specially-written prologue, which included the line What, tho' a boy? it may with pride be said / A boy in England born, in England bred to contrast to George II's German birthplace.
The play continued to grow in popularity, especially in the American colonies, for several generations. Indeed, it was almost certainly a literary inspiration for the American Revolution, being well known to many of
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