The Masquerade

The Masquerade: A Comedy (1717) is a play written by Charles Johnson, a prominent English playwright of the early 18th century. The play is set in London during the height of the masquerade ball craze, a popular social event where individuals would dress up in elaborate costumes and masks to attend lavish parties. The plot of the play revolves around the character of Sir John Worldly, a wealthy merchant who is determined to marry his daughter to a man of high social standing. However, his daughter, Clarinda, has fallen in love with a young man named Tom Fashion, who is not of the same social class. To complicate matters further, Tom has been invited to a masquerade ball by Sir John's rival, Sir Timothy Treat-all, where he plans to reveal his true identity to Clarinda.As the night of the masquerade ball approaches, the characters become embroiled in a series of comical misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Sir John and Sir Timothy both attend the ball in disguise, hoping to catch Tom and Clarinda in the act of eloping. Meanwhile, Tom and Clarinda navigate the chaos of the masquerade ball, trying to find each other amidst the sea of masked revelers.The Masquerade: A Comedy is a witty and entertaining play that satirizes the social conventions and class hierarchies of 18th century England. Johnson's clever dialogue and intricate plot twists make for a delightful read, and the play remains popular among theater enthusiasts and scholars of English literature.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.