The Piper: A Play in Four Acts by Josephine Preston Peabody
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"The Piper: A Play in Four Acts" by Josephine Preston Peabody is a dramatic work written in the early 20th century. The play is set in the medieval town of Hamelin in 1284 and revolves around the legendary figure of the Piper, who charms away the children of the town following a failure of the townsfolk to honor their promises to him. It explores themes of greed, betrayal, and the innocence of
childhood, featuring central characters such as the enigmatic Piper, the towns' Mayor Jacobus, and the conflicted young man, Michael. The beginning of the play introduces us to the festive atmosphere of Hamelin, where a crowd gathers to celebrate their recent liberation from a plague of rats, thanks to the Piper’s intervention. As the townspeople revel, they exhibit a lack of gratitude and consideration for the Piper, who appears to be just a wandering entertainer. The characters engage in conversations that reveal their dismissive attitude towards the Piper's role in their deliverance. Tension rises as the Piper asserts his demand for payment—one thousand guilders—as he seeks the recognition and respect that he feels is due for his services. The crowd's ridicule and refusal to pay set the stage for a dramatic conflict that hints at the dire consequences of their folly, as the Piper, in turn, threatens to take the children away with him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Peabody, Josephine Preston, 1874-1922 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Piper: A Play in Four Acts |
| Credits | Produced by Al Haines |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 96.9 (5th grade). Very easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Pied Piper of Hamelin (Legendary character) -- Drama |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 11661 |
| Release Date | Mar 1, 2004 |
| Last Update | Oct 28, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 622 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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