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Consider Joseph Andrews as a comic- epic poem in

prose.
By admin On In English Literature, Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews, Literature Tagged comic- epic poem in prose, Joseph
Andrews, Joseph Andrews as a comic- epic poem in prose
Answer: It is true that we can term “Joseph Andrews” as
a ‘comic- epic poem in prose’ because it has almost all the prerequisites that are
important for labeling it as a ‘comic epic poem in prose’.
Fielding himself termed it as a ‘comic-epic poem in prose’ in the ‘preface to Joseph
Andrews’. Fielding claimed that he was founding a new genre of writing 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”.
An epic is a story of “a conspicuous man who falls from prosperity to adversity
because of his some error of Judgment (Hamartia). 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.
A heroic epic has a conspicuous hero, grand theme, a continuous action, a journey
to underworld, wars, digressions, discovery, high seriousness, a high moral lesson
and bombastic diction in it.
In “Joseph Andrews” there is an ordinary hero, a journey from one place to another
place, mock-wars, digressions, discovery, humour, a high moral and a bombastic
diction in it. 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 Andrews’ 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.
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Unlike a heroic epic, the hero of “Joseph Andrews” is an ordinary boy. He is a foot-
man of Lady Booby, whom 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, countryside, 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 ridicules
them. The corrupt and hypocritical clergy, Parson Trulliber and Parson Barnabas,
individual like lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop, the squire of fools and the Squire of
False promises have been satirized.
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.
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.
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
recognizing to be Mr. Wilson’s child and Fanny as the sister of virtuous Pamela.
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 gamut of vain and
hypocritical characters in Parson Trulliber, Parson Barnabas, and Passengers in the
stage-couch, Mr. Towwouse, 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 humor and
amusement under a serious purpose.
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.
The use of grand, bombastic and elevated language is an important element in an
epic. It has heroic diction. But in “Joseph Andrews”, we see that Fielding has 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 this novel.
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 assimilate 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”.
It is true that in “Joseph Andrews”, the scale is not as large as one can except in an
epic, though it has all other elements of a ‘comic-epic in prose’, as claimed by
Fielding.

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