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A Desperate Game: A Comic Drama in One Act: Play Guide and Free Edition

A Desperate Game: A Comic Drama in One Act: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

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AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject

A Desperate Game: A Comic Drama in One Act is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Morton, John Maddison (1811–1891).

Catalogue synopsis

Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:

"A Desperate Game: A Comic Drama in One Act" by John Maddison Morton is a comedic play likely written in the mid-19th century. The work showcases the theatre style of its time, directly reflecting Victorian characteristics with its elements of mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and the humorous tactics of its characters. The plot revolves around the themes of deception and romance, as well as the dramatic situations surrounding social conventions and relationships. In the play, Captain Ratcliffe disguises himself and infiltrates the home of Mrs. Somerton to steal her fortune of fifteen thousand pounds. However, the night takes unexpected turns as her affianced husband, Mr. Percy Postlethwaite, also makes a grand entrance after various attempts to surprise Mrs. Somerton. With mistaken identities and chaotic encounters, Ratcliffe's comedic antics and Postlethwaite's hapless character add layers of humor and tension. Ultimately, the play culminates in the resolution of misunderstandings as love prevails, and it transforms into a delightful tale of romance intertwined with comedy, illustrating the absurdities of love and theft in a classic farcical manner.

Book and edition facts

  • Title: A Desperate Game: A Comic Drama in One Act
  • Author credits: Morton, John Maddison (1811–1891)
  • Catalogue language: English

Catalogue subjects

  • Comedy plays
  • English drama -- 19th century

Gutenberg collections

  • Category: British Literature
  • Category: Humour
  • Category: Plays/Films/Dramas
  • Category: Romance

Read this edition

View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.

Source notes

Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.

Sources

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