Fielding, Henry

In the beginning of his career, Henry Fielding wrote for the theatre.  He was critical of Walpole's government in his plays, and his satire led directly to the Licensing Act of 1737.  He was also a Justice of the Peace and only began writing novels to satirize the works of Samuel Richardson, but today he is best known for his novels, especially Tom Jones (1749), which is considered one of the greatest comic novels ever written in the English language.

In the beginning of his career, Henry Fielding wrote for the theatre. He was critical of Walpole's government in his plays, and his satire led directly to the Licensing Act of 1737. He was also a Justice of the Peace and only began writing novels to satirize the works of Samuel Richardson, but today he is best known for his novels, especially Tom Jones (1749), which is considered one of the greatest comic novels ever written in the English language.