02345cam a22003253u 4500 40653 UtSlPG 20260610133929.0 m cr n 260607r2012||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d 71001030 UtSlPG en iso639-1 PR Macklin, Charles, 1697?-1797 A Will and No Will; or, A Bone for the Lawyers. (1746) The New Play Criticiz'd, or the Plague of Envy. (1747) Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2012 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2012-09-03 Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "A Will and No Will; or, A Bone for the Lawyers" by Charles Macklin is a comedic farce written in the mid-18th century. This two-act play satirizes the legal profession and social conventions of its time, particularly focusing on themes of avarice and deceit through the character of Sir Isaac Skinflint, who exhibits extreme caution regarding his fortune and his will. Other characters, including his potential heirs and a scheming servant, contribute to the chaos surrounding Skinflint's attempts to secure his legacy while avoiding financial loss. The opening of the play introduces a theatrical prologue featuring banter between audience members discussing the play's reception and teasing the Irish lawyer character. It sets a light-hearted tone while hinting at the comedic misadventures to follow, as characters express their motivations tied to inheritance and legal maneuvering. The prologue's whimsical discussion about the farce prepares the audience for the ensuing antics as the plot unfolds around Skinflint’s reluctance to draft a will and his encounters with would-be heirs and opportunists, ultimately revealing the absurdities of wealth and familial greed in a lively theatrical context. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified English drama -- 18th century Kern, Jean B. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40653 81492 81492