Sergeant of Police
E513108
Sergeant of Police is a comic character in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," known for his exaggeratedly timid and bumbling approach to law enforcement.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
comic character
ⓘ
fictional character ⓘ operetta character ⓘ police officer ⓘ |
| appearsIn | The Pirates of Penzance NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith | Gilbert and Sullivan NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| characterTrait |
bumbling
ⓘ
comic ⓘ cowardly ⓘ good-natured ⓘ timid ⓘ |
| comicDevice |
contrast between duty and fear
ⓘ
mock-heroic language ⓘ |
| commandedGroup | Cornish policemen ⓘ |
| countryOfOriginContext | United Kingdom NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| createdBy |
Arthur Sullivan
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
W. S. Gilbert NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| dramaticFunction | heightens absurdity of pirates vs. police conflict ⓘ |
| fictionalUniverse | The Pirates of Penzance universe NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| firstPerformanceDateContext | 31 December 1879 ⓘ |
| firstPerformancePlaceContext | Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York City NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| firstPerformanceWork | The Pirates of Penzance NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genre | comic opera ⓘ |
| hasRank | sergeant ⓘ |
| hasTitle | Sergeant of Police ⓘ |
| humorStyle |
exaggerated cowardice
ⓘ
parody of police bravery ⓘ |
| inspiredByContext | Victorian British police stereotypes ⓘ |
| languageOfWork | English ⓘ |
| lawEnforcementBodyContext | local Cornish police ⓘ |
| medium | stage ⓘ |
| notableSong | When the foeman bares his steel ⓘ |
| occupation | police sergeant ⓘ |
| partOf | principal comic roles in The Pirates of Penzance ⓘ |
| performanceTradition | sung in English in most productions ⓘ |
| roleInPlot |
leader of a squad of policemen
ⓘ
provides comic relief ⓘ represents timid law enforcement ⓘ |
| settingContext | Cornwall NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| singsWith | police chorus ⓘ |
| stageTradition |
often costumed in Victorian police uniform
ⓘ
often portrayed with exaggerated physical comedy ⓘ |
| targetAudienceContext | 19th-century comic opera audiences ⓘ |
| themeContext |
incompetent law enforcement
ⓘ
satire of authority ⓘ |
| typicalVoiceType | bass-baritone ⓘ |
| workAuthorContext | Gilbert and Sullivan operas NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| workTypeContext | operetta ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.