Finding T.S. Eliot's "Little Devils": Marionettes and Sweeney Agonistes.

This article examines the significant yet underexplored role of the puppet and puppet-like aesthetics in T.S. Eliot’s early dramatic work, particularly in his first play, *Sweeney Agonistes* (1926–27). It argues that Eliot’s fascination with grotesque, inhuman, and stylized modes of performance—shaped by his critical writings and modernist theatre’s broader engagement with puppetry—informed the play’s rhythmic, mechanical dialogue and its characters’ puppet-like qualities. Drawing on archival materials and production histories, the article highlights how early stagings, especially those directed by Hallie Flanagan and Rupert Doone in the 1930s, made explicit the play’s puppet-inflected dramaturgy through stylized movement, masks, and sound design. Ultimately, it contends that although Eliot later abandoned this puppet-inspired approach, the puppet figure was foundational to his initial theatrical experiments and aesthetic ideals of performance.