Portraying political theatre: parody and caricature, ancient and modern.

This article analyzes four nineteenth-century political cartoons by John Doyle and his son Richard, which draw on an eighteenth-century painting by Joshua Reynolds depicting the actor David Garrick caught between the personifications of Tragedy and Comedy. This visual motif traces back to the classical parable "Heracles at the Crossroads" by the Greek sophist Prodicus, symbolizing a choice between opposing paths. Doyle’s cartoons adapt this schema to portray British politicians positioned between allegorical figures representing political options or national interests, reflecting the emerging nineteenth-century perception of politics as theatrical performance. The article further explores the trope’s limited revival in early twentieth-century cartoons by Bernard Partridge, including depictions of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, before its eventual decline as political imagery evolved. The study situates these cartoons within broader historical and cultural contexts, emphasizing their role in illustrating changing attitudes toward political performance and choice.