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Primary sourceBook1772

The Adulateur

Mercy Otis Warren · 1772

A 1772 satirical play by Mercy Otis Warren portraying Thomas Hutchinson as the tyrant 'Rapatio.'

This play attacks Hutchinson directly, portraying him as the tyrant 'Rapatio' and showing how his opponents depicted him.

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About this source

What it is

The Adulateur is a satirical play written by Mercy Otis Warren in 1772. In it, the author portrays Thomas Hutchinson, thinly disguised as the character 'Rapatio,' as a tyrannical ruler oppressing a free people.

Why it matters

Warren was a sharp critic of British colonial rule, and her play is an example of literary propaganda used against royal officials like Hutchinson in the years before the Revolution. It shows how Hutchinson was publicly depicted by his political opponents, and how writers used drama to shape opinion against figures connected to the Crown.

Look closer

  • Why might Warren have chosen to disguise Hutchinson under a different name rather than naming him directly?
  • What words or images does the opening use to describe the colony's situation, and what feelings are they meant to provoke?
  • How does a satirical play like this differ from a historical document as a source about Hutchinson?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Hutchinson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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