A Mad World, My Masters is a city comedy play written by Thomas Middleton. It was published in the early 1600s. Thomas Middleton was a British playwright and poet who was very famous at his time and his works were viewed by many people. He came from the Jacobean period, a period from the Renaissance.
In terms of plot, A Mad World, My Masters depicts the normal life of a city or town in a comical, satirical way that does not make people get bored from it. Throughout the play, the audience can relate and laugh, even though the play might portray negative factors of the city. The play consists of five Acts, centering around Richard Follywit. Follywit is a typical person in the city whose grandfather has written everything to in his will. However, Follywit's grandfather does not give him any money when the he was alive. Also, Follywit is attracted to a woman called Mistress Hairbrain but can't get near her because her husband is very protective of her.
What's funny is that Hairbrain wants her wife and is sexually attracted to her only. In other words, he believes that his wife is paying the cost of shelter and food by fulfilling his sexual desires. Follywit now has two problems and tries to solve them using several witty ways. The first problem is his grandfather, and the second one is Mistress Hairbrain. The play continues to tell the audience how Follywit deals with the problems, introducing more characters into play and revealing more about the characters and their personalities.
