The Devil
| Punch and Judy characters: | Punch - Judy - The Baby - The Clown - The Constable - The Hangman - The Devil - The Crocodile - The Doctor - The Forgotten Characters |
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The Devil is a character whose role within the Punch and Judy show has changed over the years.
Originally there was a "morality play" aspect to the shows, and Punch would be hauled off to hell by the Devil at the end of the story, but during the mid 18th Century the story evolved, and instead of Punch being punished for his crimes, he would instead triumph over the Devil and end the story victorious.
This was popular to such a degree that Professors who wished to keep the original moral would be "lamentably pelted with mud." [1].
In modern times the role of the Devil is unsure. Some Professors keep him as part of the Show (seeing him as an instrumental part of the narrative) while others have removed him as the audiences have changed from adults to children, and it is felt that the Devil might be a bit too scary. In a lot of ways The Crocodile has taken the Devil's role as the true opponent to Punch, unlike the easily defeated threats of Jack Ketch or The Policeman.
