The Squire Character Analysis in Joseph Andrews

Many characters harass Fanny on the road, but there is one squire who shows particular persistence in trying to kidnap her, sending many servants (including his captain) out to do the job. He owns some hunting dogs that attack Joseph Andrews and Abraham Adams, but he calls off the dogs and invites both men to dinner. Though he seems hospitable, it’s mostly all a ruse to get closer to Fanny—though in the end, he gets caught and his efforts fail.

The Squire Quotes in Joseph Andrews

The Joseph Andrews quotes below are all either spoken by The Squire or refer to The Squire. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Before we proceed any farther in this tragedy we shall leave Mr Joseph and Mr Adams to themselves, and imitate the wise conductors of the stage, who in the midst of a grave action entertain you with some excellent piece of satire or humour called a dance. Which piece, indeed, is therefore danced, and not spoke, as it is delivered to the audience by persons whose thinking faculty is by most people held to lie in their heels; and to whom, as well as heroes, who think with their hands, Nature hath only given heads for the sake of conformity, and as they are of use in dancing, to hang their hats on.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Abraham Adams, Joseph Andrews, Fanny (Frances Goodwill), The Squire

Page Number and Citation: 260

Explanation and Analysis:

The Squire Character Timeline in Joseph Andrews

The timeline below shows where the character The Squire appears in Joseph Andrews. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...He scares off one hound, then ruthlessly attacks several others that lunge at him. A squire who owns the hounds and some of the squire’s companions come up after the battle,... (full context)

The squire hesitates to criticize Joseph Andrews because he is still holding his cudgel. He and his... (full context)

The squire is a bachelor who is about 40 years old, and so he wants Fanny at... (full context)

...of Adams. Adams gets a little insulted and starts a long speech about manners. The squire tries to encourage Adams to fight, but eventually Adams makes peace with the other men. (full context)

...sit on the “throne,” but the blanket collapses, and he gets wet. Adams grabs the squire and pulls him into the tub as revenge, then he gets out of the tub... (full context)

The servants at the squire’s house want to keep Fanny there, but Abraham Adams is determined to leave, and Joseph... (full context)

When it’s nearly morning, Joseph Andrews wakes up at the inn and finds that the squire’s servants have come to try to take away Fanny. Abraham Adams wakes up and tries... (full context)

...bed posts, the narrator announces that there will be a brief interlude. One of the squire’s men is a poet and the other is an actor, and they each discuss poetry... (full context)

...that he may never see Fanny again, but Adams hopes that Fanny will teach the squire about patience. Adams continues to list reasons why it’s good to be hopeful, but Joseph... (full context)

Meanwhile, the squire’s captain takes Fanny back to the squire’s house, ignoring her wailing. On the road, the... (full context)

...Andrews is overjoyed at Fanny’s safe return. Peter Pounce greets his friend Abraham Adams. The squire’s poet and actor are nearby, and seeing the captain has been taken prisoner, they decide... (full context)

The Squire Character Analysis

The Squire Quotes in Joseph Andrews

Book 3, Chapter 10 Quotes

The Squire Character Timeline in Joseph Andrews