Sergeant of Police

E513108

Sergeant of Police is a comic character in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," known for his exaggeratedly timid and bumbling approach to law enforcement.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Sergeant of Police canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf comic character ⓘ
fictional character ⓘ
operetta character ⓘ
police officer ⓘ
appearsIn The Pirates of Penzance ⓘ
associatedWith Gilbert and Sullivan ⓘ
characterTrait bumbling ⓘ
comic ⓘ
cowardly ⓘ
good-natured ⓘ
timid ⓘ
comicDevice contrast between duty and fear ⓘ
mock-heroic language ⓘ
commandedGroup Cornish policemen ⓘ
countryOfOriginContext United Kingdom ⓘ
createdBy Arthur Sullivan ⓘ
W. S. Gilbert ⓘ
dramaticFunction heightens absurdity of pirates vs. police conflict ⓘ
fictionalUniverse The Pirates of Penzance universe ⓘ
firstPerformanceDateContext 31 December 1879 ⓘ
firstPerformancePlaceContext Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York City ⓘ
firstPerformanceWork The Pirates of Penzance ⓘ
genre comic opera ⓘ
hasRank sergeant ⓘ
hasTitle Sergeant of Police ⓘ
humorStyle exaggerated cowardice ⓘ
parody of police bravery ⓘ
inspiredByContext Victorian British police stereotypes ⓘ
languageOfWork English ⓘ
lawEnforcementBodyContext local Cornish police ⓘ
medium stage ⓘ
notableSong When the foeman bares his steel ⓘ
occupation police sergeant ⓘ
partOf principal comic roles in The Pirates of Penzance ⓘ
performanceTradition sung in English in most productions ⓘ
roleInPlot leader of a squad of policemen ⓘ
provides comic relief ⓘ
represents timid law enforcement ⓘ
settingContext Cornwall ⓘ
singsWith police chorus ⓘ
stageTradition often costumed in Victorian police uniform ⓘ
often portrayed with exaggerated physical comedy ⓘ
targetAudienceContext 19th-century comic opera audiences ⓘ
themeContext incompetent law enforcement ⓘ
satire of authority ⓘ
typicalVoiceType bass-baritone ⓘ
workAuthorContext Gilbert and Sullivan operas ⓘ
workTypeContext operetta ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Pirates of Penzance → hasCharacter → Sergeant of Police ⓘ