Take that Tories

For Mercy Otis Warren the play "The Group" represents many different attempts to make statements about current issues in the colonies. To write a satirical play about Tories at this time, especially for a woman, was a fairly daring feat. To begin with Warren has many of the Tory characters making statements that do not necessarily correspond to usual Tory beliefs. There is an admission that one character is only in it for the fame and fortune, while others express that the patriot cause is really right and just. Why would any Tory say such things? This seems odd that Warren would switch up the thinking from what we would expect. However, I believe that she did this with the audience in mind. The entertainment value of this must have been priceless. How amusing would it be to see the people that you despise the most saying the things that they would never ever say? In addition, how infuriating would it be for the Tories that were able to get their hands on this play to see the things that Warren was accusing them of saying and doing? I believe it would be just as entertaining as for us to see a play in which Duke students expressed how inferior they are to UNC students. Portraying the Tories in such a light was a real blow to their egos and their cause.
In addition, Warren is even more daring when she challenges the way women are viewed in the Revolution. When Hateall is discussing how he married a girl for her money and then proceeded to beat her he is making the Tories not only look ignorant, but sexist. By adding this into the conversations that were intended to be taken as ridiculous, Warren is showing that she does not support such attitudes. Perhaps Hateall's view describes the popular view at the time. I'm sure that women were considered useless for most of the American Revolution. However, Warren brings this up to show that she, and educated successful woman, is a complete contradiction of the women portrayed in this play.