The story begins with Jabez Stone struggling to make ends meet on his farm in New Hampshire. Desperate for a way out of his financial woes, he turns to the devil, who offers to grant him seven years of prosperity in exchange for his soul. Stone agrees to the deal and is immediately rewarded with a series of good fortune, including a sudden increase in his crop yield and the discovery of a rich vein of gold on his land.
However, as the years pass, Stone begins to regret his decision. He becomes more and more isolated from his family and community, and his wealth begins to bring him more problems than joy. When the devil comes to collect on the deal, Stone seeks help from Daniel Webster, a renowned lawyer and orator who is known for his ability to sway juries with his powerful arguments.
Webster agrees to represent Stone in his case against the devil, and the two engage in a dramatic courtroom battle that is filled with wit and eloquence. In the end, Webster is able to outmaneuver the devil and save Stone's soul, much to the delight of the gathered crowd.
Overall, The Devil and Daniel Webster is a cautionary tale about the dangers of making deals with the devil and the power of determination and wit in overcoming even the most formidable foes. It is a classic tale that has continued to captivate readers for generations, and its themes of temptation, regret, and redemption are still relevant today.
The Devil and Daniel Webster Summary
Scratch insists on his citizenship, citing his presence at the worst events in the history of the U. Successful Daniel Webster thinks he can. It's an entertaining, fast read. . On Broadway very briefly, Scratch starred Will Geer in the title role and Patrick Magee as Webster. During his time at Yale, he was an influential figure at the 'Yale Lit' literary magazine, and a fellow member of the Elizabethan Club. The jury announces its verdict: "We find for the defendant, Jabez Stone.
It will seem remarkably familiar to most readers because this theme has been copied and repeated so many times in popular culture in films and stories. And it's also fun. For there was Walter Butler, the Loyalist, who spread fire and horror through the Mohawk Valley in the times of the Revolution; and there was Simon Girty, the renegade, who saw white men burned at the stake and whooped with the Indians to see them burn. . .
Read The Devil and Daniel Webster PAGE 5 by Stephen Vincent Benet
Of course this involved a time expiration, which Farmer Jabez Stone filed away in a dark corner of his mind, Until. Hailed by the New York Times as "an American Iliad," John Brown's Body 1929 is an epic chronicle of the Civil War, from the raid on Harper's Ferry to General Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Classifying the jurors as "Americans" involves a wider definition, including all who had a part in its history — even those who lived and died as English subjects before 1775, the Loyalists who actively opposed the creation of the U. This is an anachronism, as the historical Daniel Webster would have been unlikely to express such an opinion. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince.
You can find it online here: A snappy and ironic short story about American patriotism. Scratch comes for Stone's soul at the appointed time, and Stone bargains for more years. The devil then provides the worst from Webster's perspective and certainly, they are in Hell examples of Americans for the judge and jury. Of course this involved a time expiration, which Farmer Jabez Stone filed away in a dark corner of his mind, Until. .
Read The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet
It is a fun, easy, quick read at less than thirty pages, but I wish the story had been more fleshed out with more depth and with a more serious tone. And, as he stood looking at the plowshare, the off horse began to cough—that ropy kid of cough that means sickness and horse doctors. I'm often called that in Old Scratch. After that Scratch refuses an extension. The real Senator Daniel Webster sold his vote to moneyed interests.
But notice is always taken, sooner or later, just like the Good Book says. Daniel Webster was not only the governor but an excellent orator. . He never got to be President, but he was the biggest man. Scratch tells Webster, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. His education came from Yale University and the Sorbonne in Paris, France.
