
PETER BELL THE THIRD.
By Percy Bysshe Shelley (Miching Mallecho)
DEDICATION. - TO THOMAS BROWN, ESQ., THE YOUNGER, H.F.
PROLOGUE.
PART 1. DEATH.
PART 2. THE DEVIL.
PART 3. HELL.
PART 4. SIN.
PART 5. GRACE.
PART 6. DAMNATION.
A mischievous, self‑referential satire unfolds as the narrator invites us into the bewildering world of Peter Bell the Third. Through a kaleidoscope of literary allusions—Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and classical epics—the text teases the listener with a portrait of a man who is at once many selves, a chameleon of personality and purpose. The opening frames Peter as the “dullest” of three equally puzzling counterparts, yet hints at a deeper, almost philosophical quest for identity amid a chaotic social scene. The tone oscillates between mock‑grandiloquence and witty commentary, setting the stage for a comic‑philosophical adventure.
In the first act, our guide, a flamboyant correspondent, presents Peter to an eccentric family while musings on the nature of reality, literature, and the absurdities of fame swirl around him. Listeners will encounter a blend of poetic fragments, faux‑epic declarations, and playful footnotes that challenge conventional storytelling. The result is a charmingly chaotic journey that invites you to linger over each twist of language as the mystery of the three Peters begins to unfold.
Language
en
Duration
~40 minutes (38K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Sue Asscher, and David Widger
Release date
2003-11-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1792–1822
A leading voice of English Romanticism, his poems unite beauty, rebellion, and big questions about freedom, nature, and human hope. Though he died at just 29, works like "Ozymandias" and "Ode to the West Wind" helped secure his lasting place in literature.
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