Punch himself is based on the Commedia dell'arte character, Pulcinella or Punchinello, to whom has been added many of the characteristics of the medieval English fool or jester. In the play, which is often coarse and satirical, Punch first kills his infant child when the baby will not stop crying. He then beats his wife to death. He outwits the hangman who hangs himself and finally vanquishes the devil through either trickery or through combat. His cleverness, cunning, and confidence enable him to triumph over every adversary.
Crime does pay.
Punch was to survive for 150 years and become famous for its satirical humour and caricatures. Henry Mayhew, whose interview with the Punchman has been mentioned above, was one of the first editors of the radical weekly. From 1849 until 1956 the cover was one designed by Richard Doyle and featuring the traditional figures of Punch and his dog Toby. Although the plots vary from one version to the next, the nineteenth century play usually included, in addition to Punch and Judy, Judy s ghost, the baby, Toby the Dog, the Beadle, the black servant, the Hangman and the Devil. With the exception of Toby these were puppets, but by the nineteenth century it had become a common, if not universal practice, to have a real dog playing the role of Toby.