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Who was Jonathan Wild in Henry Fielding’s novel?

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Henry Fielding, frontispiece to Fielding's Works (1st ed., 1762), engraving by James Basire after a drawing by William Hogarth — Henry Fielding Henry Fielding, frontispiece to Fielding's *Works* (1st ed., 1762), engraving by James Basire after a drawing by William Hogarth

In Henry Fielding’s 1743 novel, The Life of Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great, the title character is based on a real-life historical figure of the same name.12

The historical Jonathan Wild (c. 1682–1725) was a notorious English criminal who operated in early 18th-century London as a leader of thieves, an extortionist, and a fence for stolen goods. He was a master organizer who betrayed his own associates to the authorities when it suited his interests, leading to the execution of many criminals.1

In his novel, Fielding uses the life of this infamous criminal to craft a grim satire that employs a mock-heroic style. Through the character of Wild, Fielding explores the irony of human "greatness," drawing a derisive parallel between the criminal underworld and the political elite of England. By framing the criminal's life in this way, Fielding critiques the tendency to confuse true greatness with the mere exercise of power over others.23