Puck — April 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Beginning of Their End" - Puck Magazine, April 1877 This cartoon depicts a woman (labeled with a sash, likely representing Justice or Lady Liberty) pointing accusingly at a bearded man in formal dress, while soldiers appear in the background. The Shakespeare quote beneath—"Tremble, thou wretch, / That hast within thee undivulged crime— / Unwhipp'd of justice"—suggests the cartoon critiques unpunished wrongdoing. The specific historical context remains unclear from the image alone, but given the 1877 date and invocation of justice, this likely references post-Reconstruction politics, possibly commenting on corruption or crimes by political figures escaping accountability. The woman's pointing gesture and the soldiers suggest themes of law enforcement and moral reckoning. Without additional context about contemporary scandals, the exact target cannot be definitively identified.