Bartholomew Fair Essay Questions

What is a city comedy and how does Bartholomew Fair fall into this genre?

Ben Jonson is credited with the invention of the city comedy. City comedies are plays that feature lower- or working-class characters (as opposed to nobility or royalty), take place in London, have realistic plots (i.e., no supernatural forces or magic), and are usually satirical in tone. Bartholomew Fair subscribes to the genre of city comedy because it involves all of these elements. It is especially realistic because it takes place at a real fair that happened every year in London until the nineteenth century.

What is a proselyte and why is Zeal-of-the-Land Busy called one?

A proselyte is someone who converted from one religion to another. In the Christian Bible, the term was used to refer positively to someone who became a Christian. As time passed, the word developed a more negative connotation and was used to refer to someone who abandoned their religion in hopes of achieving some type of advantage by adhering to another. Zeal-of-the-Land Busy is called a proselyte in the play, suggesting that his staunch Puritanism was self-motivated and hypocritical.

What is the play critiquing?

Ben Jonson's plays are known for their biting and satirical tones, wherein every character is subject to judgment and criticism. This is important to remember for Bartholomew Fair, as the play does not just criticize Overdo and Busy (the perceived authority figures) but other characters as well (Cokes, Wasp, Littlewit, etc.). Thus, the play is mostly interested in critiquing the relationship between appearance and reality, or more specifically the hypocritical behavior that emerges when pleasurable occasions arise (like the fair). The play pokes fun at many characters throughout, but ultimately passes judgment on those who themselves attempt to pass judgment on fun and entertainment.

Why is the play often considered experimental?

Bartholomew Fair is known as one of Ben Jonson's most experimental comedies, and with good reason. It is organized in such a way that audiences will likely struggle to keep up: there are numerous plots, even more characters, and so many rapid setting changes that one gets the sense they are actually watching the chaos of the fair progress before them. In addition, the play's induction, or prologue, features three characters who meta-theatrically discuss the merits of the play and playwright, opening up the performance for critique before it has even begun.

How are women portrayed in the play?

The women in Bartholomew Fair are largely bystanders to the scheming and deception plots of the male characters. The notable female characters in the play include Win Littlewit, Dame Purecraft, Grace Welborn, and Ursla. In many ways, women are portrayed as commodities to be exchanged at will – especially through the plot surrounding Grace Welborn and her impending marriage. However, the play equally critiques those characters who perceive women as such. Thus, women are treated with surprising equity in the play, in that they are just as subject to embarrassment and antics (it is, after all, Mistress Overdo who throws up on her husband at the end of the play) as the male characters.