Names
Jonson is famous for the use of names in his plays, specifically names that comment ironically on the nature of characters' personalities. Bartholomew Fair features some unique and deeply ironic names that readers will likely note right away. Some of these names include Littlewit, Purecraft, Overdo, and Trouble-All, which suggest what these characters will be like even before the audience gets to observe their behavior at the fair.
Zeal-of-the-Land Busy
Zeal-of-the-Land Busy is one of the central ironies of the play, as he is a Puritanical hypocrite. Busy spends the entire fair preaching against the sinful behavior he sees all around him while happily participating in that behavior himself. Eventually, he winds up in the stocks. Busy's character becomes a commentary on the deceptive and self-serving nature of religious zealots, which were prevalent in Jacobean England.
Justice Overdo
Another ironic character is Justice Overdo, who disguises himself as a fool in order to more effectively judge those around him. However, the irony of his plan is that it works too well: nobody recognizes the justice and therefore his authority is completely ignored. Overdo, too, winds up in the stocks, emphasizing the inverted hierarchy of power in which the play delights.
Truth Tellers
Despite the play's focus on debauchery, pleasure, indulgence, and fun, there are a few characters who speak truthfully and wisely about their fellow fair-goers. The two most notable examples of these social observers are Quarlous and Trouble-All. Ironically, however, Quarlous is an overindulgent drinker who takes part in the scheming to steal Cokes's marriage license, and Trouble-All is generally considered insane by everyone else at the fair.
