Standing on One's Face (Metaphor)
When Quarlous describes his distaste for Zeal-of-the-Land Busy, he explains that he is someone who "stands upon his face" (1.1) rather than his faith, as Busy claims to do. This remark is a metaphor for Busy's prioritization of his appearance and reputation over honest moral rectitude.
Bees (Metaphor)
When Wasp talks about his master, Cokes, he mentions how the master is easy to influence and how if he were to hear something, he would repeat that thing almost immediately, without thinking about what he is saying. Wasp claims that his master’s head is full of bees. Here, Wasp uses a metaphor to suggest that Cokes is foolish and unable to think for himself.
Overdo's Quest (Metaphor)
During the fair, Justice Overdo disguises himself as a fool in order to better traverse the fair unrecognized so that he can more effectively punish those who break the law. He justifies this behavior by saying, "We hear with other men's ears; we see with other men's eyes" (2.1). In this metaphor, Justice Overdo suggests that, as a law enforcement official, he is used to making decisions based only on what others have seen and heard, without experiencing crime firsthand.
The Contract (Metaphor)
At the beginning of the play, the Scrivener reads a lengthy contract aloud to the audience, informing them what they have agreed to see and how they have agreed to behave over the course of the play. This contract between the audience and the actors is a metaphor for the social contract that exists among the characters in the play as they traverse the fair. Just as characters perceive the fair as a form of escape from the pressures of London society, so too does Jonson encourage his audience to see the theater as a respite from Puritanical enforcement.
Quarlous's Forgetfulness (Metaphor)
In Littlewit's office at the beginning of the play, Littlewit asks Quarlous if he remembers the conversation they had the previous night. Quarlous joyfully admits that he does not, and that he is frequently forgetful when he is "a little stained" (1.1). Quarlous uses a metaphor to refer to himself with religious language – stained by sin – to suggest that he was inebriated the night before and cannot recall what he and Littlewit discussed.
