Pork (Symbol)
Littlewit uses his wife, Win, to argue his presence at the fair. He sends Win to tell her mother she wants to go to the fair to eat pork because she is craving it. Likewise, Busy argues that attending the fair and eating pork will be an effective way to repudiate Judaism, as Jews are not supposed to include pork in their diet. The pork becomes a symbol of the excessive and pleasurable nature of the fair, which certain characters attempt to disguise as necessity.
Alcohol (Symbol)
Alcohol appears in every act of the play as characters drift in and out of the bar area. Over the course of the play, alcohol becomes a symbol of socialization, as characters who do not know each other establish new acquaintances over drinks. Alcohol is also a symbol of freedom and transgression, exemplified most clearly through Justice Overdo's dismay that Ursla, a woman, is drinking and smoking among the men.
Warrants (Symbol)
Warrants are an ironic symbol of authority in the play. Trouble-All spends the fourth and fifth acts demanding warrants from everyone he talks to, ultimately rendering the concept of a warrant – and therefore the concept of policing during the fair – completely nonsensical and useless.
Marriage License (Symbol)
The marriage license originally belonging to Bartholomew Cokes is a recurring symbol in the play. As the license passes through a a number of different hands and is ultimately rendered ineffectual once Grace Welborn chooses Winwife, the marriage represents the chaotic machinations at work during the fair. In this particular instance, the circulation of the license among multiple men emphasizes the male characters' perception of eligible women as commodities to be exchanged for profit.
Disguises (Motif)
Disguises are a recurring motif in the play, evidenced most clearly by Justice Overdo's disguise as a fool as he attempts to expose the debauchery at Bartholomew Fair. Other examples of disguises include Quarlous stealing Trouble-All's clothing and Ursla dressing up Win Littlewit and Mistress Overdo as prostitutes. Disguises help contribute to the play's sense of inverted social order, as they temporarily alter hierarchies of power.
