Bartholomew Fair Overview

What setting is the play centered around?

Who interrupts the state manager during his speech?

What is one of the primary narrative strands involving Zeal-of-the-Land Busy?

What happens to Cokes during the course of the play?

How does Justice Adam Overdo disguise himself?

What is the final act of the play centered around?

What does Justice Overdo conclude about his concerns regarding the fair?

What role does the prompter play in the beginning of the performance?

Which character experiences a loss both in love and material possessions?

What overarching theme is explored through the narrative's interactions?

Setting and Context

The play is set during the Bartholomew Fair on August 24th in Smithfield.
The fair is the namesake of the play.

Characters and their Plots

Zeal-of-the-Land Busy: A hypocritical Puritan who pursues Dame Purecraft.
Dame Purecraft: A woman pursued by Zeal-of-the-Land Busy.
Cokes: A character who loses his betrothed, Grace Wellborn, to Winwife.
Grace Wellborn: Cokes' betrothed who elopes with Winwife.
Winwife: The man who elopes with Grace Wellborn.
Justice Adam Overdo: A character who goes undercover at the fair to investigate its "enormities."
Cokes: Loses both his love interest and his worldly possessions during the play.

Play's Structure and Content

The play features a multitude of intertwining smaller plots.
Humor and entertainment are generated through colorful characters and rapid setting changes.
The play features two primary narrative strands: Zeal-of-the-Land Busy's pursuit of Dame Purecraft, and Cokes' loss of Grace Wellborn to Winwife.
Justice Overdo's undercover investigation ultimately lands him shackled in the stocks.
The final act includes a puppet show based on Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander.

The Play's Commentary

The play features a debate between a puppet and Zeal-of-the-Land Busy over the morality of theater and play-acting.
Justice Overdo realizes that his concerns about the wrongdoing at the fair were unfounded.

Explore the characters and plots of 'Bartholomew Fair', a play set during the famous fair in Smithfield. Examine the humorous twists involving characters like Zeal-of-the-Land Busy and Grace Wellborn, as well as the intertwining narratives that create an entertaining atmosphere.