Bartholomew Fair

A Riotous London Spectacle

Step into the raucous heart of early 17th-century London with Bartholomew Fair, Ben Jonson’s vibrant comedy of manners and market merriment. First staged in 1614 and now presented in this 1977 Norton edition, Jonson’s sharp wit and keen social observation bring the sprawling fairground alive: hawkers shout their wares, acrobats dazzle, and pickpockets prowl amid the scented booths of gingerbread and exotic spices. The play’s bustling setting becomes a microcosm of Jacobean society, where class boundaries blur and human folly is exposed in uproarious detail.

Courtship Amidst Chaos

At the heart of the fair’s bedlam is the tender thread of romance, as young romantic suitors chase love through jam-packed stalls and secret glens. The earnest Ralph and the clever Winifred negotiate promises beneath the shadow of St. Bartholomew’s, while disguises and mistaken identities lead to a cascade of comic misunderstandings. Jonson balances bawdy humor with moments of genuine emotion, reminding us that even in the thick of revelry, the human heart seeks connection and truth.

Satire With Sharp Wit

Jonson’s razor-sharp pen spares no one: hypocritical Puritans, unscrupulous quacks, and mercenary fortune-tellers all come under his satirical gaze. Through ribald verses and eloquent exchanges, he skewers the pretensions of his contemporaries, exposing how greed, gullibility, and vanity thrive beneath the guise of piety. The play’s richly drawn characters—from the pompous Zeal-of-the-Land Busy to the cunning Justice Overdo—reveal timeless insights into the spectacle of public life.

A Timeless Stage Masterpiece

This Norton edition combines authoritative text with illuminating annotations, offering readers and performers a clear window into Jonson’s original language and theatrical conventions. Whether you’re a scholar of Renaissance drama or a theatre enthusiast, Bartholomew Fair promises a rollicking journey through history’s greatest street carnival. . Author’s description.