Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

WIN

in Bartholomew Fair — Jonson, Ben

Metadata

PlayBartholomew Fair
AuthorJonson, Ben
Year (catalogued)1631
First performance1614
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLady Elizabeth's Men
Speech prefix(es)WIN. | VVIN.
Words730
Characters3721
Typicality0.20 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA04633.1
BritDrama no.1757
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 10 (earine, jarbus, alack, vapours, mishap, hapless…). Matches are highlighted.

yonder! pray thee let's go enter our selves in Grace, with her. That conveyance was better then all, did you see't? he has given the purse to the ballad-singer. Alack, good Numps. It's true! but will you please to withdraw with us, a little, and make them think, they have lost you. I hope our man ners have been such hitherto,

Full speech

Come, indeed la, you are such a fool, still! You have a hight coal i'your mouth, now, you cannot hold. I'll tell him my self. Sir, my mother has had her natiuity-water cast lately by the Cunning men in Cow lane, and they have told her her for tune, and do ensure her, she shall never have happy hour; un less she marry within this sen'night, and when it is, it must be a Madman, they say. Yes, so the tother man of More-fields says. Where is she? stirring yet? Yes indeed, we have such a tedious life with him for his diet, and his clothes too, he breaks his buttons, and cracks seams at every saying he sobs out. No, he told my mother, a Proctor was a claw of the Beast, and that she had little less then committed abomination in marry king me so as she ha done. Why, John ! do you see this, John? look you! help me, John. Y'faith you are a fool, John. Alas, I am quite off that sent now. Yes, do John. I would I might John, but my mother will never con sent to such a profane motion : she will call it. No, I'll not make me unready for it. I can be Hypocrite enough, though I were never so straight laced. I, Let her alone, John, she is not a wise wilful widow for nothing, nor a sanctified sister for a song. And let me alone too, I have somewhat o'the mother in me, you shall see, fetch her, fetch her, ah, ah. Now, the blaze of the beauteous discipline, fright away this evil from our house! how now Win-the-fight, Child: how do you? Sweet child, speak to me. Yes, forsooth. (Uh, uh.) A profane black thing with a beard, John. Yes, a great deal, John, (uh, uh.) I, but i'the Fair, mother. Uh, uh. That these people should be so ignorant to think us chapmen for them! do we look as if we would buy Gingerbread? or Hobby-horses? Do not see him! he is the roaring horse-courser, pray thee let's avoid him: turn down this way. You may draw me to as likely and inconvenience, when you please, as this. Not of the company I am in, Sir, nor the place, I assure you. Mother o'the Furies, I think, by her firebrand. And inspired vessel of Kitchin-sluffe! And then he would be a fort'night weighing up again. Let's away, her language grows greasier then her Pigs. Pray thee, let's go. This is scurvy, that we must come into the Fair, and not look on't. I love not enterprises of that suddenness, though. What doe's he talk to himself, and act so seriously? poor fool! Was there ever such a self-affliction? and so imper tinent? How melancholi' Mistress Grace is yonder! pray thee let's go enter our selves in Grace, with her. That conveyance was better then all, did you see't? he has given the purse to the ballad-singer. Alack, good Numps. It's true! but will you please to withdraw with us, a little, and make them think, they have lost you. I hope our man ners have been such hitherto, and our language, as will give you no cause, to doubt your self, in our company. What say you, John? But we sha'not eat o'the Bull, and the Hog, John, how shall I long then? Yes John, but I know not what to do. For a thing, I am ashamed to tell you, faith, and it's too far to go home. Hang him, base Bobchin, I scorn him; no, I have very great, what shall call'um, John. Will you leave me alone with two men, John ? How, Sir? is and honest woman's life a scurvy life? What, and be honest still, that were fine sport. Lord, what a fool have I been! I wonder where Tom Quarlous is, that he returns not, it may be he is struck in here to seek us. Yes goodman. They do so all to be Madame me, I think they think me a very Lady! Must I put off my masque to him? How would my husband know me, then? Yes, a great deal. When will they begin, trow? in the name o'the Motion ? That's I, that's I. Numps is come! But do you think you can get one?

Plot summary

Plot — Bartholomew Fair
Bartholomew Cokes has two objectives in life: to visit the fair which shares his name, and to marry Grace Wellborn, who, as a ward, faces a financial penalty should she refuse. He sends his servant Wasp to Littlewit the proctor to obtain a marriage licence, but then, impatiently, comes himself. He brings Grace with him, and she attracts the interest of Winwife, present with his friend Quarlous as a suitor to Littlewit’s mother-in-law, Dame Purecraft. Littlewit is more interested in Cokes’s talk of the fair, having secretly written one of the puppet plays to be performed there. The only snag is that the puritanical Dame Purecraft will disapprove of their visit, thinking fairs profane. Busy, an elder of Purecraft’s church, advises the family that fairs may lawfully be visited for good reason, and comes along with them to partake of the pork. After some unfortunate experiences involving mistaken identity, Justice Overdo no longer trusts informers and has decided to do his spying personally. He visits the fair in disguise to seek out ‘enormities’ perpetrated by the fairground folk. He is impressed by one young man, Edgeworth, and decides to rescue him from the clutches of the cheaters; but he does not know that Edgeworth is a cutpurse. While Overdo is busy telling him about the wickedness of tobacco, Edgeworth steals Cokes’s purse; Overdo gets the blame. When it happens a second time, Overdo is arrested and put in the stocks. There he encounters the madman Trouble-All, who persistently demands Overdo’s warrant for any action; it transpires that he was a court official driven out of his mind by Overdo’s own actions. The watchmen, concerned to get better authority, release Overdo from the stocks for the time being. Meanwhile, the Littlewits arrive at the fair, but Busy becomes over-excited in his condemnation, attacks the fairground booths, and is arrested; Dame Purecraft goes after him, leaving Littlewit and Win free to enjoy themselves. Edgeworth tricks Wasp into making affidavit so that, at Quarlous’s instigation, he can steal Cokes’s marriage licence. Wasp too is arrested and put in the stocks, but escapes by a ruse when Overdo and Busy are put in beside him. The women visitors to the fair are separated from the men. Littlewit leaves Win in the care of two fairground bawds while he goes off to check the arrangements for his puppet show. Cokes abandons Grace and Mistress Overdo to try and get back his stolen property. Desperate for the toilet, Mistress…