Bartholomew Fair: A Comedy by Ben Jonson

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.html.images 333 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.epub3.images 195 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.epub.images 195 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.epub.noimages 178 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.kf8.images 317 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.kindle.images 286 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49461.txt.utf-8 239 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49461/pg49461-h.zip 184 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Jonson, Ben, 1573?-1637
Title Bartholomew Fair: A Comedy
Note Reading ease score: 91.1 (5th grade). Very easy to read.
Credits Produced by Paul Haxo with special thanks to the Internet
Archive, the University of California, and Christopher
Webber.
Summary "Bartholomew Fair: A Comedy" by Ben Jonson is a comedic play written in the early 17th century. The play is set during the annual Bartholomew Fair in London and features a diverse array of characters such as the eager esquire Bartholomew Cokes, the proctor John Littlewit, and the "zealous" Rabbi Busy, each of whom contributes to the chaotic and lively atmosphere of the fair. The work explores themes of social interaction, morality, and the follies of human nature within a festive setting. At the start of "Bartholomew Fair," we are introduced to the bustling environment of the fair through the eyes of various characters waiting for the spectacle to unfold. The stage is set with descriptions of the characters, hinting at their motives and relationships, such as Bartholomew Cokes' plans to marry Grace Wellborn and Littlewit’s humorous observations on the chaos around him. The prologue also presents a playful tone, engaging the audience directly and setting expectations for the ensuing comedic antics. Through witty dialogue and lively interactions, particularly between characters like Littlewit, Winwife, and their suitors, the opening establishes a humorous critique of society's pretenses and the absurdities of the fair itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
Subject Comedies
Subject English drama -- 17th century
Category Text
EBook-No. 49461
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 524 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!