Discover a new way to read classics with Quick Read.
This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter.
- Reading time of the complete text: about 4 hours
- Reading time of the summarized text: 3 minutes

"Bartholomew Fair" is a Jacobean comedy written by Ben Jonson. Set at the Bartholomew Fair in London, the play offers a detailed and diverse portrayal of early seventeenth-century city life. It explores social, religious, and political conflicts of the time. The play begins with metadrama, where the stage-keeper criticizes the lack of romantic elements. The story follows characters like Littlewit, Quarlous, and Winwife as they plot to win over Dame Purecraft from the hypocritical Puritan, Zeal-of-the-Land Busy. The fair becomes a catalyst for the characters' experiences and challenges their social identities. The play satirizes Puritans, who were often seen as threats to the English Church and the theatre. "Bartholomew Fair" premiered in 1614 and had sporadic revivals over the years. It has been praised for its inventiveness and was performed at various theatres, including the Royal Shakespeare Company.