Of all of Jonson's plays, Bartholomew Fair with its focus on the conflict between a carnivalesque enjoyment of the flesh and society's desire for order and control, speaks most directly to the modern audience. This edition is the first to use the findings of feminist scholarship in examining the play's concern with forced marriage, pregnancy, sexual commerce and widowhood. Glosses and notes are provided for students and theatre-goers clarifying the language and dialects Jonson uses to individualise the characters in his prose masterpiece and helpfully explicating layers of meaning and topical references.