Ben Jonson Everyman in His Humour (Synopsis of Scenes up to 3.5)1
The Prologue marks the change between the 1598 version of EMI and this 1616 Folio
version. Instead of Italy, the scene is set now in London, and the action of the play will
feature, “deeds and language such as men do use/ And persons such as Comedy would
choose” (21-22)
1.1 Old Knowell asks Brainworm, the servant of his household (outside London), to call his
son Edward Knowell, unless he is at his study (Ed is portrayed this as a ‘gentlemanly’
scholar). Stephen (cousin to the Knowells, and a ‘country gull’) enters the scene, asking for a
book on hunting and hawking, and Old Knowell calls him a ‘prodigal, absurd coxcomb’(47).
1.2 A servant comes to the Knowell country household, asking for Edward Knowell. This
servant first makes a fool of Stephen, and then encounters Old Knowell who intercepts a
letter that the servant was meant to deliver to his son (saying, indeed, that he is Edward
Knowell too). The letter is from ‘Master Wellbred’ a city-gentleman and friend to Ed
Knowell. Old Knowell reads the letter, which employs Ed Knowell to come to London to
revel in the city’s delights (and make fun of the fools there) and is composed in an overtly
familiar style. Old Knowell is not pleased, “Why what unhallowed ruffian would have writ /
In such a scurrilous manner to a friend?”(85-6). He asks Brainworm to deliver the letter to
Ed, and to not let him know that he intercepted and read it.
1.3 Brainworm delivers the letter to its intended recipient, but lets Ed know that Old Knowell
has read it. Ed reads the letter, laughing, while Stephen talks to Bainworm. Ed makes plans to
go to London (to the ‘Old Jewry’ where Wellbred has asked) and asks Stephen to accompany
him.
1.4 In London, Matthew the ‘town gull’ calls on Cob (the waterbearer). After some banter, he
asks if Cob knows the current lodgings of Bobadill (a ‘Paul’s man’, that is, an unsavoury
type, and an ex-soldier). It turns out that he is lodging in Cob’s house, and is currently in his
room (presumed to be passed-out-drunk).
1.5 Matthew finds Bobadill ‘lying on his bench’ and calling for Cob’s wife, Tib, to bring him
a beer. Matthew enters (holding a book) and Bobadill tells him about dining (and drinking)
with some gallants (including Wellbred) the previous night. They ‘discuss’ the book
(probably Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy) and (mis)quote lines. Then they talk about Wellbred’s
older half brother, Downright, as Matthew has been hanging around him recently. They
discuss ‘gallantry’ whilst fencing with bedstaffs, and then head off to a tavern to meet up
with Wellbred.
2.1 In another area of the city, the merchant Kitley, his ‘man’ (a bastard that Kitley brought
up) Cash, and Downright (Kitley’s brother-in-law, and as previously stated, Wellbred’s half
brother) enter. Kitley tells Downright that Wellbred has recently, “declined in what he was /
And greatly altered in his disposition.”(39-40). The big problem that Kitley has with this is
that Wellbred makes his house “common as a mart, / A theatre, a public receptacle / for giddy
1
Folio (1616) edition from Ben Jonson. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson. Vol 4. David Bevington,
Martin Butler, and Ian Donaldson, Eds. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.) pp. 629-728
humour and diseased riot.”(57-9) and he asks Downright is there is anything he can do about
Wellbred’s behaviour. Downright becomes increasingly angry about this, asking why Kitley
hasn’t done anything about it. Kitley comes up with feeble reasons: that Downright is his
brother, so he has more authority to tell Wellbred to stop (and that Kitley himself would look
like a jealous fool, guarding his wife and sister (Bridget) if he were to banish Wellbred from
his house). Downright seems to agree.
2.2 Matthew and Bobadill enter and ask Downright (and then Kitley) if Wellbred is around.
Kitley tells them that he is not. They leave, but not without insulting Downright, “These are
my brother’s consorts, these! ... He’s a gallant, a cavaliero too, right hangman cut!”(23/24).
Kitley suggests that instead of ranting about Wellbred and his unsavoury company, that there
is some other “soft, persuading way”(33) to get back at them. Downright agrees, the bell
rings for their breakfast, and Kitley asks Downright to keep Mistress Kitley ‘company’
because he is heading out.
2.3 Cob passes by Kitley on the street, carrying water. Kitley tells him that he wishes that
Wellbred had never come to lodge/revel at his house. He lets Cob know his fears of
cuckoldry due to this movement in and out of his house. Dame Kitley and Bridget enter, and
Dame Kitley asks her husband if he will come to breakfast (calling him both
‘sweetheart’/‘muss’ in their brief encounter). He is paranoid that she has overheard what he
said to Cob. He feigns sickness, and she agrees that his forehead is warm—and he takes this
for ‘subtlety’. And, because she asks him to come in out of the ‘air’, he thinks she has
‘caught wind’ of his suspicions of adultery, and begins to convince himself that he is being
cuckolded, “For like a pestilence it doth infect / the houses of the brain,”(62-3).
2.4 Brainworm enters (disguised as a ‘wounded veteran’) and ruminates over the plan Old
Knowell has to follow his son Ed to London (to see what he gets up to). Old Knowell wants
Brainworm to intercept Ed and Stephen, in this disguise, and steal enough from them that
they have to return home. Ed and Stephen enter, and Stephen has ‘lost his purse’…but not
really, he finds it. Brainworm (still disguised as a soldier) re-enters the scene and asks if they
would buy his blade. Ed is dubious, asking where he has campaigned (to which Brainworm
lists pretty much every battle he can think of, it seems). Stephen is not so cunning, and asks
how much the rapier costs. Ed says he should not buy it, but Stephen has decided to anyway
(he thinks that Ed wants to buy it too). Stephen tells Brainworm to follow them into the city.
2.5 Old Knowell is still upset about the letter that Wellbred wrote to Ed. He rants about the
vices of the young, and says that fathers teach their sons these methods of vicious behaviour
in their own actions, and he hopes it is not too late for his own son. Brainworm enters (still
disguised as a soldier) and begs for money. Old Knowell says he has no time for him and
chastises him for begging. Brainworm finally convinces Old Knowell to have him in his
service, and Brainworm then laughs at his own cunning deceit.
3.1 Matthew, Wellbred, and Bobadill are met, presumably, in the Old Jewry. The two gulls
ask why Wellbred was not at Kitley’s home when they called earlier, and then start to say
rude things about Downright. Wellbred is not please with this and asks for ‘some other
discourse’, when Ed Knowell and Stephen enter. Wellbred welcomes his friend and Ed tells
him how his father intercepted the ‘rare letter’ he sent. Wellbred wants to know Old
Knowell’s reaction to the letter and what he must think of him, which Ed states, “Marry, that
thou art some strange, dissolute young fellow, and I a grain or two better for keeping thee
company.”(44-5) Wellbred notices Stephen, and introduces Bobadill and Matthew.
3.2 Brainworm enters (still in the soldier disguise) and Stephen confronts him for selling a
dodgy rapier. Ed and Wellbred say that there is nothing more to be done about it. It is clear
that Ed and Wellbred have brought these ‘gulls’ (Matthew, Bobadill, and Stephen) to one
another to make fun of them in each other’s company. Ed asks Wellbred (about Stephen),
“Sirrah, how dost thou like him?” to which Wellbred replies, “Oh, it’s a most precious fool!
Make much on him. I can compare him to nothing more happily than a drum, for everyone
may play upon him.”(18-21). They are interrupted in their joking by Brainworm, who reveals
his identity to Ed Knowell. He tells Ed that Old Knowell made him follow Ed and Stephen
(in disguise) and now waits for Brainworm at the home of Justice Clement (the ‘merry
magistrate’). Brainworm promises to tell Ed everything that his father has been up to, and
Wellbred asks Brainworm to come with them.
3.3 Kitley tries to decide whether or not to leave his home: he has business to do, but he is so
fearful of cuckoldry, he paces in front of his own door worried that he might take too long
conducting business that he will be cuckolded in the meantime, “No, fleering Opportunity, I
will not give your subtlety that scope.”(13-4) He tried to decide with Cash’s help, asking
what the time is, fearing that Wellbred will be home soon. He tells Cash that he has a secret
to divulge, but is fearful that Cash will not swear to keep it. Once Cash swears, he still
questions his reliability, “[Aside] But whether his oath can bind him, yea or no, / Being not
taken lawfully?”(107-8) and comes to the conclusion that he will tell him the secret later. He
asks Cash to watch the house (and Dame Kitley) and to remember where he is off to (the
Exchange) and if there is anything amiss at his home to go to the Exchange or to Justice
Clement’s home. He says that this is not the big secret that he wants to tell.
3.4 Cob enters, ranting about fasting days, unaware of Cash in front of the house. Cash asks
what moves him to ‘this choler’ and Cob replies that he has no ‘collar’, though he fetches
water for others. They then play with the words rheum/humour, and Cash says that an ill
humour is fed by folly. Cob says he will ‘have none of it’, and that he is upset about fasting
days. He brings a fish out from his pocket… they are interrupted in their rants and jesting by
the group of men approaching Kitley’s house (that is, Wellbred, Ed Knowell, Brainworm,
Babadill, Matthew, and Stephen). Cob exits, noting that he must alert Kitley as the gallants
descend upon his household.
[And this is where we pick up…]