Brainworm's Disguises
The imagery of Brainworm dressing up as a beggar-soldier, Formal, and a varlet is crucial to Jonson's humor. Brainworm is a simple servant, but he is cunning and manages to expose the foibles of his betters, doing so while ironically covering up his own identity. The audience thrills to the sight of the figure we know, dressed in different costumes and hamming it up for them.
Tobacco
Bobadil makes a tremendous deal out of his Trinadado tobacco, extolling its merits and puffing on it dramatically. This image reinforces his identity as a would-be man of leisure, a boaster and a ne'er-do-well. He blows smoke literally and idiomatically.
Swords
Swords are symbols (see that section of the Classic Note) but they are also literal props used by the characters to embellish and assert their manhood. Captain Bopbadil and Mattthew are always ready to boast with their blades, and Stephen desperately seeks an image of power and poise by purchasing Brainworm's "Toledo" rapier. Every time a sword comes out, though, something amusing usually happens—something that is also not what the person wielding it or bragging about it probably intended. The swords of these men are ineffectual, adding to the humorous natures of the characters.
Union
At the end of the play, the prevailing image is one of unity, harmony, and reconciliation. Jonson's had his fun with his characters, but he reconciles Dame Kitely and Kitely and Cob and Tib, marries Bridget and Edward, settles disputes among the men, and has Clement jokingly call Brainworm his own mistress. Though it's unlikely all these hotheaded and silly characters will remain on good terms, Jonson asserts the importance of patience, forgiveness, love, and peace.
