Poetry
There is much discussion and recitation of poetry in the play, but Jonson makes sure to distinguish between what is good and what is bad about both the verse and the versifier. Matthew, for example, vexes people with his poems and is proven to be a plagiarizer. Edward is also interested in poetry but is not boastful about it, knowing he has much to learn. Clement is a natural poet, able to recite lines extempore. At the end of the play when he exposes Matthew's falseness, he burns the man's collection of pilfered poems and comments, "There goes more to the making of a good / poet, than a sheriff" (91). Jonson cares deeply about poetry being a positive in society, and did not miss his chance to skewer those who practiced it incorrectly in his mind.
Mankind's Follies and Foibles
What makes the play so amusing and universal is Jonson's presentation of mankind's follies and foibles. In the play we see jealousy, hubris, hotheadedness, ignorance, irascibility, prevarication, and more. The characters behave in ridiculous, disreputable ways and cause problems for themselves and for others. Their behavior can be said to reflect on society as a whole, and their comeuppances are important because they not only keep order in the individual's life but in society itself.
The Power of the Law
Clement is not a saint, but he is close to one. Seen by critics as a deus ex machina figure in his almost single-handed resolution of all the play's conflicts, Clement personifies the law, justice, and mercy. He is intelligent and educated, wise and thoughtful. He brooks no ridiculousness, and spends his lines in the play distributing advice, condemnation, and punishment depending on the "crime" that comes before him. He is depicted as fair and his decisions as restorative for society as a whole.
Youth v. Old Age
Knowell, Downright, and Kitely are not comfortable with the behavior of the young men in their households, even though none of that behavior is actually proven to cause harm. They object to the mannerisms, the confidence, the "louche" enjoyment of life the men evince. Knowell worries his son will be carried away into debauchery, Kitely assumes his wife will fall prey to the men's advances, and Downright, though less concerned than the other men, rebukes Wellbred for his behavior. The old rarely understand the young even though they were once young themselves, and this is a truism Jonson uses to humorous ends.
City v. Country
As a country gentleman, Knowell is very suspicious of the way in which young gallants of the city, such as Wellbred and his own son, behave. He thinks that the drinking, smoking, carousing, and joking are manifestations of the city's corrupting influence on youth—a corruption which then reverberates back into his own household and, in his view, causes problems for society as a whole.
The Importance of Harmony
The end of the play features a wedding, reconciliations between married couples and a father and son, and the diffusing of major conflicts between characters. This is primarily done through the work of Justice Clement (his name suggesting "clemency," or mercy) and is a major statement regarding the way in which Jonson believes society best function—when there is peace, harmony, and balance. It appears that, for the time being, the humours are balanced in the characters and thus society is balanced as a whole.
The Humours
The medieval and Renaissance theory of the humours expostulated the idea that if one's humours (see "Other" in this study guide for more information) were out of balance, then they would behave poorly. They might be angry, melancholy, apathetic, hyper, or irrational, and they might cause problems for themselves and for society. Jonson also suggests that people tend to naturally be motivated by one particular humour, and it takes a bit more work to sort them out.
