Inner Play

The interweaving of the plot of the inner play "The London Merchant" and the scenes with Ralph playing the Knight, dictated by the Citizen and his Wife was very skilfully done. But alter the Barbaroso scene, as the demands of the Citizens became more and more extravagant, Ralph's adventures lost their connection with the inner plot. As a result the play became somewhat disconnected and ran along two different lines. This was, of course, Intentional as Beaumont was more concerned with playing out his burlesque than with providing a completely satisfactory plot.