Candido’s final speech in The Honest Whore provides a useful summary of his character. In justifying his calmness, he claims that a tranquil spirit is:
…the perpetual prisoner’s liberty,
His walks and orchards: ‘tis the bond slave’s freedom,
And makes him seem proud of each iron chain,
As though he wore it more for state than pain:
It is the beggars’ music, and thus sings,
Although their bodies beg, their souls are kings.
Does Dekker support or mock Candido’s disposition? The soul-over-body aspect of his reasoning seems admirable, but Candido is ultimately depicted as a happy slave. Is this a positive alternative to ambition and excess, or is it the unfortunate fate of his complacency?
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