The Honest Whore

In “The Honest Whore,” Thomas Dekker presents a sympathetic, and even empathetic, depiction of Bellafront the Harlot. She is neither stigmatized nor demonized in the play, but is something of a hero. Why does Dekker offer such a portrait of this character? What were the historic social, political, and economic reasons for Dekker’s characterization? Furthermore, did Dekker have personal reasons for portraying Bellafront as he did?