1. Despite the moral laxity, ignorance, and general silliness which characterize many of the city dwellers in "A Chaste Maid in Cheapside," why is it only Sir Walter who, even after his passionate denunciation of his former lifestyle, ends the play in a worse situation than he began it? What is it about his character arc, and the shape of this comedy more broadly, which demands his expulsion, even while other flawed characters enjoy reintegration into familial and civic life?
2. Considering that Bellafront’s path towards “honest whore”-dom is only one of three main dramatic arcs in the play, and even seems to receive less attention than the other two stories, what are the implications of Dekker’s choice to title his piece as he did? How might that particular plotline, despite its apparently limited intersections with the others, inform how we perceive the other relationships and events played out on stage?
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I think I agree with what you're implying: that Whorehound can't really fit into a resolution, so Middleton contrives some special end for him. I don't find it entirely satisfactory, and I look to the way Shakespeare dealt with Shylock and Malvolio and both of their final scenes are very discomfitting. What do you do with a villain in a comedy?
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