The Alchemist

Disguises are a large part of the trio’s schemes, as each takes on many personas that require changes in appearance and clothing. The trio’s facility with quick-changes—in their constant performance within a performance, this alludes to actors’ skills at alternating costumes—symbolizes the relative instability of these conmen’s identities.

Each change of clothes has meaning and purpose. Some disguise choices are practical: Dol’s velvet dress allows a blindfolded Dapper to reach out and touch expensive fabric to sell the illusion that she is the Queen of Fairy. Others have more to do with stereotypes and cultural assumptions: Face shaves to become Jeremy because a beardless man reads as younger, more honest, and naive—he literally has nothing to hide. Conversely, for the martial Captain Face, a beard conveys worldliness and possibly even foreign travel—qualities that help sell the idea that Face knows an illustrious alchemist.

The Spanish nobleman’s outfit is of special consequence, as it becomes a symbol of marriage to Pliant—i.e., the control of her wealth. Surly, Face, Drugger, and Lovewit all scheme to wear the Spanish outfit, and the stakes of this impersonation are quite high. As Surly’s misadventure shows, underestimating English hatred for their longtime European enemy Spain comes with danger of being mocked and chased off. Lovewit manages to wear the outfit and wed Pliant, and even he must do so with haste: When Lovewit faces the marshals, Face reminds him, “Off with your ruff and cloak then; be yourself, sir” (348)—the authorities will not treat a Spanish nobleman kindly, so Lovewit reverts to himself.