Middleton’s A Chaste Maid in Cheapside (1611) is frequently regarded as his best comedy. The play is a cleverly constructed, cynical portrayal of the darker aspects of life in London, featuring unscrupulous characters in pursuit of wealth, marriage, and sexual gratification. The title is ironic, as Cheapside was a notorious area in London known for its association with prostitution.

William Shakespeare’s dark comedy Measure for Measure (1604) shares some elements with The Changeling. Similar to De Flores, Shakespeare’s character Angelo succumbs to his sexual obsession with a woman, leading him to commit immoral acts. The play also employs the “bed trick,” where a man is deceived into sleeping with a woman who is not who he believes her to be. Unlike The Changeling, Shakespeare’s play concludes with forgiveness rather than tragedy.

Volpone (first performed in 1606) is among Ben Jonson’s most acclaimed comic plays. It mocks hypocrisy, greed, and self-deception, all of which are ultimately exposed. Several characters are compared to predatory birds like the crow, vulture, and raven, while Volpone himself is likened to a fox.

The Shakespearean Stage, 1574–1642 (2nd ed., 1980), by Andrew Gurr, serves as a succinct guide to the Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre era. The book includes chapters on the theatrical companies, actors, playhouses, audiences, and the staging of plays.