Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday is a play concerning the loves, lives, and enterprises of men and women in London, particularly several shoemakers. The play revolves around the individuals' attempts to increase their wealth, remain with the ones they love, and avoid going to war, which is a big concern for several characters. Let's analyze several quotes from the play to see how Dekker ties together his story.

Truly, master cormorant, you shall do God good service to let Ralph and his wife stay together. She's a young new-married woman; if you take her husband away from her a night, you undo her; she may beg in the day-time; for he's as good a workman at a prick and an awl, as any in our trade.

The beginning of the story sets up the tale of Ralph (also called Rafe) and his young wife, Jane. Ralph has been conscripted to go into the war, a highly dangerous affair, particularly in those days—the 1500s. His wife is distraught because they are newlyweds, and she would be first of all upset at the thought of being without her new husband, but more so than that, she would be fearful of his life and may not be able to provide for herself in the meantime. Ralph's employers ask Lacy to allow him to stay in the city to be with his wife, but Lacy refuses, telling him to be courageous and ensuring that Jane would be taken care of in the meantime.

It is no shame for Rowland Lacy, then, to clothe his cunning with the gentle craft, that, thus disguised, I may unknown possess the only happy presence of my Rose.

It is humorous that, mere moments (in the action of the play at least) after telling Ralph to be courageous and go on to war, Lacy engages in a soliloquy about wanting to stay behind and devises a plan to disguise himself so that he can remain in London as a shoemaker (Ralph's profession) to stay with his love. He chooses to clothe himself in a disguise and act like an unemployed Dutch shoemaker so that he can find a job in London and remain close to Rose, while Ralph leaves for war and leaves behind his wife.

Jane: Lives then my husband? Oh God, let me go, let me embrace my Ralph.

Master Hammon: What means my Jane?

Jane: Nay, what meant you, to tell me, he was slain?

Hammon's deception is revealed at the end of the work. Hearing that Ralph had been injured in war, Hammon had swooped in and claimed Jane's hand in marriage. Upon his return, however, Hammon's treachery is ousted, and Jane returns to her love. Hammon offers Ralph a large sum of money to give Jane up, but he refuses, and Hammon is left alone.