Moll's Dress
The predominant symbol in The Roaring Girl is Moll's appearance, specifically her choice to wear men's clothes. In early modern England, boys and girls were kept in dresses until boys were old enough to be "breeched," meaning they transitioned to pants, while girls graduated to more complicated dresses and gowns. Moll dons these breeches throughout the play. Her male clothing is a symbol of her independence, but for many of the male characters, it also becomes a symbol of otherness and promiscuity.
Moll's Sword
When Moll agrees to meet Laxton at Gray's Inn Fields, he is under the impression that she is going to have sex with him for money. Instead, Moll greets him (still dressed in men's clothes) brandishing a sword, and engages him in a fight (which he loses). Moll's sword symbolizes the threat that she poses to traditional masculinity. Swords are often considered literary symbols for male genitalia, and Moll's expert wielding of her weapon showcases her ability to hold her own among judgmental men.
Prostitution
Prostitution is a recurring motif in the play, most notably because many characters assume that Moll's "strange" dress is a reflection of a loose moral standard. This is, of course, completely erroneous. However, during her battle with Laxton, Moll criticizes him for taking the notion of prostitution so lightly, as it is a life that many honorable women must turn to when they have no other alternative. The play is unique in that it expresses a perspective of prostitution from a woman's point of view – one that explains the financial and social necessity of prostitution in the first place.
Names
Many early modern plays – especially comedies – make use of unique names for characters in order to communicate something about them. The Roaring Girl takes part in this motif with names like Trapdoor (a spy), Openwork (a sempster and day laborer), Jack Dapper (a flashy but reckless spender), Goshawk (a predatory gallant), and of course, Moll Cutpurse (an alleged pickpocket whose real name was Mary Frith). The use of suggestive names contributes to the play's major theme of reputation, as names communicate information about characters before audiences know enough about them to draw their own conclusions.
Failed Schemes
A central motif in the play is the initiation of clever plots that are ultimately derailed, usually through some intervention of Moll. Sir Alexander attempts numerous times to publicly humiliate Moll, most notably when he leaves the jewels strewn about the room, expecting Moll to steal them. Throughout the play, Moll reverses the script of the men who are attempting to control her or others: she defeats Laxton in combat, embarrasses Sir Alexander for his judgment of her, and saves Jack Dapper from his father's plot to place him in a debtor's prison. She also scares off the cutpurses who come to rob her, as her reputation as a notorious and preeminent pickpocket precedes her. In this way, all of the failed schemes included in the play become a reflection of Moll's autonomy, wit, and social know-how.
