Beaumont's failed comedy, “The Knight of the Burning Pestle,” is a unique play that seeks to satirize and burlesque the theatrical and social realm. The crucial element of this satire is the collision of two competing storylines vying for the audience's attention. These collisions allow the audience to see opposing ideologies contrasted through the dramatic effect of the collapse of theater boundaries. Arguably, this play encourages questioning hierarchy and tradition through the exploration of ideology, controversial genres, and Rafe's potential rebellion. In the second act, the central characters of each story are forced into combat by the demands of the wife, who with her husband, have hijacked the stage to demand a play of their own desire. The battle between Rafe and Jasper can be seen as a comedic attempt at scene control, but also as an ideological dispute born from the characters' different identities. For example, this scene can be interpreted literally as an attempt by the players to regain power over their performance: Jasper: Come, knight, I am ready for you. Now your drumstick is tearing off his drumstick. I will try what temperament, sir, your mortar is of. Rafe; course, Rafe; run for your life, my boy; Jasper arrives, Jasper arrives. In this short excerpt, Jasper dominates improviser Rafe in an attempt to reclaim the scene and continue the narrative of "The Merchant of London." I could see Jasper as a strong actor dominating the stage, taking Rafe's drumstick and once again making him a mere prop. Rafe's drumstick has a phallic connotation...... middle of paper ...... Hotspur body he cited earlier. This shows us that the narrative collisions created a character free to defy social boundaries. In , we can see that the dramatic effect of narrative collisions is the creation of contrasts that microcosmize society and allow Beaumont to satirize the principal. A characteristic of his satire lies in the boundaries of society and theater which he fragments to reflect artificiality. Rafe and Jasper's collision highlights the shifts in ideology within society and the hidden agendas of different genders. The collision of George and Prologue challenges the boundaries of theater, reflecting society as a whole. The collisions also serve to turn Rafe from an apprentice grocer into a precursor of a social revolution. Showing us Beaumont's desire to question societal boundaries.