Prodigality in Early Modern Drama

Examination of the motif of the prodigal son as treated in early modern drama, from Shakespeare to Beaumont and Fletcher. Why is it bad to spend too much money? In early modern England, the concept of prodigality governed all forms of financial excess and misuse, from gambling away your family estate to buying too much food. To be prodigal was not only to lack self-discipline but to be immorally excessive. Prodigals were foolish, reckless, and sinful, but their lives were also ones of excitement