Scarlet robes

The scarlet robes worn by prominent guildsmen in Stratford symbolize respectability. John used to wear a scarlet robe himself when he was a prominent businessman in his heyday, but lost the privilege after his illicit dealings in the wool trade cost him his job as a bailiff. John spends the rest of the novel lamenting his loss of respectability and no longer wears a scarlet robe.

Eggs

Eggs symbolize the gestation and growth of the bubonic plague. Hamnet compares the buboes forming on Judith's body first to quail eggs, which are petite. As the plague develops, Judith's buboes grow in size and severity. When Hamnet next observes the lumps after attempting to fetch the physician, he compares them to a hen's eggs, which are significantly larger than quail eggs. Thus, the size of the egg signifies the severity of the plague as it grows within...