Volpone :

Summary :

satirical comedy written by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1606. The play is set in Venice and revolves
around the cunning and greedy protagonist, Volpone, who pretends to be on his deathbed to
manipulate three potential heirs—Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino—into showering him with gifts
and wealth. Each of these characters believes they will inherit Volpone's vast fortune. The plot
thickens with the introduction of Mosca, Volpone's clever servant, who orchestrates the scheme and
manipulates all the characters. The play explores themes of greed, deception, and the corrupting
influence of wealth.

Background:

Volpone was written during the Jacobean era, a period marked by the reign of King James I of
England (1603-1625). This era was known for its rich and diverse literary output, including works by
Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Jonson. The play reflects the social and economic conditions of the time,
particularly the growing wealth disparity and the prevalence of fraud and corruption in society.
Venice, a city known for its opulence and decadence, serves as a fitting backdrop for the play's
exploration of these themes.

Composition of the Play:

Volpone is structured in five acts, following the classical dramatic structure. Jonson uses a
combination of prose and verse, with a particular emphasis on witty dialogue and satirical
commentary. The play is notable for its intricate plot, which involves multiple layers of deception and
a series of reversals. Jonson's use of language is rich and often employs puns, wordplay, and allusions
to enhance the play's satirical edge.

Characters and Roles

Volpone (The Fox): The protagonist, a wealthy Venetian who feigns illness to trick potential heirs into
giving him gifts. He is cunning, manipulative, and enjoys the game of deception. He is a rich, childless
magnifico whose major enjoyment in life is his "cunning purchase" (I, i, 31)

Mosca (The Fly): Volpone's servant and the mastermind behind the scheme. He is quick-witted and
adept at manipulating all the characters, including Volpone. His role is crucial in orchestrating the
plot and maintaining the deception.

Voltore (The Vulture): A lawyer who hopes to inherit Volpone's fortune. He is greedy and willing to
do whatever it takes to secure the inheritance.

Corbaccio (The Raven): An old, avaricious man who disowns his son to be named Volpone's heir. He
is portrayed as a miser and a fool.

Corvino (The Crow): A jealous and possessive merchant who offers his wife, Celia, to Volpone in the
hope of gaining the inheritance. He is depicted as a lecherous and greedy character.

Celia: Corvino's wife, who is virtuous and resists Volpone's advances. She is the moral center of the
play and represents integrity and virtue.

Bonario: Corbaccio's son, who is disowned by his father but remains loyal and honest. He serves as a
foil to the other characters, representing honor and righteousness.
Sir Politic Would-Be: An English knight who is a comical character, known for his pretentiousness and
gullibility. He is often the target of ridicule and serves as a satirical representation of the English
abroad.

Lady Politic Would-Be: Sir Politic's wife, who is equally pretentious and gullible. She is often involved
in Sir Politic's schemes and adds to the play's comedic elements.

Avocatori: The magistrates who judge the final trial and expose the deception.

Notario: A notary who is involved in the legal aspects of the inheritance and serves as a witness to
the characters' actions

The Three Entertainers: These are a group of characters who provide comic relief and add to the
play's satirical tone. They include:

The Dwarf: A small entertainer who is part of Volpone's household and adds to the play's comedic
and satirical elements.

The Eunuch: Another entertainer in Volpone's Household, who provides comic relief and serves to
highlight the absurdity of the situation.

The Fool: A jester figure who offers witty commentary and adds to the play's satirical and comedic
elements.

Voplone's cunning purchase provides him with the pleasure of outwitting the less minded victims,
the matter which Volpone is obsessed with more than his obsession with possession itself:
“Volpone's real pervasion is that he regards life as a play where he can write the script for his own
amusement: his sin is not to treat money as a god but to treat people as puppets”. .Jonas A.Barish,
“The Double Action in Volpone” in Ben Jonson: A Collection of Critical Essays.

Volpone is the epitome of greed and hedonism : he enjoys pleasure in all of its manifestations and
indulges in the way he deceives three gullible men, all of them bearing the names of predatory birds
– Voltore (from Italian – meaning vulture), Corbaccio (raven) and Corvino (crow). Thus greed is
presented as “a characteristic of the society as a whole”. But the difference between Volpone and his
would-be heirs is that Volpone is greedy not only for wealth, but for “gaining more power over his
victims”. The protagonist is very much contented that he receives gifts, but what gives him real
satisfaction is the fact that his plans for manipulating people into giving him presents work very
well.**

Moral play vs beast fable: moral plays emerged to teach religious and ethical lessons through
allegorical figures, while beast fables are shorter, more satirical narratives featuring animals that
serve as vehicles for broader moral or societal commentary

Moral Play:

Emerged in the medieval period, around the 14th to 16th centuries, especially in Europe. It
developed from religious plays and allegorical narratives used to teach moral lessons and Christian
virtues. Allegorical: Characters represent abstract concepts (e.g., Virtue, Vice, Death, etc.).

Purpose: To teach a moral lesson or to reflect Christian theology and ethics, usually through the
actions and choices of characters.
Structure: Often involves a struggle between good and evil, where characters undergo a journey or
conflict that ends with a moral resolution

Beast fable: Ancient Greek and Roman literature (e.g., Aesop's Fables), with animals often acting in
human-like ways to teach moral lessons. The fable tradition continued in European literature,
especially in the Renaissance. Characters: Animals who exhibit human qualities (speech, reasoning,
and emotions), acting as stand-ins for human nature and society.

Purpose: To deliver moral or satirical lessons, often critiquing human behavior and societal norms.

Structure: Typically brief, with animals engaging in some conflict or situation that ends in a lesson
learned.

Major themes in the play:

Parasitism , on the other hand “Everyone's a parasite”to paraphrase Mosca (III.i), and over the course
of the play he is proved right, in the sense that everyone tries to live off of the wealth or livelihood of
others, without doing any "honest toil" of their own. Corvino, Corbaccio and Voltore all try to inherit
a fortune from a dying man; and Volpone himself has built his fortune on cons such as the one he is
playing now. Parasitism, thus portrayed, is not a form of laziness or desperation, but a form of
superiority. The parasite lives by his wits, and feeds off of others, by skillfully manipulating their
credulity and goodwill.

Appearances and Reality: The characters, including Voltore, Corvino, and Corbaccio, are deceived by
the illusion that they will inherit Volpone's wealth, but in reality, they lose money. Mosca, who
understands the deception, manipulates Volpone and the other victims for his own benefit.

Class Conflict: Although Jonson didn't focus on class directly, the play hints at its significance through
Mosca's severe punishment for being of low birth, compared to the lesser penalties for the wealthier
men involved in the plot.

Deception: The play revolves around deception, with each victim attempting to deceive Volpone for
financial gain, only to be deceived in return. The victims' greed allows Volpone's plot to succeed, and
when they realize they have been fooled, Voltore recants his defense of Volpone.

Greed: The victims' greed is the driving force behind the plot, as each man attempts to secure more
wealth than he deserves. Volpone's greed, however, is not for money but for the pleasure of
humiliating his victims.

Morality: The play's resolution delivers the moral lesson that greed leads to downfall. Each character
is punished accordingly: Corvino loses his wife and wealth, Corbaccio is sent to a monastery, Voltore
is disbarred, Volpone is imprisoned, and Mosca, the worst punished due to his lower status, is sent to
the galleys.

Victim and Victimization: The initial victims—Voltore, Corvino, and Corbaccio—are duped by their
own greed and Volpone's trickery, but the real victims are Bonario and Celia, who suffer unjust
punishment. Celia pleads for mercy for her husband, reflecting the moral injustices in the play.