Volpone
Drama
|
Ben Jonson
Volpone Main Text
ACT 1. SCENE 1.1.
A ROOM IN VOLPONE'S HOUSE.
ENTER VOLPONE AND MOSCA.
VOLP: Good morning to the day; and next, my gold:
Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.
[MOSCA WITHDRAWS THE CURTAIN, AND DISCOVERS PILES OF GOLD,
PLATE, JEWELS, ETC.]
Hail the world's soul, and mine! more glad than is
The teeming earth to see the long'd-for sun
Peep through the horns of the celestial Ram,
Am I, to view thy...
Read Volpone Main Text
Volpone key Facts
Full Title: Volpone, or The Fox
Playwright: Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
Title of the Playwright: Leading English Renaissance Dramatist and Poet
Source: Medieval beast fables (Reynard the Fox), Aesop’s Fables, works of Lucian, Roman comedy, Italian commedia dell’arte
Written Time: 1606
First Performed: 1606
Published Date: 1607 (quarto), 1616 (in Works)
Total Acts & Scenes: 5 Acts (exact number of s...
Expand Volpone key Facts
Volpone Summary
Plot Summary
Volpone and His Love for Gold: The play begins in Venice. Volpone, the Fox, is a rich man. He lives in a big house. He has a servant named Mosca, the Fly. Volpone is not married. He has no children. He has no close family. Therefore, many greedy individuals aspire to become his heir. Volpone loves gold more than anything else. He calls it his "saint." Every morning, he asks Mosca to...
Expand Volpone Summary
Volpone Themes
Greed: The play starts with Volpone’s love for gold. He calls gold his “saint.” Every morning, he opens his treasure box and looks at it with joy. He does not work for money. He wants gold by cheating people. He pretends to be sick and dying. This trick attracts greedy men like Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino. Voltore brings a silver plate. Corbaccio cuts his son out of his will. Corvino sends his...
Expand Volpone Themes
Volpone Characters
Major Characters
Volpone: A rich old man from Venice. He pretends to be very sick to trick greedy men into giving him gifts. His name means “The Fox.” He loves money and pleasure.
Mosca: Volpone’s parasite and helper. He is clever and supports Volpone’s tricks. He grows confident and tries to get more power, but ends up in conflict with Volpone.
Celia: The good and religious wife of Corvino. She i...
Expand Volpone Characters
Volpone Quotations
“I'll bury him [Volpone], or gain by him: I am his heir.”
Explanation: Mosca is the speaker here. He realizes that Volpone will never fully appreciate or reward him as the mastermind who acquired his wealth. Mosca knows that he will have to use his strategic skills to take what he believes is rightfully his from his “lord.”
“What a rare punishment is avarice to itself.”
Explanation: Volpone mocks...
Expand Volpone Quotations
Notes
Explore 12 detailed notes related to Volpone. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.