Volpone and The Alchemist

Fiction & Literature, Drama, British & Irish, Nonfiction, Entertainment
Cover of the book Volpone and The Alchemist by Ben Jonson, Dover Publications
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ben Jonson ISBN: 9780486153643
Publisher: Dover Publications Publication: December 27, 2012
Imprint: Dover Publications Language: English
Author: Ben Jonson
ISBN: 9780486153643
Publisher: Dover Publications
Publication: December 27, 2012
Imprint: Dover Publications
Language: English

Much-studied and frequently performed, these comedies by the great Elizabethan playwright Ben Jonson satirize the greed, mendacity, gullibility, and pretension of seventeenth-century London society. Both plays abound in colorful characters, ingenious plotting, biting wit, and sharp insight into human nature.
In Volpone (1605), a crafty rich man attempts to augment his wealth by feigning a mortal illness. His wealthy neighbors, spying the opportunity for an inheritance, vie with each other in courting the “dying” man’s favor. The Alchemist (1610) comprises a likewise avaricious cast, headed by a butler and prostitute who join forces with a swindler claiming to possess the philosopher's stone. The trio hosts a parade of eager victims whose hypocrisy and greed place them on a moral footing similar to that of the tricksters. Both plays offer sparkling examples of their author's novel approach to satire and his distinctive blend of savagery, humor, moralism, and a powerful sense of the absurd.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Much-studied and frequently performed, these comedies by the great Elizabethan playwright Ben Jonson satirize the greed, mendacity, gullibility, and pretension of seventeenth-century London society. Both plays abound in colorful characters, ingenious plotting, biting wit, and sharp insight into human nature.
In Volpone (1605), a crafty rich man attempts to augment his wealth by feigning a mortal illness. His wealthy neighbors, spying the opportunity for an inheritance, vie with each other in courting the “dying” man’s favor. The Alchemist (1610) comprises a likewise avaricious cast, headed by a butler and prostitute who join forces with a swindler claiming to possess the philosopher's stone. The trio hosts a parade of eager victims whose hypocrisy and greed place them on a moral footing similar to that of the tricksters. Both plays offer sparkling examples of their author's novel approach to satire and his distinctive blend of savagery, humor, moralism, and a powerful sense of the absurd.

More books from Dover Publications

Cover of the book Drawing and Painting Trees by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Cinderella and Other Stories from "The Blue Fairy Book" by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Algebra: Polynomials, Galois Theory and Applications by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Pirates and Piracy by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Spoon River Anthology by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Ancient Egyptian Religion by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book How to Draw Trees by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Philosophical Writings of Peirce by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book A First Course in Partial Differential Equations by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book The Story of Joan of Arc by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book The School and Society & The Child and the Curriculum by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Geometric Algebra by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book The Four Books of Architecture by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book Classic Haiku by Ben Jonson
Cover of the book The Adventures of Uncle Lubin by Ben Jonson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy