VOLPONE- About the author,Plot summary & Character,Themes

3. Author Biography
Jonson was born in about 1572. The date is uncertain since Elizabethans were very casual
about the recording of exact dates. He was a scholar, a poet, and a dramatist. Jonson was
born near London shortly after the death of his father. He was educated at Westminster
School and for a short period worked as a bricklayer for his step-father. Jonson joined the
theatrical company of Philip Henslowe in London as an actor and playwright before 1597.
During 1598 and 1599 he wrote (Every Man in His Humor), this play was the first
instance of a new comic and it turned him into a celebrity. In the same year Jonson was
arrested for killing a fellow actor (Gabriel Spencer) in a duel. During his stint in jail, Jonson
converted to Catholicism. Jonson became one of the most successful writers of his era, he
wrote his four most famous plays, considered his “major comedies”: Volpone, The
Alchemist, Epicene, and Bartholomew Fair, all within eight years. At this point, Jonson’s
popularity as a playwright in England was second only to Shakespeare’s. Jonson became the
first poet or dramatist to publish a Folio edition of his works. Since not even Shakespeare
had published a compilation of his work, Jonson received some criticism for this action.
However, he was awarded with an honorary M.A. from Cambridge University in 1616.
Jonson spent the last nine years of his life bedridden after suffering a stroke. He died in
1637 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

4. Introduction
(VOLPNE) the title to a play in 5 acts written in 1606. It is very much like the morality plays of
the Middle Ages. It was first published in quarto form in 1607. It was also included in Jonson's
Works in 1616 with minor changes. Jonson’s aim in writing Volpone was to amuse his
audience, to expose wickedness and to promote moral virtues in his audience as well as his
motivation for writing the play was his consternation with the increasing commercialization of
the world around him. The targets are not only the greedy people but the laws that protect
them.
The play, set in Venice is about Volpone (which means fox in Italian), a rich man, who makes
his money by pretending to be a dying man with no family with a large inheritance. This
draws greedy people to call on him, bringing large gifts in hopes of winning his favor. Volpone
is aided by his servant, Mosca, who implements all their schemes. Eventually, they dig a hole
that they can not escape. This bodes extremely well for Celia and Bonario, the two virtuous
characters, since they are caught in a corrupt society that allows them no power or venue to
defend their virtue. Volpone, the character, is the master of his domain. He is extremely
wealthy and enjoys toying with people. In addition to Mosca, his parasite. Volpone was first
performed by the King's Men, Shakespeare's company, in the Globe Theatre.

5. Characters
Volpone (the Fox) - a greedy, childless Venetian nobleman
Mosca (the Fly) – his servant
Voltore (the Vulture) – a lawyer
Corbaccio (the Raven) – an avaricious old miser
Bonario – Corbaccio's son
Corvino (the Carrion Crow) – a merchant
Celia – Corvino's wife
Sir Politic Would-Be – a ridiculous Englishman
Lady Politic Would-Be – an English lady, Sir Politic's wife
. . .

6. Plot Summary
The play opens at the house of Volpone, a Venetian nobleman. He and his
parasite Mosca enter the shrine where Volpone keeps his wealth and treasure.
Volpone has amassed his fortune through dishonest means because he is a
con artist and he likes to use his money extravagantly. Volpone is about to
deceive yet more people as he tries to trick his alleged friends: Voltore ,
Corbaccio and Corvino into believing that each is Volpone’s heir and that he is
actually on his deathbed. What these three men do not know is that Volpone is
in perfect health and feigning his illness to receive expensive gifts. Mosca tells
each of the men individually that they are heirs to Volpone’s fortune so that
they will return with yet more gifts, when his first visitor is announced, the
lawyer Voltore, Volpone quickly feigns grave illness for his visitor, who has
brought Volpone an expensive gift. Mosca suggests that Volpone is due to die
at any moment and that if Voltore visits often, each time with an expensive gift,
Voltore will inherit all Volpone’s wealth. After Voltore departs, Volpone and
Mosca repeat their performance for the next visitor, the miser Corbaccio.

7. After Corbaccio’s departure, Corvino enters, and the routine is repeated with
Corvino convinced that he will inherit, just as the two previous visitors. Mosca
mentions to Volpone that Corvino has a beautiful wife, Celia, and Volpone
goes to see her in disguise as a mountebank. Corvino drives him away, but
Volpone insists that he must have Celia for his own. Volpone gives Mosca
permission to use his fortune in whatever way to woo Celia. Mosca arranges
for Volpone to seduce Celia by telling Corvino that Volpone would surely
choose him as his sole heir if he allows his wife to be with Volpone for his
failing health. Corvino’s desire for material possession is stronger than his
jealousy and he agrees to sacrifice his wife for financial gain. Mosca meets
Bonario on the street and he tells him that his father, Corbaccio, is going to
disinherit him in favor of Volpone. To prove his accusation to the disbelieving
Bonario, Mosca invites him to Volpone’s house to overhear Corbaccio’s
meeting with Volpone. Mosca hides Bonario in a corner of the bedroom in
anticipation of Corbaccio’s arrival. Celia and Corvino arrive first. Volpone is
left alone with Celia, and after failing to seduce her with promises of luxurious
items, he attempts to attack her.

8. Bonario who has been witnessing the scene from his hiding place, appears
just in time and rescues Celia. Volpone recognizes that he is in danger and
his plots may soon be revealed if he is turned over to the police. Corbaccio
finally arrives, so does Voltore. Mosca, who has been wounded by Bonario
convinces Corbaccio and Voltore (the lawyer) to go to the senate to seek
legal action against him. At the senate, the conflicting stories confuse the
magistrates, but Voltore provides a masterful defense of Volpone and an
attack on Celia and Bonario. The magistrates are convinced of Celia’s
lewdness after Lady Politic testifies that she saw her with Sir Politic. At the
same time, Bonario is portrayed as Celia’s lover. While this is going on,
Volpone lies on a litter and points out that he is too ill to have performed the
attack of which he is accused. Celia and Bonario have no witnesses of their
own, so they lose the case. Volpone insists on disguising himself and having
it announced that he has died and left all his wealth to Mosca. Voltore begins
to unravel the plot, he withdraws his testimony. The court orders Mosca to
appear suspecting that he plans to keep the fortune only for himself.

9. Volpone also goes to the court because he realizes that Mosca is about to
betray him. Volpone exposes the foolish behavior of Corbaccio, Corvino and
Voltore as well as the innocence of Celia and Bonario. The court declares
punishment for each client including Mosca and Volpone. Mosca is first
whipped and then sent to the galleys as a prisoner. Volpone is sent to prison
and his goods seized and donated to a hospital. Voltore is disbarred and
banished, while Corbaccio must retire to a monastery and turn his estate over
to his son. Corvino faces public humiliation and must return his wife to her
father, with her dowry tripled in value.

10. Themes
Appearances & Reality
What Volpone and Mosca's victims perceive as reality is not the truth of the
play. Each one thinks that he will be made heir to Volpone's fortune. Voltore
attempts to deceive the court and is punished when the deception is revealed.
Corvino is willing to seduce Volpone with Celia's body, although Corvino is
also deceived into thinking Volpone too ill to make use of the young woman.
Corbaccio is deceived into sacrificing his son's inheritance to get more
money. The reality is that each will be left with less wealth. However, Mosca,
whom Volpone trusts without question, is also deceiving Volpone. Mosca is
the only participant who clearly understands the depth of the deception.

11. Deception
The plot of Jonson's play is based on deception. Each of the three victims
attempts to use deception for financial gain. But the victims are each self-
deceived. Their willingness to believe allows the game to succeed. Each of
the victims attempts to deceive Volpone, as each pretends to be a caring
petitioner. Mosca and Volpone deceive each victim with the promise of
greater wealth as a return for expensive gifts. The deception is largely
dependent on none of the victims uniting against Volpone. Thus, when
Volpone fakes his death and the three are brought together to witness
Mosca's victory, their joint misery and recognition of their deception leads to
Voltore recanting his defense of Volpone.

12. Greed
The theme of greed pervades the entire play. It embodies by Volpone, Mosca
and all the clients. Volpone is greedy by many ways, he was greedy of money
and satisfying his desires. Firstly he is greedy of money as he faked illness to
take presents and money from the legacy hunters with the help of Mosca
who makes them all believed that Volpone is very sick and he is about to die.
Corbaccio is also greedy as he disinherit his son and choose Volpone as his
heir because he thinks that Volpone will die soon and if he choose Volpone,
Volpone will choose him. Mosca is the one who is trying to deceive all
the characters in the play by knowing the weak point in every one of them, he
is greedy of money as he betrays his master.

13. Morality
The play's resolution leads to the lesson, which is that greed will result in
each man's downfall. Corvino loses his wife and her dowry, which he must
repay at three times its worth. Corbaccio is banished to a monastery, and the
estate he denied his son is turned over to the son, while the lawyer, Voltore,
is disbarred and banished from Venice. Volpone is imprisoned and all his
goods are dispersed to a hospital because Volpone pretended to be ill. The
worst punishment is provided to Mosca, who is of a lower class than the other
men. Mosca is whipped and sent away to be a prisoner in the galleys for the
rest of his life. Each man is justly punished for his greed and the morality of
the play's resolution provides an important lesson for the audience.