Volpone, a comedy by Ben Jonson, presents human's greed and lust for wealth.

1. ENG 232: English Drama from Marlowe to
Congreve
Volpone
Presented by:
Gobindo Deb
Lecturer
Department of English
Hamdard University Bangladesh

2. Key information
• Type of work: Play
• Genre: Comedy
• Language: English
• Time and place (written): February and March 1606; London, England
• Date of first publication: 1607, in quarto form
• Setting: Venice
• Protagonist: Volpone
• Point of view: No point of view, No narrator

3. Key information
• Climax: Act V, Scene xii
• Falling Action: Act V, Scene xii
• Tone: Satirical
• Theme: Greed, Lust, the power of stagecraft, parasitism
• Symbols: Venice, Animalia
(Story of five people: Volpone, Mosca, Voltore, Corvino and Corvaccio- led
into folly by their love of money)

4. Major Characters
Corrupted
Volpone (The sly fox)- protagonist, a greedy, childless venetian nobleman)
 Mosca (The fly/Parasite) -Volpone’s servant
Voltore (The Vulture) – a lawyer
Corvaccio (The Raven)- an avaricious old miser
Corvino ( The carrion crow)- a merchant
Innocent
Bonario- Corbaccio’s son
Celia- Corvino’s wife

5. Minor characters
• Sir Politic Would Be- ridiculous Englishman
• Lady Would Be- Sir Would Be’s wife
• Peregrine- more sophisticated English traveler
• Nano- a dwarf, companion of Volpone
• Androgyno- a hermaphrodite, companion of Volpone
• Castrone- a eunuch, companion of Volpone
• The Avocatori- the judges of Venice

6. Structure
• Argument
• Prologue
• Acts- 5:
• 1st act: 5 scenes
• 2nd act: 7 scenes
• 3rd act: 9 scenes
• 4th act: 5 scenes
• 5th act: 12 scenes

7. Argument
Volpone, childless, rich, feigns sick, despairs, offers his state to hopes of several
heirs, lies languishing; his parasite receives presents of all, assures, deludes; then
weaves other cross-plots, which ope themselves, are told. New tricks for safety
are sought; they thrive: when bold, Each tempts the other again, and all are
sold.
• Introduction

8. Prologue
• Theory of drama:
“… Whose true scope, if you would know it,
In all his poems still hath been this measure
To mix profit with your pleasure;”
• Reply against criticism:
-abusive language- wrong accusation
-Does not possess genius- took 5 weeks to write
-No faults
• A refine comedy full of with and humour
• Observes unities of action, time and place

9. Volpone’s trick
“I have no wife, no parent, child, ally,
To give my substances to: but whom I make
Must be my heir: and this makes men observe me:
This draws new clients daily, to my house,
Women and men of every sex and age,
That bring me presents, send me plate, coin, jewels,
With hope that when I die(which they expect each greedy minute) it shall then return
Ten-fold upon them: whilst some, covetous
Above the rest, seek to engross me whole ,
And counter-work the one unto the other,
Contend in gifts, as they would seem in love…”

10. Act-I
• Volpone pretends about to die
• Corvino, Corbaccio, Voltore, Lady Politic Would-be bring presents to be his
heir
• Mosca tells them they’ll be the heir one by one.
• Mosca also tells Corbaccio, if he disinherits his son, he’ll be the heir.
• Mosca describes the beauty of Corvino's wifeCelia to Volpone.
• They agree to go to her in disguise.

11. Act-II
• Sir Politic Would-be and Peregrine are in the public square discussing some
bad omens.
• Mosca sets up a stage in the square.
• Volpone takes the stage in disguise as a mountebank.
• At some point, he asks for a handkerchief.
• Gets one from Celia.
• Corvino goes mad.

12. Act-II
• Back home, Volpone allows Mosca to do everything to get Celia.
• At Corvino’s house, he threatens Celia for being nice to a mountebank.
• Mosca comes and tells Corvino that Volpone needs a female companion to
be healthy.
• Corvino offers his wife.

13. Act-III
• Mosca talks about the superiority of natural parasites (soliloquy).
• Bonario enters, looks down on Mosca.
• Mosca tells him that he’s about to be disinherited and he can hear it for
himself.
• At Volpone’s house, Lady Politic Would-be enters, brings him a gift.
• Mosca tells her he’s seen her husband with another woman and hides
Bonario to hear the conversation with Corbaccio about his heritage.

14. Act-III
• However, Corvino and Celia arrive early, Bonario is moved elsewhere.
• Celia is forced to be alone with Volpone, she learns he’s not sick.
• Celia declines Volpone’s offers, and he attempts to rape her, but Bonario
interrupts and saves her.
• Mosca convinces Corbaccio and Voltore to go after Bonario.

15. Act-IV
• Sir Politic Would-be and Peregrine discuss being a gentleman and making
easy money (selling Venice to the Turks).
• Lady Politic Would-be enters, accuses Peregrine for being a woman and
seducing her husband.
• Mosca enters, convinces Lady Politic that Celia is the seducer.
• Lady Would-be apologizes, but Peregrine vows revenge.
• At the Venetian Court, Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino tell their stories.

16. Act-IV
• The judges support Voltore –> Bonario attempted to kill his father for
Celia’s love.
• Lady Politic Would-be testifies that Celia seduced her husband.
• Bonario and Celia lose the case. (They resort to the court at first)

17. Act-V
• Volpone complains about pain in his body, becomes really sick.
(Foreshadowing of his punishment)
• Mosca enters to celebrate their victory and sets himself Volpone’s heir.
• To collect what he earned, Volpone spreads the word that he’s dead.
• All the legacy hunters enter, knowing they have been deceived, Mosca gets
rid of them.
• Volpone and Mosca decide to make fun of them in disguise on the street.

18. Act-V
• At Sir Politic Would-be’s house, Peregrine decides to play a joke on him.
• Tells Sir Politic that his plan to sell Venice to the Turks has been revealed.
• Sir Politic panics and hides under a tortoise shell.
• Three merchants, dressed officially enter and laugh at Sir Politic.
• Peregrine says “Now, we are even”.
• Sir Politic decides to leave Venice.

19. Act-V
• Volpone, in disguise, makes fun of the legacy hunters by saying he’s heard
they’ve acquired a great fortune.
• Voltore cannot take it, goes to the court to confess he lied in the previous
court hearing.
• Volpone interrupts, tells the judges Volpone is alive.
• Voltore retracts, says he was possesses while making the statement.

20. Act-V
• Mosca enters, says Volpone is dead.
• Volpone wants him to tell the truth, he wants half of his fortune.
• While they are debating, Volpone is apprehended by court officers.
• While beign taken away, he reveals his diguise, takes Mosca down with him.
• Volpone, Mosca and the legacy hunters are all punished.
• The author at the end, asks the audience to applaud if they like the play.

21. Author

22. END
• Avocation 1:
Let all that see these vices thus rewarded,
Take heart and love to study ‘em! Mischiefs feed
Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.”

23. Thank you so much
For showing your patience and attention!!