Vlopone (1605-1606)- 17th Century Jecobean Comedy – Ben Jonson

Lecture: Ben Johnson – Volpone

1. Premiered: Spring 1606 Globe Theatre, London It was performed by the King’s Men, but casting is uncertain.
2. Original language: Early Modern English
3. Subject: greed, lust
4. Genre: comedy, city comedy
5. Setting: Venice, Renaissance period
6. The play appeared in quarto in early 1607, printed by George Eld for publisher Thomas Thorpe. The quarto contains Jonson’s dedication to Oxford and Cambridge, as well as a great number of commendatory verses, in English and Latin, by fellow-poets such as Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Its next appearance was in the folio of 1616, and the latter, presumably having been subject to Jonson’s careful review, forms the basis of most modern editions.
7. Characters:
   1. Volpone (the Sly Fox) – a greedy and rich childless Venetian magnifico
   2. Mosca (the Fly) – his servant
   3. Voltore (the Vulture) – a lawyer
   4. Corbaccio (the Raven) – an avaricious old miser
   5. Bonario – Corbaccio’s son
   6. Corvino (the Carrion Crow) – a merchant
   7. Celia – Corvino’s wife
   8. Sir Politic Would-Be – ridiculous Englishman
   9. Lady Would-Be (the parrot) – English lady and wife of Sir Politic-Would-Be
   10. Peregrine (“Pilgrim”) – another, more sophisticated, English traveller
   11. Nano – a dwarf, companion of Volpone
   12. Androgyno – a hermaphrodite, companion of Volpone
   13. Castrone – a eunuch, companion of Volpone
   14. The Avocatori – the judges of Venice
8. Plot:
   1. Volpone (The Fox) is a Venetian gentleman who pretends to be on his deathbed after a long illness in order to dupe Voltore (The Vulture), Corbaccio (The Raven) and Corvino (The Crow), three men who aspire to inherit his fortune. In their turns, each man arrives to Volpone’s house bearing a luxurious gift, intent upon having his name inscribed to the will of Volpone, as his heir. Mosca (The Fly), Volpone’s parasite servant, encourages each man, Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino, to believe that he has been named heir to Volpone’s fortune; in the course of which, Mosca persuades Corbaccio to disinherit his own son in favour of Volpone.
   2. To Volpone, Mosca mentions that Corvino has a beautiful wife, Celia. Disguised as Scoto the Mountebank, Volpone goes to see Celia. Corvino drives away “Scoto” (Volpone), who then becomes insistent that he must possess Celia as his own. Mosca deceives Corvino into believing that the moribund Volpone will be cured of his illness if he lies in bed beside a young woman. Believing that Volpone has been rendered impotent by his illness, Corvino offers his wife in order that, when he is revived, Volpone will recognise Corvino as his sole heir.
   3. Just before Corvino and Celia are due to arrive at Volpone’s house, Corbaccio’s son Bonario arrives to catch his father in the act of disinheriting him. Mosca guides Bonario to a sideroom, and Volpone and Celia are left alone. Upon failing to seduce Celia with fantastic promises of luxury and wealth, Volpone attempts to rape her. Bonario comes forward to rescue Celia. In the ensuing trial at court, the truth of the matter is well-buried by Voltore, using his prowess as a lawyer to convince the Avocatori, with false evidence given by Mosca, Volpone and the other dupes.
   4. There are episodes involving the English travellers Sir and Lady Politic Would-Be and Peregrine. Sir Politic constantly talks of plots and his outlandish business plans, while Lady Would-Be annoys Volpone with her ceaseless talking. Mosca co-ordinates a mix-up between them which leaves Peregrine, a more sophisticated traveller, feeling offended. He humiliates Sir Politic by telling him he is to be arrested for sedition and making him hide inside a giant tortoise shell.
   5. Volpone insists on disguising himself and having it announced that he has died and willed his wealth to Mosca, which enrages the would-be heirs Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvino, and everyone returns to court to dispute the will of Volpone, who becomes entangled in the circumstances of the plots that he and Mosca devised. Despite Volpone’s pleas, Mosca refuses to relinquish his new role as a rich man. Volpone reveals himself and his deceits in order to topple the rich Mosca. In the event, Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino, Mosca and Volpone himself finally are punished.