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.
Reprint of the editions published by Everyman's Library, New York, Dutton, 1910.
Availability | Usually ships in 24 to 48 hours |
ISBN 10 | 0486436306 |
ISBN 13 | 9780486436302 |
Author/Editor | Ben Jonson |
Grade level | 9 and Up (ages 14 and up) |
Page Count | 256 |
Dimensions | 5 x 8 |