Volpone
of Ben Jonson, Robert N. Watson (Editor)
Description
Volphone's reverential prayer to his heaps of gold launches the sharpest, funniest play about money and morals in the 17th century - a play still wickedly relevant on the same topics four centuries later. Ben Jonson's comedy depicts selfishness thinly veiled by sanctimonious speeches, lust and possessiveness poorly disguised as love and marriage, and cynical legalism passing itself off as pure justice, alongside snobbery, class warfare and greed. The wily protagonists keep a dozen conventional plots spinning in the minds of their dupes, and when their amazing juggling act finally unravels, there are yet more twists - and an even deeper cynicisim - to the story. The play is partly a beast-fable: the wily fox, Volpone, plays dead to lure flesh-eating birds that he can then consume. But the beasts are the human race, and polite society the biggest, greediest scam of them all.This student edition contains a lengthy Introduction with background on the author, date and sources, critical interpretation and stage history.Robert N. Watson is Distinguished Professor of English at UCLA. His publications include Critical Essays on Ben Jonson (as editor) and Ben Jonson's Parodic Strategy. He also edited the New Mermaids edition of Every Man in His Humour.
Gender
Main Characters
Book Details
- Format Paperback
- Pages 208 pages
- Publisher Bloomsbury Methuen Drama
- Publication Date February 28th 2003
- First Publication 1606
- Language English
- ISBN 9780713654332
- Edition Not informed
- Category Other
- Scenario []
Rate this work
🔒 Log in to evaluate this book.
Share your opinion with other readers. Your feedback is very important!
AI-Powered Recommendations
Based on your reading of "Volpone", our dual AI algorithms suggest these titles. ⚡ FAISS Baseline 🧠 PyTorch Enhanced
Top Picks For You
🎯 Smart Selection
How do we choose these recommendations?
Similar Style Recommendations
Books with similar themes, authors, and writing styles to what you're reading now.
Smart AI Matches
Our advanced AI finds books you might love based on deeper patterns and reader preferences.
FAISS Baseline
Fast & Reliable
Ubu Roi
Alfred Jarry, Barbara Wright (Translator), Franciszka Themerson (Illustrator)
The Complete Plays: The Hostage / The Quare Fellow / Richard's Cork Leg
Brendan Behan, Alan Simpson (Introduction)
