Volpone, Ben Jonson

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Context (AO4)

AO3 comparison

  • Volpone has been played since 1606 except for 136 gap year period- the year of Victorian morality (relates to the idea that the sin theme seen in Volpone was a sensitive topic for that era)
  • 1607 edition of Volpone reiterates the classical argument. Reformed behaviour that makes a mockery of human weaknesses
  • 'Would-be' subplot, Jonson interprets that the unity of action as being 'one of those parts' meaning that whatever the person believes themselves to be, they convince themselves that they are exactly that
  • Metal gold wasn't supposed to exist in the Golden Age but Volpone puts it at the centre of his universe
  • Jacobean audience expected to grasp the carelessness of Volpone's character (i.e; he cares little that Corvino is already married to Celia, rather he himself tries to chase after her
  • The theme of greed can be compared to the Wife of Bath where the Wife has 5 husbands yet it is told to her that it is wrong to do so, she justifies this with her sexual appetite being the reason for her five
  • Sin can also be seen in the Wife of Bath, the Wife was told that a Samaritan was condemned for having more than 5 wives and so therefore it's a sin to have so many
  • Marriage and women is a clear part of both the Wife of Bath and Volpone. Women in the Wife of Bath ( the Wife herself is seen as devious and overpowering) whereas in the Volpone we see that Celia is a good woman but is restricted in her actions because of the stereotype that women have a great sex drive
  • Justice can also be seen in the Wife of Bath by the story that the Wife tells the pilgrims. She tells them about a knight and the knight had his life spared and justice was restored because he paid his price of setting out far and wide to search for an answer about what women desire most.

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