Ben Jonson’s Volpone stands as one of the finest examples of Renaissance satire. First performed in 1606, Volpone offers a keen look into the darker sides of human nature, greed, manipulation, and deception, while simultaneously making biting social commentary on the ethics of wealth and corruption in Venetian society. With its intricately designed plot, sharp wit, and timeless themes, the play is often regarded as a hallmark of English comedy. This article delves deeply into Volpone by offering a comprehensive summary and analysis, an examination of its vibrant characters, and a thorough discussion of its major themes.
Summary and Analysis of Volpone
The play is set in Venice and centers around its eponymous character, Volpone, a wealthy but morally bankrupt con artist. Along with his devious servant Mosca, Volpone concocts an elaborate scheme to further accumulate wealth by exploiting the greed of others. Volpone pretends to be deathly ill, fooling several of his acquaintances into believing they will inherit his fortune if they remain in his favor. This setup provides the foundation for the dark humor that pervades the play, with the audience witnessing various characters trying to outdo one another in sycophantic acts in hopes of securing Volpone’s wealth.
The primary victims of Volpone’s scheme include three Venetian legacy hunters: Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino. Each man represents a different facet of greed. Voltore, a lawyer, uses his legal expertise to ingratiate himself with Volpone. Corbaccio, an old miser, goes as far as to disinherit his own son to secure a larger inheritance from Volpone. Corvino, a wealthy merchant, offers his wife Celia to Volpone in an attempt to curry favor. These characters are willing to betray their ethics, families, and dignity for the sake of material gain, offering a searing critique of greed and moral decay.
As the plot progresses, Volpone becomes more enamored with his own deceptions. His desire for sensual pleasure, particularly his attraction to Celia, complicates his scheme. Mosca, who has thus far been a loyal accomplice, begins to manipulate the situation for his own benefit, eventually attempting to outwit Volpone and claim the fortune for himself. This betrayal sets up a chaotic series of events that lead to a courtroom trial, where deception reaches its peak. In the end, justice is served, but not without Jonson’s signature ambiguity—no one escapes entirely unscathed, and the audience is left to contemplate the consequences of unchecked greed.
Jonson masterfully weaves comic elements with darker undertones in Volpone. His use of irony, hyperbole, and dramatic tension allows the play to transcend simple comedy, moving into the realm of social critique. Venice, in Volpone, becomes a symbol for the excesses of wealth and power. As the characters strive for material riches, they lose sight of their humanity. The resolution of the play brings punishment to the wrongdoers, but the viewer is left with an uncomfortable sense that the true villain, greed, is far from vanquished.
Character Analysis
Volpone
Volpone, whose name means “fox” in Italian, is the central figure in the play. As a wealthy Venetian who derives pleasure from manipulating others, he represents cunning and deceit. Volpone’s initial goal is not the accumulation of wealth for its own sake—he is already rich—but rather the sheer enjoyment of fooling those around him. He thrives on his own cleverness and the gullibility of his victims.
Despite his wit, Volpone is not a sympathetic character. His moral corruption becomes evident as he exploits his supposed friends and even lusts after Celia, willing to destroy her life to satisfy his desires. Volpone’s downfall, orchestrated by Mosca, is fitting; he is ultimately undone by his own arrogance and inability to control the very forces he has unleashed. His evolution throughout the play—from a charming trickster to a desperate, pathetic figure—mirrors Jonson’s critique of the corrupting influence of wealth and power.
Mosca
Mosca, whose name translates to “fly,” serves as Volpone’s parasite-like servant and accomplice. He is the embodiment of opportunism, always buzzing around, waiting for his chance to profit from others. Mosca’s role in the play evolves as he shifts from a subservient lackey to a scheming mastermind. His betrayal of Volpone marks a turning point in the plot, as he seeks to elevate his own position and secure the fortune for himself.
Mosca’s intelligence and adaptability make him a formidable force, but his ambition also leads to his downfall. In many ways, Mosca is a more dynamic character than Volpone because he learns how to manipulate the same system that he initially serves. However, Jonson presents Mosca’s fate as a cautionary tale, warning against the pursuit of power at the expense of integrity.
Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino
The three legacy hunters—Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino—serve as representatives of the corrupt Venetian society. Voltore, the lawyer, uses his profession to deceive others. His name, meaning “vulture,” suggests his predatory nature. Corbaccio, the elderly miser, is willing to disinherit his own son to gain Volpone’s favor, showcasing the destructive nature of greed. His name, derived from the word “crow,” underscores his connection to death and decay. Corvino, the merchant, is perhaps the most morally repugnant of the three. His decision to offer his wife Celia to Volpone in exchange for wealth highlights his utter lack of scruples.
These characters are not just foils for Volpone; they are also mirrors of his own desires. Their greed makes them complicit in the deception, and their eventual punishment serves as a broader critique of a society that values material wealth over human decency.
Celia and Bonario
Celia, Corvino’s wife, and Bonario, Corbaccio’s son, stand apart from the rest of the characters due to their moral integrity. Celia, despite being trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, remains virtuous and refuses Volpone’s advances. She represents the ideal of chastity and purity in a world dominated by corruption and vice. Bonario, likewise, serves as a foil to his father’s greed. His loyalty to his family and his sense of honor contrast sharply with the selfishness of the legacy hunters.
However, both Celia and Bonario are largely passive figures in the play, more symbolic than fully developed characters. Their function is to highlight the moral decay of the other characters and to offer a glimmer of hope that goodness can exist even in a corrupt society.
Themes in Volpone
Greed and Corruption
The most prominent theme in Volpone is the destructive power of greed. Each character in the play, with the exception of Celia and Bonario, is driven by an insatiable desire for wealth. Jonson portrays this greed as all-consuming, capable of corrupting even the most basic human relationships. Fathers disinherit sons, husbands exploit wives, and friends betray one another in the pursuit of fortune.
Venice, as the setting, is crucial to this theme. During Jonson’s time, Venice was known for its opulence and decadence, making it the perfect backdrop for a play about the dangers of excess. The city becomes a metaphor for a world where moral values have been replaced by the pursuit of wealth.
Deception and Manipulation
Another major theme in Volpone is deception. The entire plot revolves around Volpone’s ability to deceive others, and much of the comedy comes from watching his victims fall for increasingly absurd lies. Jonson uses this theme to explore the idea of performance, as each character in the play adopts various personas to achieve their goals.
Volpone himself is the ultimate performer, pretending to be on his deathbed to manipulate those around him. However, the other characters are no less deceptive. Voltore, the lawyer, manipulates the legal system for his own gain. Corvino, the merchant, presents himself as a devoted husband while offering his wife to another man. Even Mosca, the servant, deceives his master in a bid for power.
Through these characters, Jonson critiques a society where deception is rewarded and honesty is seen as a weakness.
The Nature of Justice
Volpone also explores the concept of justice. In the play’s final act, the various deceptions are revealed, and the characters are brought to trial. However, the trial itself is marked by further manipulation, with Voltore using his legal expertise to try and secure an unjust outcome.
Despite the corruption of the legal system, justice is ultimately served in the end. Volpone, Mosca, and the legacy hunters all receive their comeuppance, but the resolution is far from comforting. Jonson leaves the audience with the unsettling notion that justice is fragile and easily subverted in a world dominated by greed.
Morality and Vice
At its core, Volpone is a moral satire. Jonson uses his characters to embody various vices—greed, lust, deceit—and then shows the consequences of those vices. The play’s resolution, with the punishment of the wrongdoers, reinforces the idea that immorality will eventually be exposed and punished.
However, Jonson’s treatment of morality is complex. While the play condemns greed and deception, it also revels in the cleverness of Volpone and Mosca. The audience is invited to enjoy the antics of the characters even as they are being critiqued. This tension between comedy and morality is one of the reasons Volpone remains such a powerful and thought-provoking work.
Conclusion
Volpone is more than just a comedy of errors—it is a biting satire that exposes the darker aspects of human nature. Through its exploration of greed, deception, and the corrupting influence of wealth, Ben Jonson offers a timeless critique of societal values that resonates as much today as it did in the early 17th century. His characters, though exaggerated, represent real human desires and weaknesses, making Volpone a work that continues to engage and challenge audiences.
The play’s setting in Venice, a city of wealth and decadence, serves as a fitting backdrop for this exploration of moral decay. Through characters like Volpone and Mosca, Jonson demonstrates how easily individuals can be consumed by their desires, leading to their eventual downfall. Yet, even in its darkest moments, Volpone retains its humor and wit, making it a quintessential example of Renaissance comedy.
Ultimately, Volpone is a play that forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature. It invites us to laugh at the absurdity of its characters while also recognizing the ways in which their flaws reflect our own. Jonson’s ability to balance comedy with moral critique is what makes Volpone a true masterpiece of English literature.
