Volpone and The Alchemist (Thrift Edition) Ben Jonson

These two comedies saitirze the greed, mendacity, gullibilitiy, and pretension of 17th century London society. 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 swindlerclaiming to possess the philosopher’s stone. 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.