Volpone
by Ben Jonson (1572-1637)
Summary of Volpone
“Volpone” is written by Ben Jonson. This is the most popular satirical comedy play of the early 17th century.
Key Facts
Author: Ben Jonson (1572-1637)
First Performed: 1605
Published Date: 1607
Genre: Comedy of Humor, Beast Fable
Beast Fable is a kind of moral story in which animal characters are used to convey a moral lesson. Aesop is the widely known beast fable writer.
Act: 5 acts play
Place Setting: Venice, Italy
Time Setting: Early 17th century
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Character List
Volpone (The Fox)– Central character of the play. He is an old, greedy, childless and wealthy man.
Mosca (The Fly)– Servant and parasite of Volpone. He assists Volpone to deceive people.
Voltore (Vulture)- He is a lawyer. He tries to be the heir of Volpone by bringing gifts.
Corbaccio (Raven)– Older than Volpone. He is a greedy old man and he tries to impress Volpone by sending gifts.
Bonario– Son of Corbaccio. He is a good man.
Corvino (Carrion Crow)– A merchant of Venice. He is greedy and mean and he also tries to impress Volpone by sending gifts.
Celia– Beautiful wife of Corvino. She is a lady of good character.
Sir Politic Would-Be– An English traveler, he is a ridiculous man.
Lady Politic Would-Be (Parrot)– She is the wife of Sir Politic would-be. She also tries to grab the property of Volpone.
Peregrine- Another English Traveler.
Nano, Androgyno, and Castrone– They are companions of Volpone and stays in his house.
The Avocatori- The judges of Venice.
Themes
- Greed
- Fable or Animalization
- Parasitism
- Deception
- Dramatic Irony/ Knowledge vs Ignorance
- Vengeance
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Synopsis
“Volpone” is a satirical comedy which shows the greediness and money grasping tendency of almost all the characters. Volpone, a childless wealthy man, plots to loot the wealth of legacy-seekers like Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino with the help of his servant Mosca. These legacy-seekers try to impress Volpone with precious gifts who pretends to be on his deathbed. In the end, all the avaricious (greedy) persons are punished for their wrongdoings.
Summary of Volpone
Detailed Summary
The play opens the morning prayer of Volpone. He worships his gold and considers them as girlfriend, family, and friend. He is an old and wealthy childless Venetian (Man of Venice). He loves to gain wealth, especially gold more and more. He plots people to take their stuffs with the help of his cunning parasite servant Mosca. Many greedy people bring valuable gifts for Volpone expecting to be his heir and grab his property. The sly Volpone pretends to be on his deathbed and deceives them.
Voltore, a lawyer, brings antique and precious plate for Volpone to impress him. Mosca promises Voltore that he will be the only inheritor. Voltore becomes very pleased and goes out. Corbaccio, a very old man, brings a bag of gold coins for Volpone. He expects to outlive Volpone and become the inheritor of his property. Mosca further tricks him to write his will in favor of Volpone and disinherit his own son Bonario. At first, the old man hesitates but the cunning Mosca tries to convince him by saying that it is only a pretense of getting the wealth of Volpone. Corbaccio agrees and goes back satisfied. Corvino, a merchant of Venice, brings a pearl and a diamond to please Volpone. Mosca informs that his master is very near to meet his death and Corvino will be the heir. The merchant leaves and Volpone comes to know that Corvino has a very beautiful wife, Celia. He decides to go disguised to see her.
Volpone disguises himself as Scoto of Mantua (a well-known oil/elixir seller) and visits Corvino’s place to see his wife. Disguised Volpone takes a glimpse of the beautiful lady and becomes very pleased. Later on, Volpone asks the assistance of Mosca to fulfill his lusty desire, sleeping with Celia. So Mosca goes to Corvino’s house with a plot. He tells Corvino that his master would be healed if a young, attractive and good-mannered lady sleep with him. A doctor has offered even his daughter to be of service. So Corvino assumes the possibility to lose the rank of being the inheritor. He immediately offers his wife for Volpone. Mosca becomes successful and goes back.
On the way home, Mosca meets with Bonario on the street. He informs Bonario that his father Corbaccio will disinherit him and name the will in favor of Volpone. Bonario does not believe it and agrees to go to Volpone’s place to over-hear the matter regarding the will. Bonario waits inside the house in the library. But before the arrival of Corbaccio, Corvino deceives his own wife and brings her for Volpone.
Then Volpone tries to seduce her by offering precious stuffs. Being failed, he tries to rape her. Bonario hears the shouts and rescues Celia. Both Volpone and Mosca have become very much afraid of their crime. Just then, Corbaccio and Voltore go there. Mosca tells a made-up story to save him and his master from the crime. He tells that Bonario has attacked him because Corbaccio has written the will in favor of Volpone. Hearing this, Corbaccio becomes very angry and disinherits his son. Mosca also tells that Bonario has used Corvino’s wife Celia to accuse his master of attempting to rape. Voltore, the lawyer, decides to defend Volpone in court.
Later in the court, everyone gives testimony (statement) in favor of Volpone for becoming his heir. The lawyer, Voltore says that Bonario and Celia have committed adultery. They are scandalizing Volpone because he is the inheritor of Corbaccio’s property. Corbaccio and Corvino support this. The judge orders Bonario and Celia to be kept in prison. So Volpone wins the case.
Later on, Volpone wants more fun. He wants himself to be declared dead and he will watch the disappointment in the face of legacy-hunters on realizing that his servant Mosca has become the heir. So, he does it. He makes his will naming Mosca as his heir. Then he pretends to be dead and tells Mosca to dress-up as a noble and wealthy man. He wants Mosca to insult the legacy-hunters as much as possible. Hearing the death-news, all the legacy-seekers come one by one. They all become disappointed and insulted on finding Mosca’s name in the will.
Volpone further decides to tease them in the street. So, he disguises himself as a Commendatory and comes out on the street with the rich man Mosca. Volpone teases them brutally. For this reason, Voltore becomes very angry. He decides to tell all the truth to the court.
So, he presents a paper telling the whole truth. He begs the pardon of the judges and says that he lied earlier. Bonario and Celia are innocent. Mosca has been a deceiver. Now the judges want Mosca in the court. So, Volpone, disguised as Commendatory, goes to fetch Mosca for the judges.
Returning home, Volpone finds that he has become the victim of his own scheme as Mosca is refusing to know him. Volpone regrets very much. He finds himself in a fix. Finding no other way, he reveals everything to the judges.
Now the inheritors realize that Volpone is alive and the whole picture is clearer to them. Bonario and Celia are relieved. The rest of them are given punishments. Mosca will be beaten by the whip and then sent as a galley slave. All the property of Volpone will be given to the hospital and Volpone will be kept in prison until he becomes sick. Corbaccio will be sent to a monastery where he would learn to die well and his son Bonario will inherit his property. Voltore is suspended from his profession of advocating and banished from Venice. Corvino will have to pay three times more money to Celia which he had taken as dowry. So, all the wrongdoers are given exemplary punishments.
Moral Lesson
The evil which flourishes for a time comes to its own destruction.
