Ben Jonson depicts a sad picture of human nature in his play ‘Volpone’. In the play, we find a society where almost all the characters are greedy and they want only material prosperity by corrupt means or by means of flattery. In the play, Jonson has brought home the vices and follies and humours of people by presenting them in the familiar milieu of real life as it might be projected on the stage. His purpose is to satirize the follies and vices of the contemporary society and in this venture, he found humours as an admirable weapon.
Satire on money-obsessed society
Table of Contents
In the play, Jonson satirizes the contemporary money-obsessed society. Almost all the characters in the play are greedy. It is embodied by Volpone, Mosca, and all the clients. At the very beginning of the play, Volpone worships gold as his God. The worship of gold which Volpone is found indulging in was practiced in England. Volpone’s worship of his gold verges on blasphemy and we see throughout the play that he evaluates everything in monetary value. He believes that everything can be purchased in exchange for money. This belief is obvious in his attempt to seduce Celia by tempting her with his fabulous wealth. At the very beginning of the play, we find that Volpone first greets the day and then gold:
“Good morning to the day; and next, my gold!
Open the shrine, that I may see my saint.”
[Volpone, Act-I, Scene-I]
Satire on superstitions
In the play, Jonson satirizes the contemporary superstitions and beliefs in quackery and wonder-cures. In course of the play, we find that before Sir Politic steps out of his house in the morning, he is careful to throw three beans over the threshold. Mountebanks are held in high esteem by people like Sir Politic but they are also by the nobility and even the royalty. In Jonson’s time, Queen Elizabeth I also patronized many quacks.
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Satire on lawyer’s profession
In the play, Jonson attacks lawyer’s profession. In course of the play, we find that Mosca tells Voltore that Volpone always admires the noble profession of the lawyers because they can speak in favour of any case even on the both sides of the same question. They can make a case very complicated and also can solve the complexity. Even they can offer equivocal advice. They also can give advice for the case or against it just to get the money.
Satire on women’s love of fashion
In the play, Jonson satirizes women’s love of fashion through the character of Lady Would-be. In course of the play, we find that she imitates fashions, especially those of the Venetian prostitutes. She not only makes Freudian slips of her tongue but also makes overtures to Volpone.
The legacy hunters
In the play, Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvino are the three legacy hunters who come to Volpone one after the other in order to become sole heir of Volpone’s wealth. They are prepared to sacrifice their own wealth in the expectations of greener pastures. What is despicable in them is that they are not willing to sacrifice their wealth but also to compromise their values, family and relatives to be Volpone’s heir. Through the legacy hunters, Jonson satirizes different qualities of people of his time. However, the legacy hunters are distinguished from each other very effectively. Voltore is an advocate who degrades his lawyer’s profession for the sake of money. He can plead against his Maker for a few pennies. Corbaccio is slightly more sinister than Voltore. He is ready to disinherit his own son to inherit Volpone’s wealth. Corvino turns out to be the most depraved character. He is prepared to prostitute his own wife to secure his position as Volpone’s heir. To him, commercial benefit is greater than honour. He is prepared to risk his reputation for money. He declares:
“Honour! tut, a breath.
There’s no such thing in nature; a mere term
Invented to awe fools.”
[Volpone, Act-III, Scene-VII]
Conclusion
Through ‘Volpone’, Ben Jonson mirrors the society of his time when people lost their morals and degenerated into the lower levels of animal existence because of their greed for wealth and power. It is a comedy in which Jonson satirizes the follies, vices and greed of the contemporary society.
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