Product Description

Volphone's reverential prayer to his heaps of gold launches the sharpest, funniest play about money and morals in the 17th century - a play still wickedly relevant on the same topics four centuries later. Ben Jonson's comedy depicts selfishness thinly veiled by sanctimonious speeches, lust and possessiveness poorly disguised as love and marriage, and cynical legalism passing itself off as pure justice, alongside snobbery, class warfare and greed. The wily protagonists keep a dozen conventional plots spinning in the minds of their dupes, and when their amazing juggling act finally unravels, there are yet more twists - and an even deeper cynicisim - to the story. The play is partly a beast-fable: the wily fox, Volpone, plays dead to lure flesh-eating birds that he can then consume. But the beasts are the human race, and polite society the biggest, greediest scam of them all. This student edition contains a lengthy Introduction with background on the author, date and sources, critical interpretation and stage history. Robert N. Watson is Distinguished Professor of English at UCLA. His publications include Critical Essays on Ben Jonson (as editor) and Ben Jonson's Parodic Strategy. He also edited the New Mermaids edition of Every Man in His Humour.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #132652 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 174 pages

About the Author
Robert Watson is Professor of English at UCLA

Customer Reviews

Each version and edition reveals new facets
I came upon this play and Ben Jonson by the back door. I was watching a movie titled "The Honey Pot" with Rex Harrison. His character Cecil Fox after observing this play used the outline for his own purposes. So naturally I have to read the play to see what the movie is mimicking.

I have several copies of "Valpone" (the fox) to compare information on Ben. This is a review of the "New Mermaids Series" I have several of their series. They give you all the background information and any annotation needed. They make the information interesting enough that you feel that Ben Jonson is in the room with you. I am sure some people would not want to be in the same room. I was surprised to find that William Shakespeare acted in some of Ben's plays.

The play is well written and has many levels to it. If it did not have so many footnotes I would be in trouble. It reads like an English play yet has parts that would make Stephen King blush.

complex look on society,and what we'll do for money
this play is not just to be read-it's too deep for that, to fulfill its potential for the reader you must look much further into this comical stance on society, today and always! Its is recommended you get a note book to accompany Jonson's work of art. Very fine book, but seriously true, studied for A level and much more to it than you could ever imagine. Sit down with it and give it ago.

Histerically historical look at the 17 Centuary
While studying this book for my english A-Level i lerent a great deal about the politics and humour of the time, as well as a very good story and twisting plot, it lets us know that "have i got news for you" and "Rory Bremner"were not the the first big satirical hit