Product Description

Ben Jonson's "Volpone" (1605) is one of the most famous comedies of early modern Europe, translated into many languages and frequently revived on stage. This student edition has a carefully modernized text, aimed at undergraduates, theatrical producers and actors of the play. The introduction presents new material about Volpone's debt to the popular Reynard beast epic and Italian "commedia dell 'arte", and discusses its mockery of greed in relation to two Renassance perversions of the myth of a Golden Age. Referring to famous productions it pays particular attention to decisions that must be made whenever the play is performed, particularly its interweaving of main plot and subplot, and the ambiguities of both the opening scence and the controversial conclusion. Stage directions are added whenever necessary, and commentary notes identify literary borrowings and elucidate contemporary references and difficulties of vocabulary. The emphasis throughout is on Volpone's theatrical liveliness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65418 in Books
• Published on: 1999-03-11
• Format: Student Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

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