Volpone
-Ben Jonson
Volpone, a Venetian nobleman, has no relative to make his heir;
he must name someone his beneficiary. Several rivals try to attain his favor by
bringing the sick Volpone gifts that they hope will be returned tenfold. Mosca,
a clever parasite to Volpone, encourages the three major gulls to give until it
hurts. These birds of prey are Voltore, a lawyer; Corbaccio, an old miser about
to die himself; and Corvino, a rich merchant and husband to Celia, a beautiful
lady of Venice. Also naively competing for Volpone's wealth is Lady Would-be,
the affected wife of an English knight, Sir Politic Would-be. After each gull
is fleeced before our eyes, Mosca encourages Volpone to think of seeking a
greater treasure than gold: the wife of Corvino. After a sensuous description
by Mosca, Volpone resolves to see this paragon of beauty.
As the second act begins, Volpone appears beneath Celia's window
disguised as a mountebank. Jealous Corvino drives him away upon discovering his
wife in an upper window. While Corvino threatens his wife with closer
incarceration, Volpone sings to Mosca of her beauty and his desire. Mosca
hatches a plot to secure Celia for his master. He tells Corvino that the mountebank's
oil, purchased for Volpone by Corbaccio, has revived the flagging health of the
fox. However, if Volpone is to live on, he must sleep with some young woman.
The others are seeking the cure for Volpone, and Corvino must hurry or lose his
investment. Corvino wisely suggests a courtesan, but Mosca slyly rejects this
plan, reasoning that an artful quean might cheat them all. Finally, Corvino
offers his wife. He is convinced that she is safe, and Mosca is sent to tell
Volpone the good news.
Act III reveals Mosca and Bonario conversing in the street. For
some reason, Mosca is telling Bonario of Corbaccio's intention to disinherit
him and inviting the son to witness the deed at Volpone's house. Meanwhile,
Lady Would-be visits Volpone and nearly talks him to death. Mosca gets rid of
her by saying that Sir Politic was lately seen rowing in a gondola with a
cunning courtesan. Corvino arrives, dragging his unwilling wife into the fox's
lair; Volpone, left alone with the shrinking lady, is not successful in his
persuasive attempts to seduce her. Just as he is about to take her by force,
Bonario leaps from his hiding place and denounces Volpone and spirits the lady
to safety.
Mosca saves Volpone from the police by explaining the incident
to the three gulls and persuading them to tell his contrived story in court.
Mosca says that Bonario, impatient to see Volpone, discovered the fox with
Celia, seized the lady, and made her swear that Volpone had attempted to rape
her. The plan is to get an injunction against Bonario.
Act IV begins with the subplot of Sir Politic Would-be and
Peregrine. Sir Politic is discovered entertaining his fellow Englishman with
his naive understanding of politics. Lady Would-be interrupts the conversation
and mistakes Peregrine for the courtesan. She apologizes upon discovering her
mistake, but Peregrine leaves in a huff and promises to take his revenge for
the affront.
At the court, Voltore succeeds in making Celia and Bonario look
like lovers. Mosca persuades Lady Would-be to testify that Celia was the bawd
in the gondola with her husband. Volpone makes his entrance on a stretcher to
demonstrate his impotence.
All augurs well for the rogues as the fifth act begins. But
Volpone cannot leave well enough alone. He sends his servants to announce his
demise and waits for the gulls to come to claim their inheritance. Mosca is the
heir! The parasite flaunts his knowledge of their wrongdoing to the birds of
prey and they leave in despair. Disguised as a police officer, Volpone follows
them to taunt them further.
Meanwhile, Peregrine, disguised as a merchant, comes to Sir
Politic's house and tells the knight that the police are seeking him because he
has plotted to overthrow the Venetian state. When Sir Politic hides in a
tortoise shell, Peregrine calls in some other merchants to mock and humiliate
the foolish Englishman.
At the court, the three gulls, enraged by Mosca and Volpone and
the loss of their hopes, decide to tell the truth. They accuse Mosca of being
the lying villain who created the whole plot. Mosca is summoned and arrives
with another plot in mind. He will extricate Volpone from this predicament, but
the fox must remain dead and he, Mosca, must continue as the heir. Volpone
throws off his disguise and the entire intrigue is revealed.
