A Detailed Critical Summary of "Volpone" (Act by Act, Scene by Scene)
Act I, Scene 1
Volpone's worship of gold; his technique of acquiring gold. The play opens with a speech by Volpone in praise of his gold. His wealth is the "saint" whom Volpone worships. The brightness of his gold exceeds the brightness of the sun. Rightly was the happiest period of human history called "golden". Gold itself does nothing, but it is capable of making men do all kinds of things. With gold, men's very souls may be purchased. Mosca echoes his master's sentiments by saying: "Riches are in fortune/ A greater good than wisdom is in nature". Volpone expresses his joy in the skillful manner in which he has acquired his wealth and he is happier "More in the cunning purchase of my wealth/Than in the glad possession". He has not made money through trade, or agriculture, or industry or usury. Nor, says Mosca, has Volpone made money by cheating young men of the wealth they have newly inherited, or by exploiting the poor. Volpone then explains that he makes money by exploiting the greed of those who wish to inherit his property. He feeds the legacy-hunters with false hopes and manages to extract costly pre- sents and gifts from them. In this way he also indulges the natural bent of his mind: "What should I do/ But cocker up my genius"?
Critical comments
1) The opening scene is a fit introduction to the play. We here meet the two principal characters, both villains Volpone appears as the worshipper of Mammon. He is an unscrupulous exploiter of the legacy- hunters who waits upon him with gifts. Mosca, the parasite, understands the mind of his master and has the knack of humouring him. He flatters his master by depicting him as a generous man who gives money liberally to his dependents (the dwarf, the hermaphrodite, the cunuch, and Mosca himself) This flattery brings him as immediate reward in the form of money. The stage is now set for the development of the plot.
2) The high style of the opening speech is noteworthy. A critic, for instance, speaks of the tragic sublimity of this speech. For to address gold as a saint, the soul of the world, a sacred relic, the price of souls, and so on, would shock the audience as being blasphemous Tech also helps to evoke the atmosphere of the play in which sons and wives can be sacrificed for the sake of gold, in which gold makes men do all things, and in which men like Mosca appear noble and valiant in the eyes of a judge who wishes to marry him off to his daughter rather than to examine the case before him. This speech, furthermore, so full of images of cosmos and of creation, is itself, despite the many borrowings, an act of creation: it creates the assumptions which will make the play credible.
Act I, Scene II
The transmigration of the soul.
We now meet Nano, the dwarf Ardrogyno, the fool as well as hermaphrodite, and Castrone, the eunuch. These three deformed characters stage a show for the entertainment of Volpone. Nano's speech contains the history of the soul which originally came from Apollo and which, after living in the bodies of various men, one after the other, entered the body of Pythagoras (who gave to the world his theory of the transmigration of the soul). That soul then underwent countless transforma- tions till it got into the body of Ardrogyno, the fool who is also a hermaphro- dite. Ardrogyno says that, of all its numerous abodes, the soul has liked the body of the fool the most: "Fools, they are the only nation/ Worth men's envy, or admiration".
Volpone gets ready to receive Voltore.
Volpone is pleased by the per- formance, and compliments Mosca who devised it. A knocking is heard and Voltore, the advocate, is announced. Voltore (or, Vulture) is one of the legacy- hunters. Volpone at once puts on his warm robe and night- cap, and gets into his bed. He has been feigning illness for the last three years, and all the legacy- hunters have been given to understand that he might die any moment. Volpone is now ready to receive Voltore. He is all set to pretend to be suffering from cough, gout, apoplexy, palsy, catarrh, etc..
Critical comments.
The entertainment provided by Nano and his com- Tades is a good example of the complexity and range of Jonson's dramatic technique. We have here a scene of what may be called sophisticated degen- eracy. A dwarf and a hermaphrodite act out a dialogue in which such matters as soul, religion, war, and philosophy are treated in a mocking, cynical manner. Much of the mock-history of the soul is derived from the 2nd century Greek satirist Lucian in whose Dialogue of the Cobbler and the Cock, a cock tells his owner, a poor cobbler, of the various transmigrations of soul which have brought him at last to the barnyard. But Lucian's story has a point to which Jonson does not refer: the cock in the end succeeds in showing the cobbler what miserable lives the wealthy lead. The moral of Lucian's story has thus an immediate bearing on the events of the play and reflects back ironically on the gold- worshipping house- hold of Volpone. These clever people are condemning themselves from their own mouths. The scene is also a brief announcement of the central theme of the play. We have here a short history of the progressive deterioration of mankind. The soul which comes first from Apollo ends at last in a fool and hermaphrodite. Volpone, while imagining himself in his cleverness to be the paragon of animals, passes successively through the shapes of a sick man, a mountebank, an impotent, and finally an inmate of a prison for incurables. The scene is also a statement of another theme of the play: folly. Its point is stated in lines 56-58: "it's your Fool wherewith I am so taken.....". and it comes to its full height and thrust in the "Song."
The latter part of this scene carries the plot a little further when a visitor in the person of Voltore arrives at Volpone's house.
Act I, Scene III
The interview between Volpone and Voltore.
Voltore has brought a costly antique plate as a gift for Volpone who, in an assumed feeble voice, expresses his appreciation of Voltore's concern. Mosca, in a whisper, tells Voltore that he (Voltore) continues to be Volpone's favourite, having been chosen to be Voltore's heir. Mosca says that he will look after the safe cus- tody of all Volpone's valuables which are to pass into Voltore's hands after Volpone's death which is imminent. Voltore promises to reward Mosca for this service. Mosca tells him that Volpone always liked him for his profession (ie., for being a lawyer) and goes on to describe lawyers in a manner which seems appreciative and laudatory but which is in reality condemnatory. Mosca's irony is, however, lost on Voltore Corbaccio (the Raven), another legacy-hunter now arrives, and Voltore is hurriedly sent away.
Critical comments.
This scene shows Mosca as a trickster and Voltore as a dupe. The manner in which Mosca convinces Voltore that he is the sole heir of Volpone shows his persuasive tongue. Mosca's satirical description of lawyers is masterly in its exposure of their double-dealing and unreliability. Volpone's way of dissembling illness and his pretence that he will soon die are remarkable in their effectiveness. The scene also shows how gullible this advocate is, in spite of his legal ability (as shown later in the court scene).
Act I, Scene IV
The interview between Volpone and Corbaccio.
Corbaccio is an aged gentleman, hard of hearing. He has brought a sleep-inducing drug from his physician for Volpone but Mosca tells him that Volpone has no faith in physicians and their remedies,; Corbaccio feels happy to learn that Volpone's condition has greatly deteriorated. Mosca, describing the symptoms, speaks of Volpone's drawn face, wide-open mouth, drooping eyelids, slow pulse, When Mosca informs Corbaccio of the plate which Voltore has presented to Volpone, Corbaccio produces a bag full of gold coins which, he says, he has brought to give to Volpone. Mosca says that this money is a sacred remedy for all diseases and a most blessed restorative. Mosca assures Corbaccio that as soon as Volpone recovers somewhat, Mosca will urge him to make a will in favour of Corbaccio. But, in order to make assurance doubly sure, he urges Corbaccio go home immediately and frame his own will nominating Volpone as Corbaccio's sole heir. When Volpone learns of this gesture of good will, he will not hesitate to reciprocate by making Corbaccio his heir. At first Corbaccio hesitates to disinherit his son (Bonario) in favour of Volpone but, realizing that the step suggested by Mosca will ensure a double inheritance for Bonario, he not only agrees but shows much enthusiasm for Mosca's plan.
Critical comments.
In the preceding scene it was Voltore who was gulled with the belief that he would be the sole heir to Volpone. In this scene it is Corbaccio's turn to be so gulled. Thus the plot has moved a step further. The extent to which Corbaccio is here being duped shows him a much greater fool. The greed of both Voltore and Corbaccio has been emphasized, but Corbaccio is prepared to go farther than Voltore to gain the inheritance, Corbaccio, in other words, plays for higher stakes. Mosca's ingenuity, ready wit, and unscrupulousness are further revealed in this scene. After Corbaccio leaves, Volpone compliments Mosca upon his genius for manipulation, and Mosca says that he owes much to his master for his success and efficiency. Volpone speaks mockingly of Corbaccio's capacity for self-deception.
Act I, Scene V
The visit of Coryino.
Corvino, "the spruce merchant", is the next visi- tor. To him Mosca says that Volpone is now as good as dead. Corvino has brought a wonderful pearl as his gift for Volpone and he has got a diamond too. Mosca tells him that Volpone has been calling out his name and that, on the basis of this, he has put down Corvino's name as Volpone's sole heir, with the result that the other candidates will get nothing. Nor, says Mosca, has Volpone bequeathed anything to his illegitimate children (Nano, Ardrogyno, and Castrone) born of Volpone's iHicit union with various beggar-and-gypsy women. Mosca then encourages Corvino to shout abusive words into Volpone's cars, saying that Volpone is too afflicted with diseases to hear anything. Mosca asks Corvino if he should strangle Volpone to death, using a pillow for the purpose. But Corvino would not go so far though, a moment later he tells Mosca to use his own judgement in this matter. Corvino then leaves, but not before he has promised to give Mosca'a share in the inheritance. Volpone pays another tribute to Mosca's ingenuity and inventiveness and exulting over the gifts he has received, orders music and dancing for his entertainment.
Lady Would-be; Celia.
Lady Politic Would-be, the wife of an English knight on a visit to Wenice, now sends word that she would like to meet Volpone, but Volpone says that he would see her later in the day. Mosca arouses Volpone's curiosity by an adroit reference to the extraordinary beauty of Corvino's wife. Celia, and Mosca becomes even more eloquent in describ- Ing that lady's charms. Volpone thereupon resolves to go and see the lady, even if it be only at her window.
Critical comments.
With Corvino's visit in this scene, we have been introduced to all the three principal legacy-hunters, while a hint has been dropped about a fourth (namely, Lady Would-be). Each of the three goes away with a firm belief that he is the favourite, and the sole heir of Volpone. The present scene, apart from taking the plot further by adding to the compli- cation and making us acquainted with yet another victim of avarice, contains the seeds of the conspiracy against Celia. Another aspect of Volpone's char- acter is revealed here, too. He is not only a lover of gold; he is a lover of women too. Mosca, knowing his master's leanings thoroughly, now inflames Volpone's passion for Celia, and Volpone cannot resist the temptation to go and take a look at the lady no matter what the risk. Volpone is thus a voluptu ary as well as a devotee of Mammon.
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