Critical Analysis of Volpone by Ben Jonson

Ben Jonson’s Volpone (first performed in 1606) stands as one of the greatest comedies of the English Renaissance. Written in the tradition of satire, the play exposes human greed, hypocrisy, and moral corruption through sharp wit, theatrical irony, and highly stylized characters. Unlike Shakespeare, whose plays often balance tragedy and comedy, Jonson embraces classical unity and structure to craft a biting social commentary.

1. Title and Central Theme

The title Volpone (Italian for “the fox”) immediately signals the play’s allegorical mode. Jonson adopts the conventions of beast fable, in which animals represent human vices. Volpone embodies cunning and greed, using his wealth and wit to manipulate those around him. The central theme is the destructive power of avarice—a vice not limited to one character but pervading Venetian society.

2. Plot and Satirical Structure

The plot revolves around Volpone, a wealthy Venetian nobleman, who pretends to be on his deathbed in order to attract greedy legacy hunters—Voltore (the vulture, a lawyer), Corbaccio (the raven, an old miser), and Corvino (the crow, a jealous husband). Each attempts to secure a place in Volpone’s will by offering extravagant bribes, betraying family, or sacrificing dignity.

The comedy lies in the spectacle of these characters exposing their corruption, but Jonson also structures the plot as a moral fable. Unlike the Shakespearean tradition where characters evolve, Jonson’s figures remain fixed “types” of vice. Their downfall is inevitable and instructive, echoing the Aristotelian principle of poetic justice.

3. Characterization

·         Volpone: Charismatic, witty, and unscrupulous, Volpone revels in deception. His famous opening speech to his treasure—“Good morning to the day; and next, my gold!”—establishes his idolatry of wealth. Yet his downfall reflects the dangers of unchecked cunning and greed.

·         Mosca: Volpone’s parasite (literally “the fly”) is central to the action. More than a servant, Mosca manipulates others with verbal dexterity. Critics often see him as Jonson’s most complex character, embodying the parasite archetype but also anticipating the modern trickster figure.

·         Legacy Hunters (Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino): They are satirical portraits of Venetian society’s moral decay—corrupt law, miserly age, and possessive husbandry. Their animal names underline their predatory instincts.

·         Celia and Bonario: They function as moral foils to the corrupt world, though critics argue their passivity makes them less dramatically engaging. Celia’s resistance to Volpone’s advances, however, injects a rare moment of pathos into the satire.

4. Satire and Morality

Jonson’s satire is both comic and moralizing. While audiences laugh at the extravagant schemes and humiliations, the play insists on a deeper critique: society’s obsession with wealth corrupts familial, legal, and marital institutions. Venice, often perceived in Renaissance England as a city of commerce and luxury, becomes a symbolic space for moral bankruptcy.

The ending, in which Volpone and Mosca are punished by the Venetian court, enforces didactic closure. Yet some critics argue that the moral resolution feels imposed, since Jonson delights more in the exuberant wit of Volpone and Mosca than in their downfall.

5. Style and Language

Jonson’s mastery of language is central to Volpone. The play brims with elaborate metaphors, witty repartee, and biting irony. He draws heavily on classical models, particularly Plautus and Terence, but adapts them to Jacobean satire. Unlike Shakespeare’s poetic flights, Jonson’s style is controlled, urbane, and intellectual, reflecting his self-conscious role as a “classicist” playwright.

6. Critical Perspectives

·         Moral Reading: Many see Volpone as a morality play updated for a commercial age, exposing the corrupting influence of gold.

·         Carnivalesque Reading (Mikhail Bakhtin): Others emphasize its festive inversion of social norms, where tricksters (Volpone and Mosca) momentarily outwit authority before order is restored.

·         Economic Criticism: Some modern critics interpret the play as a commentary on early capitalism, where wealth is no longer tied to productive labor but circulates as spectacle and manipulation.

·         Feminist Criticism: Celia’s objectification by Corvino and Volpone highlights the commodification of women, though Jonson’s limited empowerment of female characters remains problematic.

7. Relevance Today

Though rooted in Renaissance Venice, Volpone’s themes remain strikingly relevant. The obsession with wealth, the corrupting influence of greed, the exploitation of legal and marital systems, and the moral compromises of ambition all resonate in modern capitalist societies. In this sense, Jonson’s satire anticipates contemporary critiques of consumerism and moral vacuity.

8. Conclusion

Volpone is not only a brilliant comedy of trickery but also a biting social critique. Jonson fuses classical models, moral allegory, and satirical wit to expose greed as a universal vice. While some critics question whether the play’s didactic closure matches its exuberant satire, Volpone endures as a powerful exploration of wealth’s corrupting power, one that continues to amuse, disturb, and provoke critical reflection.

Multiple Choice Questions 

 Part I: 

Q1. Volpone was first performed in:
a) 1599
b) 1606
c) 1611
d) 1623
Answer: b) 1606

Q2. What does the name Volpone literally mean in Italian?
a) The Crow
b) The Fox
c) The Vulture
d) The Raven
Answer: b) The Fox

Q3. Which of the following characters is Volpone’s parasite?
a) Voltore
b) Corvino
c) Mosca
d) Bonario
Answer: c) Mosca

Q4. Who is Celia married to?
a) Bonario
b) Voltore
c) Corvino
d) Corbaccio
Answer: c) Corvino

Q5. Which animal is associated with Voltore?
a) Vulture
b) Crow
c) Raven
d) Hawk
Answer: a) Vulture

Q6. Who attempts to disinherit his son in order to gain Volpone’s wealth?
a) Voltore
b) Corvino
c) Corbaccio
d) Mosca
Answer: c) Corbaccio

Q7. What literary form does Volpone closely follow?
a) Romance
b) Beast fable and satire
c) Epic tragedy
d) Pastoral comedy
Answer: b) Beast fable and satire

Q8. What is the punishment of Mosca at the end of Volpone?
a) He is pardoned
b) He is hanged
c) He is banished from Venice
d) He becomes rich
Answer: b) He is hanged

Q9. Who rescues Celia from Volpone’s attempted seduction?
a) Voltore
b) Corvino
c) Bonario
d) Corbaccio
Answer: c) Bonario

Q10. Volpone is set in which city?
a) Florence
b) Rome
c) Venice
d) Milan
Answer: c) Venice

Part II: UGC-NET PYQs (Direct & Related)

PYQ 1 (UGC NET 2013, June):
Volpone is a play written by:
a) Christopher Marlowe
b) Ben Jonson
c) John Webster
d) Thomas Kyd
Answer: b) Ben Jonson

PYQ 2 (UGC NET 2014, December):
In Volpone, who is described as “the parasite”?
a) Corvino
b) Voltore
c) Mosca
d) Bonario
Answer: c) Mosca

PYQ 3 (UGC NET 2017, July):
Which of the following plays by Ben Jonson is set in Venice and satirizes greed?
a) The Alchemist
b) Volpone
c) Bartholomew Fair
d) Every Man in His Humour
Answer: b) Volpone

PYQ 4 (UGC NET 2018, January):
Match the characters in Volpone with their symbolic animal representations:

(i) Volpone – (1) Crow
(ii) Corvino – (2) Fox
(iii) Voltore – (3) Raven
(iv) Corbaccio – (4) Vulture

Options:
a) i–2, ii–1, iii–4, iv–3
b) i–3, ii–2, iii–4, iv–1
c) i–1, ii–3, iii–2, iv–4
d) i–4, ii–2, iii–1, iv–3

Answer: a) i–2, ii–1, iii–4, iv–3

PYQ 5 (UGC NET 2020, June):
Which of the following best describes Ben Jonson’s Volpone?
a) A tragicomedy set in Florence
b) A satire on greed set in Venice
c) A romance in pastoral mode
d) A history play in chronicle tradition
Answer: b) A satire on greed set in Venice