Volpone, or The Fox (in Italian: "Big Fox"), is a comedy by Ben Jonson first produced in 1606, drawing on elements of city comedy, black comedy and animal fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-performed play, and it is among the finest Jacobean comedies. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... For other persons of the same name, see Ben Johnson (disambiguation). ... Events January 27 - The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins ending in their execution on January 31 May 17 - Supporters of Vasili Shusky invade the Kremlin and kill Premier Dmitri December 26 - Shakespeares King Lear performed in court Storm buries a village of St Ismails near... City comedy is a common genre of Elizabethan drama. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian, V.S...

Characters

• Volpone (the "Big Fox") – a greedy, childless Venetian nobleman
• Mosca (the Fly) – his servant
• Voltore (the Vulture) – a lawyer
• Corbaccio (the Carrion Crow) – an avaricious old miser
• Bonario – Corbaccio's son
• Corvino (the Raven) – a merchant
• Celia – Corvino's wife
• Sir Politic Would-Be – ridiculous Englishman. Probably partly based on Sir Henry Wotton, [1]and partly on the traveller, Anthony Sherley.
• Lady Would-Be (the parrot) – English lady and wife of Sir Politic-Would-Be
• Peregrine – another, more sophisticated, English traveller
• Nano – a dwarf, companion of Volpone
• Androgyno – a hermaphrodite, companion of Volpone
• Castrone – a eunuch, companion of Volpone
• The Avocatori – the judges of Venice

Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Sir Henry Wotton (1568 - December, 1639) was an English author and diplomat. ...

Plot

Volpone, a Venetian gentleman, is pretending to be on his deathbed after a long illness in order to dupe Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvino, who aspire to his fortune. They each arrive in turn, bearing extravagant gifts with the aim of being inscribed as Volpone's heir. Mosca, Volpone's assistant, encourages them, making each of them believe that he has been named in the will, and getting Corbaccio to disinherit his son in favour of Volpone. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Mosca mentions in passing that Corvino has a beautiful wife, Celia, and Volpone goes to see her in the disguise of Scoto the Mountebank. Corvino drives him away, but Volpone is now insistent that he must have Celia for his own. Mosca tells Corvino that Volpone requires sex with a young woman to help revive him, and will be very grateful to whoever provides the lady. Corvino offers Celia. A charlatan is a person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money or advantage by false pretenses. ...

Just before Corvino and Celia are due to arrive for this tryst to take place, Corbaccio's son Bonario arrives to catch his father in the act of disinheriting him. Mosca ushers him into a sideroom. Volpone is left alone with Celia, and after failing to seduce her with promises of luxurious items and role-playing fantasies, attempts to rape her. Bonario sees this, comes out of hiding and rescues Celia. However, in the ensuing courtroom sequence, the truth is well-buried by the collusion of Mosca, Volpone and all three of the dupes.

Volpone now insists on disguising himself as an officer and having it announced that he has died and left all his wealth to Mosca. This enrages Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvino, and everyone returns to court. Despite Volpone's pleas, Mosca refuses to give up his wealthy new role, and Volpone is forced to reveal all in order to save himself. He, Mosca, Voltore, Corbaccio and Corvino are punished.

This main plot is interspersed with episodes involving the English travellers Sir and Lady Politic Would-Be and Peregrine. Sir Politic constantly talks of plots and his outlandish business plans, while Lady Would-Be annoys Volpone with her ceaseless talking. Mosca co-ordinates a mix-up between them which leaves Peregrine, a more sophisticated traveller, feeling offended. He humiliates Sir Politic by telling him he is to be arrested for sedition, and making him hide inside a giant tortoise shell.

There is a school of thought that, like another of Jonson's famous works The Alchemist, all the action in Volpone takes place over a single 24 hour period. The Alchemist is a comedy by English playwright Ben Jonson. ...

Text

The play appeared in quarto in early 1607, printed by Walter Burre. The quarto contains Jonson's dedication to Oxford and Cambridge, as well as a great number of commendatory verses, in English and Latin, by fellow-poets such as Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Its next appearance was in the folio of 1616, and the latter, presumably having been subject to Jonson's careful review, forms the basis of most modern editions. The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers. ... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... Sketch of Francis Beaumont Francis Beaumont (1584 – 1616), was an English dramatist most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher. ... John Fletcher (1579-1625) was a Jacobean playwright. ... The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers. ... Year 1616 (MDCXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Performance history

The play premiered at the Globe Theatre in Spring 1606. It was performed by the King's Men, but casting is uncertain. John Lowin may have performed the title role, as he is associated with the role in James Wright's Historia Histrionica (1699). William Gifford hypothesized that Alexander Cooke may have played Lady Would-be. Either that summer or the next, an outbreak of plague closed the London theaters, and the company performed the play at Oxford and Cambridge. Jonson may have added the first act's satire on Pythagoras for these audiences. The play certainly remained in the King's Men repertory throughout the period. It was performed for Charles in 1631, and again at the Cockpit-in-Court in 1637. This article is about the Globe Theatre of Shakespeare (commonly known as Shakespeares Globe Theatre) and includes information about both the original and its modern reconstruction. ... (Redirected from 1606 in literature) See also: 16th century in literature, other events of the 17th century, 1700 in literature, list of years in literature. ... John Lowin (baptized 9 December 1576 - buried 16th/18 March 1659) was an English actor born in London, the son of a carpenter. ... William Gifford (1756 - 1826), critic and poet, was born of humble parentage at Ashburton, Devonshire, and after being for a short time at sea, was apprenticed to a cobbler. ... Alexander Cooke (died February 1614) was a boy player and actor in the Lord Chamberlains Men and the Kings Men. ... The bubonic plague (more properly Bubonic Fever; a plague is an epidemic) is the best-known variant of the deadly infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis. ... Pythagoras of Samos (Greek: ; between 580 and 572 BC–between 500 BC and 490 BC) was an Ionian (Greek) philosopher[1] and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... A retrospective plan of Whitehall Palace as it was in 1680, by Fisher. ...

After the Restoration, the play enjoyed a lengthy prominence: John Genest records over fifty performances before 1770. When the theaters reopened, the play was owned by the King's Men of Thomas Killigrew; it premiered at Drury Lane in 1663. Michael Mohun played Volpone to Hart's Mosca; Katherine Corey played Celia, and Rebecca Marshal played Lady Would-be. The same cast was seen by Samuel Pepys in 1665. King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Battle of Chesma, by Ivan Aivazovsky. ... Thomas Killigrew (1612 - March 19, 1683), was an English dramatist. ... The interior of the third and largest theatre to stand at Drury Lane, c. ... // Events Prix de Rome scholarship established for students of the arts. ... Michael Mohun (1616?—1684) was a leading British actor both before and after the 1642—1660 closing of the theatres. ... Charles Hart (1625 – August 18, 1683) was a British Restoration actor. ... Samuel Pepys, FRS (23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. ...

The play continued current throughout the following century. Richard Steele mentions a performance in a 1709 number of Tatler. Famous eighteenth-century Volpones include James Quin; famous Moscas include Charles Macklin. Colley Cibber played Corvino in his productions; his wife Katherine Shore played Celia, as did Elizabeth Inchbald in a later generation. As with many other Jacobean plays, it had fallen from favor before the end of the century. An updated version by George Colman the Elder failed at Drury Lane in 1771, and the play fell into disuse. Sir Richard Steele (bap. ... // Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... James Quin (February 24, 1693 - January 21, 1766), English actor of Irish descent, was born in London. ... Charles Macklin (1697?‑1797) was an actor and dramatist born in the north of Ireland, and one of the most distinguished actors of his day, shining equally in tragedy and comedy. ... Colley Cibber, actor, playwright, Poet Laureate, first British actor-manager, and head Dunce of Alexander Popes Dunciad. ... Mrs. ... George Colman (1732 - 14 August 1794) was an English dramatist and essayist, usually called the Elder, and sometimes George the First, to distinguish him from his son, George Colman the Younger. ... The interior of the third and largest theatre to stand at Drury Lane, c. ...

The play was revived by the Phoenix Society at the Lyric Hammersmith in 1921; W. B. Yeats was among the audience, and he mentions the production approvingly in a letter to Allan Wade. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre staged the play at the Malvern Festival in 1935. Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... William Butler Yeats, 1933 photograph, author unknown. ... Birmingham Rep (formerly Birmingham Repertory Theatre) is a theatre in Birmingham, England. ... Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England . ...

A 1938 production introduced two of the dominant elements of twentieth-century productions: Donald Wolfit and animal imagery. Wolfit's dynamic performance in the title role, repeated several times over the next decades, set the mold for modern interpretations of Volpone: Politic's plot was truncated or eliminated, and Mosca (played in 1938 by Alan Wheatley) relegated to a secondary role. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Donald Wolfit (1902-1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre. ... Alan Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham Alan Wheatley (19 April 1907 in Tulworth, Surrey - 30 August 1991) was a British film and television actor during the black and white era. ...

The play has been staged by a number of famous companies over the decades since. In 1952, George Devine directed Anthony Quayle (Mosca) and Ralph Richardson (Volpone) at the Bristol Old Vic. At the same theater in 1955, Eric Porter played Volpone. In 1968, Tyrone Guthrie's National Theatre production emphasized the beast-fable motif; this production featured stage design by Tanya Moiseiwitsch. 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... George Alexander Cassady Devine CBE (November 20, 1910 - January 20, 1966) was an extremely influential theatrical manager, director, teacher and actor in London from the late 1940s until his death. ... Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was an English actor and director. ... Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ... The Coopers Hall (right) became the theatre foyer in the 1970s. ... Eric Porter as Professor Moriarty in Granada Televisions The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1985) Eric Porter (April 8, 1928 - May 15, 1995) was a distinguished English actor who appeared on stage as well as in cinema and television. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 - 15 May 1971) was a British theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ... Tania Moiseiwitch (13 December 1914 - 18 February 2003) was the daughter of Daisy Kennedy and Benno Moiseiwitsch; founding designer of the Stratford Festival and its theatre. ...

In 1972, the play returned to the Bristol Old Vic, but the most memorable production of the 70s was Peter Hall's for the National Theatre. The production presented Paul Scofield as Volpone, with Ben Kingsley as Mosca and John Gielgud as Sir Politic. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall (born 22 November 1930) is a British theatre and film director. ... David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE (born 21 January 1922) is a British actor who was born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, England. ... Sir Ben Kingsley, KBE, (born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning British actor. ... Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH (14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000), known as Sir John Gielgud, was an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winning English theatre and film actor, and is generally regarded as one of the great British actors in history. ...

Matthew Warchus received an Olivier Award nomination for his 1995 production at the Royal National Theatre; it featured Michael Gambon and Simon Russell Beale. Matthew Warchus (Director), studied music and drama at Bristol University. ... Michael Gambon in Charlotte Gray, (2001) Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE (born October 19, 1940), is an acclaimed Irish-born actor who has worked in television, film and theatre. ... Simon Russell Beale (born January 12, 1961, in Penang, Malaya) is an accomplished British actor. ...

Adaptations

In 1918 the theme of a man faking his death to cozen his friends was taken up by Puccini in the third part of Il Trittico, namely Gianni Schicchi. 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire. ... Gianni Schicchi is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, based on a story that is referred to in Dantes The Divine Comedy. ...

Volpone was adapted by Jules Romains and Stefan Zweig in their 1928 production, with the ending changed so that Mosca winds up with Volpone's money. Stefan Zweig (November 28, 1881 – February 22, 1942) was an Austrian writer. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...

This version was used by George Antheil in his 1953 opera Volpone. George Antheil (June 8, 1900 – February 12, 1959) was an American composer and pianist of German and Lutheran descent, born in Trenton, New Jersey. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

A more recent operatic version, by composer John Musto and librettist Mark Campbell, premiered in March 2004 at the Barns at Wolf Trap to positive critical notices.

A short-lived 1964 Broadway musical adaptation entitled Foxy moved the play's setting to the Yukon during the gold rush of 1898. Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... Original Playbill Foxy is a musical with a book by Ian McLellan Hunter and Ring Lardner, Jr. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A California Gold Rush handbill A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ...

The stage adaptation Sly Fox, by Larry Gelbart, updated the setting from Renaissance Venice to 19th century San Francisco, and changed the tone from satire to farce. Note: Sly Fox is also the name of a 1980s pop music duo Sly Fox is a comedic play by Larry Gelbart, based on Ben Jonsons Volpone (The Fox), updating the setting from Renaissance Venice to 19th century San Francisco, and changing the tone from satire to farce. ... Larry Gelbart (b. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

The Honey Pot is a 1967 film by Joseph Mankiewicz based on Volpone, although with a romantic subplot and some more sentimental trappings, with Rex Harrison in the main role, Cliff Robertson as Mosca ("McFly"), and Maggie Smith as the love interest. The Honey Pot is a 1967 film, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ... Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (February 11, 1909–February 5, 1993) was a Polish-American Hollywood screenwriter, director and producer. ... Sir Reginald Carey Rex Harrison (b. ... Cliff Robertson. ... Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE (born 28 December 1934), better known as Dame Maggie Smith, is a two-time Academy Award, and Emmy-winning English film, stage, and television actress. ...

In 1988 the film was adapted for Italian cinema by Maurizio Ponzi, with the title Il Volpone. Set in modern Liguria, it features Paolo Villaggio as Ugo Maria Volpone and Enrico Montesano as Mosca. // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. ... Ugo Fantozzi Paolo Villaggio (born in Genova, 31 December 1932) is an Italian actor, writer, director and comedian, famous especially for his grotesque irony and satire. ...

External links

• Il Volpone at International Movie Database

• John Musto's Volpone at PeerMusic Classical

• Online Sparknotes for Volpone