Page 202 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

British Drama

Notes Volpone’s use of allusion in his catalogue of famous lovers throughout history serves a two-fold
purpose: it widens and elevates his discussion, giving him and Celia immediate historic significance
through association with these names, while at the same time making explicit Volpone’s desire to
make love to Celia in a stylish, erudite way. Jonson uses alliteration to heighten the poetic quality of
the speech, and at one point Volpone bursts into song. He conveys the sensuousness of the imagined
feast through the sensuousness of his language. And his catalogues of sensual delights and romantic
disguises provide a feast of imagery for the reader, underscoring Volpone’s imaginativeness and
liveliness in our minds. He is “hot,” not “frozen and impotent.” His paradise is that of an imaginative
hedonist, continually and consistently searching for pleasure and new forms of pleasure. And as
Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino are, he too is greedy, except his greed is for pleasure and is presented
in such a seductive way that it seems very attractive—the key word is “seems.”
Against this hedonism, this greed for pleasure, Celia and Bonario are posited as the twin voices of
moral criticism, representing both the codes of religion and those of honor. They serve as foils to
Volpone, exposing his ruthlessness; even though neither are guilty of any moral transgression; he
will hurt them if necessary in order to gratify himself. Whereas Corvino’s ugliness seems to stem
from disrespect for honor, Jonson seems to attribute Volpone’s ruthlessness to a lack of religious
feeling. Celia tries to appeal to whatever trace of “holy saints, or heaven” Volpone has within him;
her complete lack of success implies that he has none. And when Celia cries out to God for help as
Volpone prepares to rape her, Volpone says she cries “In Vain,” just before Bonario leaps out to
save Celia. That moment is a direct refutation, on the part of Bonario and Celia, of Volpone’s inverted
value-system, where he values immediate self-gratification, over God. This is the turning point of
the play; it is at this moment that Volpone begins to lose control over the situation, after having lost
control over himself.

16.4.8 Scene VIII

Mosca enters; bleeding from a sword-wound that Bonario has given him on his way out. Volpone is
concerned by the injury, but when Mosca blames himself for the disaster of Celia’s escape and
Bonario’s discovery of Volpone’s deceit, Volpone readily agrees. They briefly consider what they
are going to do, with Mosca suggesting suicide. Then they hear a knock at the door; it is Corbaccio.

16.4.9 Scene IX

Corbaccio enters, with Voltore following right behind. Mosca tells Corbaccio that his son was
searching to kill him, in revenge for his disinheritance. Corbaccio accepts the lie readily and agrees
to make Volpone his heir, asking Voltore if Volpone is going to die anytime soon so that he can
inherit his money. Hearing this, Voltore becomes angry and accuses Mosca of double-dealing; who
is going to be the heir, he demands, Voltore or Corbaccio? Mosca professes his loyalty to Voltore
and then recounts the events that have just happened with a deceitful spin. Mosca tells Voltore that
he had brought Bonario in to watch his father sign away his inheritance to Volpone, in the hopes
that the enraged Bonario would kill his treacherous father, thus leaving the path open for Voltore to
inherit the magnifico’s wealth. But, lies Mosca, Bonario grew impatient waiting for his father, thus
kidnapped Celia and made her “cry rape,” in order to frame Volpone and thus make it impossible
for him to inherit. Voltore, ever the lawyer, immediately takes Mosca’s side, seeing the threat to his
own interests, and he immediately demands that Mosca fetch Corvino and bring him to the Scrutineo.

Analysis to Scenes VIII and IX

When Volpone loses control with Celia, he breaks the implicit rules he seemed to be playing by
initially, or at least may have fooled the audience into thinking he was playing by: that he was only
out to deceive and hurt those who deceived and hurt themselves. But this has now been shown to

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