Page 227 - DENG403_BRITISH_DRAMA

Unit 17: Volpone: Characterization and Plot Construction and Sub-plots

there, and that he must have been possessed by a demon during the last few minutes when he was Notes
speaking to them. He also informs the Senators that Volpone is not dead, contradicting Corvino. All
seems good for Volpone until Mosca returns, and, instead of confirming Voltore’s claim that Volpone
is alive, Mosca denies it. Mosca, after all, has a will, written by Volpone and in his signature, stating
that he is Volpone’s heir. now that Volpone is believed to be dead, Mosca legally owns Volpone’s
property, and Mosca tells Volpone that he is not going to give it back by telling the truth. Realizing
that he has been betrayed, Volpone decides that rather than let Mosca inherit his wealth, he will
turn them both in. Volpone takes off his disguise and finally reveals the truth about the events of
the past day. Volpone ends up being sent to prison, while Mosca is consigned to a slave galley.
Voltore is disbarred, Corbaccio is stripped of his property (which is given to his son Bonario), and
Corvino is publicly humiliated, forced to wear donkey’s ears while being rowed around the canals
of Venice. At the end, there is a small note from the playwright to the audience, simply asking them
to applaud if they enjoyed the play they just saw.

Self Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions:
11. In the first act, each legacy hunter arrives to present a gift to
(a) Volpone
(b) Mosca
(c) Lady Politico
(d) Celia.

12. The third act begins with a soliloquy from
(a) Celia
(b) Mosca
(c) Volpone
(d) lady Politico.
13. In the final act, Volpone returns home tired and worried that he is actually
(a) cheated
(b) revealed
(c) growing ill
(d) revealed and punished.
Fill in the Blanks:

14. Volpone gloats in front of each legacy ..........
15. At the end, there is a small note from the playwright to the ......... .
16. Volpone is dead in the eyes of the ......... and that Mosca will not let him return to
the world of the living.
17. Volpone takes place in ......... Venice, over the course of one day.

State whether the following statements are true or false:
18. The judges order that Celia and Bonario be arrested and separated.
19. The third act begins with a soliloquy from Celia.
20. Just at the beginning, we see Volpone’s latest con in action.

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