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

Satire : Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also Notes
be found in the graphic and performing arts.
Comedy : Comedy, as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally
intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy.
Protagonist : A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or
musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative’s plot revolve
and with whom the audience is intended to most identify.
Flattery : Flattery is the act of giving excessive compliments, generally for the purpose
of ingratiating oneself with the subject.
Iambic pentameter : A meter in which each line has ten syllables, or fine pairs of syllables, the
first syllable in each pair unstressed and the second stressed.
Unity of time : The audience and the characters must experience time at the same rate.
Unity of place : The play should have only one setting.
Unity of action : The play should revolve around one action.

Dramatic irony : It is a literary device often used in tragedies, a central character behaves in
a certain way in ignorance of key facts about a situation.
Stage craft : The art of putting on a show.

Soliloquy : It is a speech given by a character while alone on stage, spoken directly to
the audience and it usually gives the audience direct access to the inner
workings of the character’s mind.
Avocatori : One who serve as judges in the Venetian state
Bawdy-house : A seedy night club or whorehouse.

17.5 Review Questions

1. Which character in the play do you most admire? Explain your answer.
2. Which character do you list admire? Explain your answer.
3. Give a brief sketch of the following characters in Volpone:
(a) Voltore (b) Corvino (c) Castrone
4. Give a critical view of the following characters in the Volpone:
(a) Nano (b) Androgyno (c) Avocatori
5. Illustrate the plot constructed in the following Act:
(a) Act I (b) Act II (c) Act III
6. The third act begins with a soliloquy from Mosca, indicating that he is growing
increasingly conscious of his power and his independence from Volpone. Explain
7. In the final act, Volpone returns home tired and worried that he is actually growing
ill. Explain this situation.
8. The legacy hunters do not know that Volpone is actually in excellent health and
merely faking illness for the purpose of collecting all those impressive get-well gifts.
Explain this statement in context of plot construction in Volpone.

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