The Alchemist (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: Ben Jonson
- First Published: 1612
- Type of Work: Comic Drama
- Genres: Drama, Comedy
- Subjects: Crime or criminals, Gambling, Prostitution or prostitutes, England or English people, Seventeenth century, London, Fraud, Plague, Treasure, Quest, Alchemy
- Locales: London, England
A forerunner of the comedy of manners, the play comprises a succession of episodes in which Subtle (alchemist and confidence man) and Dol Common (his prostitute accomplice) cheat morally corrupt clients. The butler, Jeremy, is procurer and manager, finding customers, orchestrating visits, and extracting payments.
The first victim is Dapper, a lawyer’s clerk who aspires to win at gambling. Then comes Drugger, a tobacconist who looks to necromancy for the secrets of success in business. The third client is Sir Epicure Mammon, who seeks through alchemy to become the richest man in...
[The entire page is 537 words long]
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