The Alchemist | The Alchemist

At a glance:

Author: Ben Jonson
First Published: 1612
Type of Work: Drama
Type of Plot: Comedy of manners
Time of Work: Early seventeenth century
Setting: London
Principal Characters: Face, Subtle, Dol Common, Lovewit, Sir Epicure Mammon, Dame Pliant
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

Master Lovewit had left the city because of plague. His butler, Jeremy, known as Face to his friends of the underworld, invited Subtle, a swindler posing as an alchemist, and Dol Common, a prostitute, to join him in using the house as a base of operations for their rascally activities. Matters fared well for the three until a dispute arose between Face and Subtle over authority. Dol, seeing their moneymaking projects doomed if this strife continued, rebuked the two men and cajoled them back to their senses.

The Alchemist | The Alchemist

At a glance:

The Story:

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