Volpone | Essays and Criticism

  • Setting in Volpone

    In the following essay, the author discusses the role of Venice in Ben Jonson's Volpone.

  • The Legacy of the Prankster

    In the following essay, the author traces the legacy of the prankster leading up to Jonson's comedy Volpone.

  • Opposition in Volpone

    In the following essay, the author argues that the "instructive" and the "delightful" elements of the play are "increasingly opposed during the play.''

  • The Setting of Volpone

    In this essay, the author discusses the significance and detail of the setting of Volpone.

  • Incongruity in Volpone

    In this essay, the author shows the relationship between the seemingly incongruous themes in the play, which many criticize "for its seemingly irrelevant subplot, fool interludes, and mount-bank scene, as well as for the near-tragic tone of its denouement."

  • Volpone and the Greek Comodies

    In the following essay, the author argues that although Jonson was inspired by the ancient Greek comodies, his interpretation of them was incorrect.