The Alchemist Summary
The Alchemist is a play by Ben Jonson, which follows tricksters Jeremy, Subtle, and Dol as they swindle a series of increasingly naive victims. By pretending to be doctors, astrologers, and alchemists, they deceive their marks and steal their money and valuables.
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Jeremy (Face), Subtle, and Dol plan a con when Jeremy's boss, Mr. Lovewit, goes out of town.
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Their victims are Dapper, Drugger, Sir Epicure Mammon, Ananias, Dame Pliant, and Kastril. Mammon's companion Surly proposes to Dame Pliant.
- Jeremy's boss arrives and figures out what they're doing but agrees to spare them if they can arrange a marriage between him and Dame Pliant.
Summary
Last Updated October 17, 2023.
"The Alchemist," a satirical comedy first performed in 1610, follows a trio of con artists who masquerade as alchemists to dupe unsuspecting victims. This classic example of Jacobean drama blends sharp wit, social commentary, and humor with a convoluted plot to reveal the greed and gullibility of the era. Set against the backdrop of London's rapid growth and expanding merchant class, the play humorously satirizes the rampant materialism and crime of the city.
The play starts with a brief prologue introducing London as a lively place with questionable characters. The prologue suggests that Jonson aims not to condemn but to satirically improve these people.
The opening act begins in the home of Lovewit, a wealthy Londoner who has fled the city during an outbreak of the plague. There's a heated argument between two central characters, Subtle and Face (the house's butler), over who is the superior con artist. Subtle claims he taught Face everything he knows, reminding him that he used to be a simple servant. Face responds that Subtle's ruse of being an alchemist depends on Face providing the unsuspecting victims and supplying the necessary equipment.
I gave you countenance, credit for your coals,
Your stills, your glasses, your materials;
Built you a furnace, drew you customers,
Advanced all your black arts; lent you, beside,
A house to practise in— (Act 1, Scene 1)
Dol, a prostitute, breaks up the argument with the reality check that their schemes require everyone's cooperation. Dol forces the two men to grudgingly agree to get along.
A man named Dapper arrives, and they quickly prepare to con him. Dapper wants them to help him magically cheat at gambling, something illegal under the statute of sorcery. Face and Subtle exploit Dapper's fear of the law, prompting him to make an advance payment. Subtle then offers to introduce Dapper to the Queen of Fairies.
Face and Subtle continue their deceptions, first with Drugger, who seeks astrological advice about his new shop, and then with Sir Mammon, who believes he can obtain the Philosopher's Stone.
In Act 2, Sir Mammon, an eager believer in alchemy, is in a good mood, anticipating that the Philosopher's Stone will be ready today. He envisions a future filled with extravagant powers, including curing all diseases, immortality, and the seduction of many women. Mammon is joined by his skeptical companion, Surly, who cautions him to believe only what he sees with his own eyes.
Face informs Mammon that the stone is nearly ready. Mammon promises great wealth to Face if the stone works, although Face is already making money from him. Subtle, posing as the "Alchemist," enters, and Mammon treats him with great respect.
Subtle hints that Mammon's desires could hinder the stone's formation. Face and Subtle confuse Mammon and Surly with pseudo-scientific jargon. Despite Surly's skepticism, Mammon gives them more money. Dol enters, and Mammon is captivated. Face arranges a meeting with her, pretending she's a mad aristocrat.
The con artists engage in further schemes, including a ruse to deceive the religious and power-hungry anabaptist, Ananias. They also are interested in defrauding a wealthy young widow, Dame Pliant, who "strangely long[s] to know her fortune."
In the third act, Tribulation, the Anabaptist pastor arrives with Ananias. They argue with Subtle but are eventually persuaded that he can help their religious cause. Subtle boasts about the benefits of the Philosopher's Stone, which will provide riches and a chance to win countless converts. Subtle assures them the stone will be ready in fifteen days and takes their money.
Drugger arrives with Kastrill, the brother of Dame Pliant. After Kastrill leaves to fetch...
(This entire section contains 1068 words.)
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his sister, the con artists pretend that fairies have entered the house. In a scene full of slapstick humor, Dapper, who has been blindfolded and repeatedly pinched by the "fairies," gives Face more money to meet the Fairy Queen. When suddenly Mammon appears, the con artists gag and lock Drugger in the privy.
In Act 4, the schemes of the con artists get more convoluted. Mammon enters, seeking Dol. Pretending to be a noble lady, Dol engages in a bizarre conversation filled with innuendo. Subtle tricks Kastrill into a quarrel and then comforts him.
Surly, hoping to discover what's happening, arrives disguised as a Spanish Don. Face and Subtle make fun of him, assuming he doesn't speak English.
SUBTLE. Stab me; I shall never hold, man.
He looks in that deep ruff like a head in a platter,
Serv'd in by a short cloke upon two trestles.
FACE. Or, what do you say to a collar of brawn, cut down
Beneath the souse, and wriggled with a knife?
SUBTLE. 'Slud, he does look too fat to be a Spaniard.
(Act 4, Scene 3)
Confusion arises as Surly reveals his true identity, and a fight ensues. The situation intensifies as Drugger and Ananias join in. Face manages the situation brilliantly, manipulating Kastrill and Drugger, and the complex web of deception continues. However, Dol announces Lovewit's return, prompting Face to devise an escape plan for himself, Subtle, and Dol.
In the play's concluding act, Lovewit seeks answers about the house's unusual activities. Neighbors report Jeremy the Butler's absence for weeks. Face, now back in his persona as Jeremy, answers the door and tells Lovewit to stay away as the plague has come to the house. Lovewit is suspicious since the butler is the only one who should be home. He says that the cat has become sick when pressed for more details.
The cat that kept the buttery, had it on her
A week before I spied it; but I got her
Convey'd away in the night: and so I shut
The house up for a month— (Act 5, Scene 1)
Surly and Mammon arrive, complaining about their treatment by Subtle and Face. An escalating commotion brings more characters, each accusing the con artists. Face and Subtle's defense crumbles upon facing the irate crowd, particularly after Drugger calls out from the privy. After unmasking the deception, Face persuades Lovewit to marry Dame Pliant, and they leave together. Meanwhile, the conmen sort their ill-gotten gains.
Ultimately, the con artists flee, and Lovewit's home becomes a scene of confusion as the victims search for their money. Nonetheless, Kastrill forges a connection with Lovewit while sharing drinks. Happy with his new marriage, Lovewit forgives his crooked butler. The play ends as Face, addressing the audience, recognizes his profits and pledges to amuse the audience with his unlawfully acquired riches.