Appearances and Reality
What the victims of the three swindlers see as reality is not the play's truth. Each one believes they will gain wealth or power with minimal effort. In reality, they end up with less wealth and no additional power than they initially had.

Change and Transformation
The theme of transformation is central to this play. The plot hinges on the hope and expectation that Subtle can convert base metals into gold. Alchemy was still widely believed in at the start of the seventeenth century. Queen Elizabeth explored its potential to increase her wealth, and even Sir Isaac Newton believed in its principles. In The Alchemist, alchemy serves as the foundation for a scam, used to deceive unsuspecting victims. The only real transformation is the lightening of their wallets.

Deception
The plot of Jonson's play revolves around deception. Each of the three swindlers employs deceit for financial gain, but the victims are also self-deceptive. Their eagerness to believe enables the scam to work. Surly dons a disguise to unmask the fraud, but his disguise is another form of deception. Jeremy takes on the persona of Face to lure victims to the house, and later becomes Lungs, the alchemist's assistant. Dol acts as the Queen of Fairy and a mad aristocrat as part of the scheme, while Subtle pretends to be an astrologer and an alchemist. Each act of deception relies on the victims not meeting each other. From the middle of Act IV, when the victims' comings and goings become unexpectedly frequent, the deception becomes harder to manage.

Greed
It is the victims' greed that enables the swindles. Each man seeks more power or wealth than he has earned or deserves, returning repeatedly as their greed intensifies. Their losses of goods and money grow as they remain unsatisfied with their current possessions and crave even more wealth.

Morality
The play's conclusion raises questions about morality. The sting of loss teaches the victims valuable lessons, improving their lives by revealing the harmful effects of excessive greed. When Subtle and Dol are forced to flee without the money and goods they acquired, it becomes clear that dishonesty yields no reward. However, Jeremy escapes punishment for his part in the swindles, challenging the concept of justice. Traditionally, audiences expect the villains to be punished and the good characters to be rewarded. This expectation is subverted when Jeremy is forgiven by his master, leaving him triumphant at the play's end.

Order and Disorder
These concepts are closely linked to Lovewit's departure and return. When Lovewit departs from London, leaving his house under Jeremy's supervision, chaos ensues. This is particularly apparent in Act IV, where the house becomes a gathering point for victims, each seeking more assistance and riches. Order is ultimately reestablished when Lovewit comes back. The swindlers flee, and the victims are compelled to accept their losses and restore order to their lives.

Religion
The two Puritans serve as key symbols in Jonson's satire of extreme religious practices. When Subtle informs them that they need more money, he also suggests they can "make" more by converting pewter into currency. Initially, the concern revolves around the legality of altering foreign coins. However, this is merely a ruse to discuss counterfeiting. The two Deacons justify their need for money as essential to carrying out God's work. Thus, they prioritize divine needs over human laws, or in this instance, the king's laws.

In essence, the Puritans compromise their religious and ethical standards under the guise of serving God. Jonson uses these characters to highlight a flaw he perceives in organized religion: the failure...