Most of the characters are named after animals who share their characteristics. For instance, Volpone is crafty and is accordingly named after a fox. Additionally, the general structure of the story can be seen as analogous to an animal fable about a fox who fakes his death to catch greedy birds.

What do the names of characters in Volpone suggest?

Jonson alerts us to the symbolic order of the action's meaning by means of the names he assigns the primary characters: Volpone (fox--deceiver), Mosca (fly--parasite), Voltore (vulture--scavenger/lawyer), Corbaccio (raven--wealthy, nearly deaf old, but still greedy man), and Corvino (crow, another scavenger--the ...

What is the dramatic significance of the animal's names of Volpone Mosca and the 3 birds of Prey?

Significance of the Names of the Characters in Volpone. Volpone, the protagonist, is the cunning fox who tried to lure his prey by pretending to be sick and dying. Mosca, his parasite, is flesh fly, which feeds on everything it can sit upon. ... The three legacy hunters owe their names to predatory birds.

What is Animalia Volpone?

Animalia. ... The animal imagery emphasizes the theme of "parasitism" in the play, where one life form feeds off of another. And it should also be remembered that fables are tales with simple moral messages, told for a didactic purpose.

Which are the three characters named after birds in the play Volpone why are they named so?

And fittingly, they are all named for carrion birds: in Italian, Voltore means "vulture," Corbaccio means "raven," and Corvino means "crow." By describing Celia's beauty using the imagery of gold, Mosca purposefully appeals to Volpone's greatest desire.

Volpone the Fox by Ben Jonson, Characters, Summary and Analysis

19 related questions found

What is the dramatic significance of the animal names in Volpone?

The play's characters might have the names of animals in Italian to suggest that it is a kind of fable (a story with a moral where the animals stand for human characteristics). 'Volpone' is the Italian for fox, for example, and 'mosca', the name of his servant-sidekick, means fly.

What type of play is Volpone?

Volpone ([volˈpoːne], Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-performed play, and it is ranked among the finest Jacobean era comedies.

Why is Volpone a satire?

Volpone, disguised as a didactic comedy, is actually an intelligent and cynical satire that compels the audience to rethink their moral expectations. ... It is a play that takes on the form of a comical satire as well as a morality play. It also adapts the features of a fable, and in that it strives to teach a moral.

Is Volpone an animal fable explain?

Volpone, in this sense, is undoubtedly a beast fable. The characters of the play are beasts in human shape. The majority of characters derive their names from animals. ... Volpone, the protagonist, is the cunning fox who tried to lure his prey by pretending to be sick and dying.

What is the outcome for the cast of characters in Volpone?

All the conspirators including Volpone and Mosca, are sentenced by the court, Bonario is restored to his father's inheritance, and Celia is allowed to return to her father after being betrayed by her husband.

What do the names of Volpone and Mosca metaphorically signify?

"Volpone" means "Fox" in Italian, and "Mosca" means "Fly".

Why does Volpone throw off his disguise in the last scene?

This is a serious criminal offense, and one might have thought that Volpone would be reluctant to reveal his disguise in court. But he realizes that showing his true identity is the only way to gain his revenge on his slippery servant. So Volpone throws off his disguise and in the process, exposes Mosca.

What does the name Volpone mean?

Volpone's name means "The Fox" in Italian. He is lustful, lecherous, and greedy for pleasure. ... Volpone has no children, but he has something of a family: his parasite, Mosca, his dwarf, Nano, his eunuch, Castrone, and his hermaphrodite, Androgyno.

What is the main theme of Volpone?

The play's main thesis is stated by Volpone himself, "What a rare punishment / Is avarice to itself." The punishment—and the central irony of the play—is that while greed drives the search for money, power, and respect, it ends up making everyone in the play look foolish, contemptible, and poorer, both spiritually and ...

What happens to Celia in Volpone?

When Volpone tries to rape her she resists, and in court she constantly appeals to heaven to expose Volpone. ... At the play's end, she is freed from her marriage to Corvino by court order, but not necessarily permitted to remarry.

What is the story of Volpone?

Volpone: plot and character overview

Set in Venice, the play is both a city comedy and a type of beast fable, in which the wily and gold-obsessed trickster Volpone, or 'fox', dupes a range of foolish Venetians and foreigners with the help of his clever servant Mosca ('fly' or 'parasite').

How did Mosca describe Celia?

Mosca describes Corvino's wife, Celia as one of the most beautiful women in Italy; “A beauty ripe as harvest!

What is Volpone biggest character flaw?

Volpone's character flaw, the desire to trick people, has brought him to the final curtain. He starts out playing the fool and ends up by being one. He fulfills Mosca's prescription of people: "Almost all the wise world is little else, in nature, but parasites or sub-parasites."

Why Volpone is a comedy of humours?

The characters in Volpone are stereotypes. All of the characters are imbalanced as well, so their 'humors' are out of balance and they thus act in comical ways. Thus, Volpone is a comedy of humours.

What is the conclusion of the play Volpone?

Realizing that he has been betrayed, Volpone decides that rather than let Mosca inherit his wealth, he will turn them both in. Volpone takes off his disguise and finally reveals the truth about the events of the past day. Volpone ends up being sent to prison, while Mosca is consigned to a slave galley.

Is Volpone a tragedy?

No, Ben Jonson's play Volpone is not a revenge tragedy. Volpone is an incisive, satirical comedy. There is no real revenge.

Why did Volpone disguise as scoto?

Volpone uses physical disguises to turn the tables and trick those who would trick him. First, Volpone disguises himself as Scoto the Mountebank in order to see Celia, the beautiful wife of Corvino. At the end of the play, Volpone again disguises himself and has the word put out that he is dead.

What is the setting of Volpone?

The setting for Volpone is Venice, which the English considered a center of sinful vices. Thus, Jonson felt very comfortable using this city as a setting for a story about greed. Shakespeare also used Venice as a setting for several of his plays, including The Merchant of Venice and Othello.

What is the importance of court scene in Volpone?

The court scene in Ben Jonson's Volpone is important as a theatrical and plot device, as it shows the audience that justice is carried out and all the malefactors will be duly convicted and sentenced.