Volpone Flashcards
How do humours and views of Italy come together?
The hot and dry environment was thought to encourage violence and sexually immoral behaviour.
What Italian city is Volpone set?
Venice
Venice was famous for its courtesans, how does this effect the female characters in Volpone?
They are repeatedly sexualised, as though this is inevitable because it’s Venice.
What is the significance of Sir Pollitic Wouldbe’s note taking?
Travel guides that gave advice on how to avoid being corrupted by travelling to foreign places, suggested taking notes to keep one’s mind sharp. However Wouldbe’s notes are pointless.
What is interesting about the immoral characters in Volpone?
They are the best characters: the most intelligent, witty and amusing.
It blurs the moral lessons.
What is it important to remember when considering audience response to a play?
The audience’s response was a performance too.
Ben Jonson published his own work in what version?
Folio
This was extremely audacious as it was usually only done as a way of honouring dead authors. He was self-mythologising.
What is interesting about Volpone’s identity?
It is in constant performance and flexibility. Nothing is clear. His roles are lies, but so is his true identity.
What is interesting about Mosca’s soliloquy?
Only higher classes have soliloquies. It is in iambic pentameter, again, a metre that belongs to higher classes
Who is Bonario’s father?
Corbaccio
Who is Corbaccio’s son?
Bonario
Who is Corvino?
A merchant, Celia’s husband
What’s the name of Celia’s husband?
Corvino
What were the English attitude towards Italy?
A cultural source.
But also morally and politically corrupt. A place of Dec and violence. A catholic place = spiritually corrupt.
