Volpone context

Question 1

Montaigne: An extra from the essay ‘On Cannibals’

Answer 1

“the laws of nature govern [humans] still”

he is famous for arguing that man is not in any way superior to the beasts, in fact, quite the contrary

Question 2

V - Aesop’s Fables: the Fox and the Crow

Answer 2

• fox sees a crow fly off with a piece of cheese
• the fox asks to hear a song by charming her
• the crow began to caw, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped by the Fox

Question 3

Jonson’s relation to Volpone

Answer 3

• Jonson was a public figure, prone to dramatic commentary on literature and philosophy, highly personalized poems (as opposed to the mystery of Shakespeare’s sonnet cycle), as well as heavy involvement in the royal entertainments of both King James I and Charles I
• His birthplace and the names of his parents remain unknown. His dad died after he was born. Parallels with the ambiguity of Volpone’s family life
• many scholars have made attempts to interpret the writing of Volpone as a psychological way of resolving a fundamental conflict that we know existed within him. This conflict was between Jonson’s violent and impoverished past and his fairly conservative view of life and art, which was grounded in his classical education at Westminster.

Question 4

Jonson’s values

Answer 4

• Jonson’s seeming delight in portraying his quick-witted, tricky types, which may have been characters he identified with on an emotional level. But intellectually, he identified with Celia and her value system.
• So, according to critics such as Riggs, Volpone serves as the repudiation (rejection) of what Volpone the character symbolizes: Jonson’s rambunctious, reckless side, which had nearly cost him his marriage, livelihood, and respectability.
• The conflict between the two value systems—one full of desire and greed and another based on Christian morality and reason—is central to Volpone and seems to have been a conflict with which Jonson dealt personally. e.g. broke up with his wife
• He was converted to Roman Catholicism, although he returned to the Church of England (Protestant) 12 years later

Question 5

Epistle

Answer 5

says his views on how theatre should elevate morals. you should write with a moral purpose. the social job of the poets. Jonson trying to be a moral compass (ironic).

Question 6

Publication of Jonson’s plays

Answer 6

He published them as “the works” - scornful because like classical ‘works’ - arrogant. Jonson follows classical rules stated by Aristotle (action occur within 24 hours) due to such things, he claimed to be part of a tradition.

Question 7

literary illusions: Othello

Answer 7

• Jonson’s choice of setting in Venice - it was associated with cunning and immorality. english were prejudice.
• Iago plays on Othello’s fears that his Venetian wife may be unfaithful: “In venice they do let god see the pranks they dare not show their husbands: their best conscience is not the leave undone, but keep unknown.”
• Corvino uses this same stereotype of italians: when Celia drops handkerchief: “if you thought me and Italian” (italians being hot-blooded and sexually passionate).

Question 8

influence of classical modules

Answer 8

both jonson and milton are influenced by classical modules but adapt with their own twist:

• Jonson influence from traditional Roman Comedy’s (use of the cunning slave i.e. Mosca)
• However, unlike traditional comedy’s, jonson punishes characters at the end. He was criticised for this so defends himself in the Epistle where he states that his job is to punish vice.

Question 9

Volpone’s love song to Celia

Answer 9

Christopher Marlowe: The passionate shepherd to his love
1599
‘Come live with me and be my love / and we will all the pleasures prove’

Volpones: Come, my Celia, let us prove,
While we can, the sports of love;

Marlowe conjures up the image of love in unity with nature, where as volpone only sees ‘love’s fruit’ (sex)