Volpone, key quotes (AO2) Flashcards
Good morning…my saint
Good morning to the day; and next, my gold:
Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.
O thou son of Sol…in this blessed room
O thou son of Sol,
But brighter than thy father, let me kiss,
With adoration, thee, and every relick
Of sacred treasure, in this blessed room.
I glory more…glad posession
I glory
More in the cunning purchase of my wealth,
Than in the glad possession
You know the use of riches…me, your poor observer
You know the use of riches, and dare give now
From that bright heap, to me, your poor observer,
What should I do…fortune calls me to?
What should I do,
But cocker up my genius, and live free
To all delights my fortune calls me to?
Letting the cherry knock….how now!
Letting the cherry knock against their lips,
And draw it by their mouths, and back again.—
How now!
Vulture….carcase, now they come
Vulture, kite,
Raven, and gorcrow, all my birds of prey,
That think me turning carcase, now they come;
Men of your large profession…provoking gold
Men of your large profession, that could speak
To every cause, and things mere contraries,
….
Give forked counsel; take provoking gold
Excellent, Excellent!….a score of years
Excellent, excellent! sure I shall outlast him:
This makes me young again, a score of years.
I have brought a bag of bright…if not potabile
I have brought a bag of bright chequines,
Will quite weigh down his plate…‘Tis aurum palpabile, if not potabile.
‘Tis true,…to itself!
‘Tis true, ‘tis true. What a rare punishment
Is avarice to itself!
O, stop it up - …Do as you will: but I’ll begone
MOS: O, stop it up—
CORV: By no means. MOS: 'Pray you, let me. Faith I could stifle him, rarely with a pillow, As well as any woman that should keep him. CORV: Do as you will: but I'll begone.
I wonder at the desperate valour…Their wives to all encounters
I wonder at the desperate valour
Of the bold English, that they dare let loose
Their wives to all encounters! - Volpone
This fellow… trow, or is gull’d?
PER [ASIDE.]: This fellow,
Does he gull me, trow? or is gull’d?
Yes, sir; the spider…from one flower
SIR P: Yes, sir; the spider and the bee, ofttimes,
Suck from one flower.
This sir Pol will….you know all?
This sir Pol will be ignorant of nothing.
—It seems, sir, you know all?
These turdy-facy-nasty-patsy…better language sir?
These turdy-facy-nasty-paty-lousy-fartical rogues….Excellent! have you heard better language, sir? (Per/Volp)
‘tis this blessed unguento…cold,moist, or windy causes
‘tis this blessed unguento, this rare extraction, that hath
only power to disperse all malignant humours, that proceed
either of hot, cold, moist, or windy causes—
Signor flamno, will you down….but mine? but mine?
Signior Flaminio, will you down, sir? down?
What, is my wife your Franciscina, sir?
No windows on the whole Piazza, here,
To make your properties, but mine? but mine?
But angry Cupid, bolting from…he flings about his burning heat
But angry Cupid, bolting from her eyes,
Hath shot himself into me like a flame;
Where, now, he flings about his burning heat,
Death (…) honour
CORV: Death of mine honour,
You whore!..upon with goatish eyes?
Your whore!…
I should strike
This steel into thee, with as many stabs,
As thou wert gaz’d upon with goatish eyes?
In the point…wife and daughter
In the point of honour,
The cases are all one of wife and daughter.
you have cut…taking a possession!
you have cut all their throats.
Why! ‘tis directly taking a possession!
Come, I am not…unprofitable humour
- Long*
- Multiple characters*
Come, I am not jealous.
CEL: No! CORV: Faith I am not I, nor never was; It is a poor unprofitable humour.
We are invited…from jealously or fear
We are invited to a solemn feast,
At old Volpone’s, where it shall appear
How far I am free from jealousy or fear.
O! your parasite…here on earth
O! your parasite
Is a most precious thing, dropt from above,
Not bred ‘mongst clods, and clodpoles, here on earth.
nor those, with court dog…like an arrow
long
nor those,
With their court dog-tricks, that can fawn and fleer,
….
But your fine elegant rascal, that can rise,
And stoop, almost together, like an arrow;
Present to any humour…swifter than a thought
Present to any humour, all occasion;
And change a visor, swifter than a thought!
Courteous sir, Scorn not…to hate thy baseness
MOS: Courteous sir,
Scorn not my poverty.
BON: Not I, by heaven; But thou shalt give me leave to hate thy baseness.
I am fain to spin out my own poor….Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness
Long
I am fain to spin mine own poor raiment
Out of my mere observance, being not born
To a free fortune: but that I have done
Base offices… but would not rather
Prove the most rugged, and laborious course,
That might redeem my present estimation,
Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness.
Whether of us three…claim the precedency can?
whether of us three,
Being all the known delicates of a rich man,
In pleasing him, claim the precedency can?
- Nano
I would have A lady…Our sex’s chiefest ornament
I would have
A lady, indeed, to have all, letters, and arts,
Be able to discourse, to write, to paint,
But principal, as Plato holds, your music,
And, so does wise Pythagoras, I take it,
Is your true rapture: when there is concent
In face, in voice, and clothes: and is, indeed,
Our sex’s chiefest ornament.
Resolve upon it…That might deny me
Resolve upon it: I have so decreed.
It must be done. Nor would I move’t, afore,
Because I would avoid all shifts and tricks,
That might deny me.
Go to…and a wife
Go to, shew yourself
Obedient, and a wife.
What the physicians…respect my venture
Long
What the physicians have set down; how much
It may concern me; what my engagements are;
My means; and the necessity of those means,
For my recovery: wherefore, if you be
Loyal, and mine, be won, respect my venture.
AN old decrepit…this man hurt you
An old decrepit wretch,
That has no sense,….And, what can this man hurt you?
Before your honour…to awe fools
Before your honour?
CORV: Honour! tut, a breath: There's no such thing, in nature: a mere term Invented to awe fools.