Volpone Quotes Flashcards
Volpone suggests that gold can be evil
ssets a precedence for the whole play
“Riches…canst do naught, and yet mak’st men do all things”
Hell is worth heaven with gold
even hell, with thee to boot,
Is made worth heaven!”
What virtues does gold posses
“Thou art virtue, fame,
Honour, and all things else!”
what he lacks, what Celia has and what he wishes to destroy in her
What line is a direct perversion of religious doctrine
Mos: “Riches are in fortune a greater good than wisdom is in nature”
The bible states that acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than that of welath
What does Volpone care more about than the wealth
“I glory more in the cunning purchase of my wealth than in the GLAD possession”
- he then gives a list of things he does not do to gain wealth no x9 which involve work “I use no trade, no venture; I wound no earth with ploughshares; fat no beasts” this is like the golden age
Mosca on who Volpone does not con
“devour Soft prodigals” (yung men with too much money)
“Tear forth the fathers of poor families Out of their beds” (this is what they claim happens to Corbaccio later)
“your sweet nature doth abhor these courses)
Mosca manipulates Volpone into giving him money
- the thresher who does not eat any of his grain, the merchant who fills his vaults with rich wines but ill not taste
you “dare give, now, From that bright heap, to me, your poor observer”
(now shows him to be commanding, poor observer shows him to humiliate himself)
Who does Volpone con
those that excpect him to die “which they expect each greedy minute”
“covetous”
“my birds of prey that think me turning carcass”
Melodrama mocking Voltore
“I feel me going uh!uh!uh!uh!
I am sailing to my port- Uh!uh!uh!uh!”
Mosca convinces Corvino that everything is his
“I am a man that have not done your love the worst offices”
“your…keys,coffers,caskets,jewls, plate and moneys, am your steward, your goods” your x 7
Voltore shows his excpecional greed
after hearing the list of things that are his he asks
“But am I sole heir?”
Mosca mocks the lawyer’s profession
“Give forked counsel; take provoking gold
On either hand, and put it up (pocket it)”
their tongue “would not wag, nor scarce lie still, without a fee” (lie is a pun)
Mosca says Voltore will get rich but it sounds disgusting
“When you do come to swim in golden lard”
After Voltore’s departure there is Corbaccio’s knocking. Mosca shows he is orchestrating events
“keep you still, sir”
“Betake you to your silence and your sleep”
Corbaccio’s deafness
M: “no amends” (he’s not getting better)
C: “WHat? Mends he?
“your physician should never be his heir”
“Not I his heir?”
MOsca says he will put his bag of gold sequins in a bowl “Aye, do, do, do” this will recover him “yes, do, do, do” I think it not best to recover him”oh, no, no, no”
Mosca gets Corbaccio to agree that Physicians are bad
“I have brought him an opiate here, from mine own doctor-“ —–>
“It is true, they kill, With as much licence as a judge”
Corbaccio is shown to be gruesome
Mosca gievs gruesome descriptions of the deterioration of Volpone’s situation after each one Corbaccio responds “Good” when he is “sure I shall outlast him” he says “Excellent, excellent”
Volpone addresses his gold
“Good morning to the day; and next, my gold!
Open the shrine that I may see my saint”
“Hail the world’s soul, and mine” (blasphemous, shows a lack of human relationships)
(anima mundi, the life force that moves the world)
“Show’st like a flame by night” (hyperbole poets used to describe their mistresses, this is a reverse of love and religion)”let me kiss with adoration”
“sacred treasure” “blessed room”
Mosca’s aside when he reveals that he doesn’t actually plan to support Bonario
Corbaccio says he does not doubt to be a father to him
Mosca replies “Nor I, to gull my brother of his blessing”
(Bible, Jacob tricks Esan from his brother’s blessing)
Volpone is affectionate to Mosca
“good rascal, let me kiss thee”
hates Corbaccio’s age
hopes he may with charms, like Aeson, have his youth restored; and with these thoughts so battens, as if fate would be as easily cheated on as he”
Mosca convinces Corvino to insult Volpone
shows him to be a coward
“nay help sir” “Excellent sir speak out” “Tis good! and what his mouth?” he starts of sheepishly
His cheeks like “an old smoked wall”
“His nose is like a common sewer, still running”
and Mosca offers to suffocate him “Do as you will, but I’ll be gone”
Mosca calls himself Corvino’s creature
“Am not I here? Whom you have Made? your creature?That owe my being to you?
How does Mosca get Corvino to leave
THat of all his fortunes Mosca will not share in “your gallant wife”
HOw does MOsca sell CElia
All Appearance based
“skin is whiter than a swan, all over! Than silver, snow, or lilies!”
“A soft lip, would temp you to eternity of kissing!”
“Flesh that melteth in the touch to blood”
culminates to “lovely as your gold!”
HOw does MOsca tempt Volpone about Celia
“She’s kept as warily as is your gold”
“There is a guard of ten spies thick upon her”
