Volpone Sub Plot

Question 1

What is Sir Politic as an animal

Answer 1

Pol is a parrot, characterised by mimicry, this is chief point about the sub plot.

Question 2

How does sir pol mimic the Italians

Answer 2

Pol mimics the Italians with his obsession with plots, state secrets, spies. But he exhibits ludicrousness not wickedness.

Question 3

Volpone and Politic similarities

Answer 3

Pol/Volpone: infatuated with their own ingenuity, greedy, get-rich-schemes, delight in plots. Volpone succeeds for a while for hope is truly clever

Question 4

Contrast between Britain and Italy

Answer 4

Concentration on English Folly as opposed to Italian vice, a foil

Question 5

Avarice

Answer 5

Extreme greed

Question 6

Links between main plot and sub plot

Answer 6

Subplot is trivial
Subplot offers a direct parallel to the main plot
Bridges the gAp between the Italian setting and London audience.
Provides farcical exaggerations of the characters and incidents in the main action

Question 7

Politic becomes childish at the end

Answer 7

His notes turn out to be plagiarised from play books, when he becomes a tortoise one of his tormentors compares it to London’s childish puppet shows

Question 8

Lady Pol’s big importance in the plays order

Answer 8

Lady Pol anticipates Volpones attempts to seduce Celia. This places him in a situation where we laugh at him. Ironic shadow forward to the real seduction which also undermines his position (brought about by women).

But later blackens Celia’s name in the trial

Question 9

Lady pol’s similarity to corvino

Answer 9

Like Corvino she is Manipulated by Mosca through sexual jealousy and concern for public reputation

Question 10

Foil to celia

Answer 10

Foil to Celia in her fruitless willingness to be seduced and her desire to imitate Venetian courtesans

Question 11

He is Pol so ridiculous

Answer 11

His pretentiousness is debunked by the trivialities recorded in his notebook

Question 12

His money spending

Answer 12

His petty expenditure contrast to the Magnifico’s genuine expenditure

Question 13

Here does he show his naivety

Answer 13

In his appreciation of the Scoto performance

Question 14

His partnership with peregrine

Answer 14

Kicks Volpone’s and Mosca’s relationship

There is also a role reversal

Question 15

Peregrine’s line that contrasts Pol to Volpone’s skill as an actor

Answer 15

“Oh, this knight, where he well known, would be a precious thing to fit our English stage,”
(To be mocked)
this contrasts with Volpone’s real skill as a performer.

Question 16

How is LWB similar to all three legacy hunters

Answer 16

Corvino’s jealousy of a spouse,
thinks herself learned like Voltore,
like Corbaccio puts herself in Mosca’s power by her lack of sense.

Question 17

Lady would be on cosmetics

Answer 17

Scoto’s speech on cosmetics would be better for LWB in her belief that cosmetics change the inner person.

Question 18

Significance of the tortoise shell, highlighted by one of the mockers

Answer 18

The chattering know it all is silenced in his tortoise shell.
“What beast is this?”what kind of creatures are theses people in th eplay