Volpone sub plot Flashcards
What is Sir Politic as an animal
Pol is a parrot, characterised by mimicry, this is chief point about the sub plot.
How does sir pol mimic the Italians
Pol mimics the Italians with his obsession with plots, state secrets, spies. But he exhibits ludicrousness not wickedness.
Volpone and Politic similarities
Pol/Volpone: infatuated with their own ingenuity, greedy, get-rich-schemes, delight in plots. Volpone succeeds for a while for hope is truly clever
Contrast between Britain and Italy
Concentration on English Folly as opposed to Italian vice, a foil
Avarice
Extreme greed
Links between main plot and sub plot
Subplot is trivialSubplot offers a direct parallel to the main plotBridges the gAp between the Italian setting and London audience.Provides farcical exaggerations of the characters and incidents in the main action
Politic becomes childish at the end
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
Lady Pol’s big importance in the plays order
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
Lady pol’s similarity to corvino
Like Corvino she is Manipulated by Mosca through sexual jealousy and concern for public reputation
Foil to celia
Foil to Celia in her fruitless willingness to be seduced and her desire to imitate Venetian courtesans
He is Pol so ridiculous
His pretentiousness is debunked by the trivialities recorded in his notebook
His money spending
His petty expenditure contrast to the Magnifico’s genuine expenditure
Here does he show his naivety
In his appreciation of the Scoto performance
His partnership with peregrine
Kicks Volpone’s and Mosca’s relationshipThere is also a role reversal
Peregrine’s line that contrasts Pol to Volpone’s skill as an actor
“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.
