Seventeenth Century Drama - Angry Young Men

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were establishing the romantic comedy and the flamboyant tragedy. A succession of good writers besides many authors of anonymous plays developed the romantic drama evolved from their own genius, as opposed to the classical drama. Particularly Shakespeare played a key role in creating a drama at once popular and poetic. But dramatists of the time seldom observed the Unities of time and place.

CLASSICAL JONSON:

The call for classical form found its answer in Ben Jonson who could offer the greatly-needed precept and practice through his plays. In this aspect, Jonson notes that he observes the laws of time, place, and persons within Volpone, a clear signature of his classical form and spirit. Here he is referring to the Classical Unities, three dramatic conventions which derive from Aristotle’s Poetics. They are the unity of time- the play’s action begins and ends within 24 hours. The unity of place- the play’s action occurs in a single setting or a reasonably confined area. And the unity of action- the play’s action centers around one main conflict or plotline. In Volpone, the title character’s rise and fall take place during a single day in which he sees "clients" in the morning and stands trial in the late afternoon or evening. Although the courthouse, Volpone’s house, and the streets are all designated as settings for different scenes, Volpone’s action takes place exclusively within the city limits of Venice. Finally, the main conflict of Volpone, as summarized in the Argument, is the deceptive way in which Volpone makes his fortune. It is unclear why Jonson chose to call this last unity the "law of persons."

VOLPONE- A BRIEF CRITIQUE:

Jonson began his theatrical career as a strolling player, and the time was ripe for his development. He went on to write lists of works, both for the public and the royal courts, with Volpone considered to be one of his greatest public comedy.

Volpone was published first in 1607 as a quarto and then in 1616 as part of Jonson’s collected Workes. In the later edition, the date of the first performance of Volpone is listed as 1605. However, many scholars speculate that the first performance actually took place in early 1606. The play was an immediate and resounding success. It was, and continues to be, admired for its balance of scathing satire against human greed with classical restraint and formalism. Like many of his plays, Volpone demonstrates an attentiveness to the superficiality of theater. All of the main characters are explicitly associated with an animal- the fox, the wolf, the raven, the crow, etc. which lends the play the character of a fable. But this surface glitter does not distract from the strong characterizations that drive the play. Jonson’s balance of theatrical convention and innovation, of commedia del arte tradition and English muscularity, invites comparison more to Moliere than to Shakespeare. Volpone is widely considered by critics to be Jonson’s best play: the one in which his formal and human concerns achieve their most perfect balance.

"Volpone" has a main plot and a subplot, which was very typical for plays of that time. The main plot reveals the characters obsessed with greed, and the subplot "attacks" another vice - that of vanity. It bears the typical characteristics of Jonson’s drama.

Characters are historically bound to their place and time and each one of them represents a human trait or eccentricity. Through the play, considered by some of his masterpiece, Jonson portrays with a black humour a society in which the pursuit of wealth and individual self-interest have become primary. Venice was regarded as the epitome of a sophisticated commercial city and virtually all the characters are revealed as corrupt or compromised. Volpone, whose name means fox, is a rich man who makes "good" use of his leisure time. He is not married and childless which makes him a perfect target for legacy hunters. He pretends to be sick and on the verge of dying, so as to delude people and make them wish for becoming his heirs. Volpone is the epitome of greed and hedonism - he enjoys pleasure in all of its manifestations and indulges in the way he deceives three gullible men, all of them bearing the names of predatory birds - Voltore (from Italian - meaning vulture), Corbaccio (raven) and Corvino (crow). Thus greed is presented as "a characteristic of the society as a whole". But the difference between Volpone and his would-be heirs is that Volpone is greedy not only for wealth, but for "gaining more power over his victims". The protagonist is very much contented that he receives gifts, but what gives him real satisfaction is the fact that his plans for manipulating people into giving him presents, which evidently, works very well.

CONCLUSION:

Jonson conceived his role as providing insight into the problems of the day. Thus, he approached society critically. His works are infused with a refusal to sidestep social contradictions. For Jonson, “Truth is mans proper good; and the only immortal thing, was given to our mortality to use”. His creative function was to express the complexities of life and truth in a form that could be appreciated by the common man.

Jonson’s plays challenged the audience to examine the impact of a society governed by deceit and subterfuge. His strength lay in his ability to confront those watching with life as he saw it. In his ability to recreate theatrically the contemporary world and identify both general and specific aspects of the human experience, he was opening new ground that would be further explored in the ensuing centuries.