Ben Jonson
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"Sejanus: His Fall" by Ben Jonson portrays the downfall of Lucius Aelius Sejanus, a historical figure who rose to power as the commander of the Praetorian Guard in ancient Rome. The play explores themes of political ambition, corruption, and the dangers of seeking too much power. Sejanus conspires to overthrow Emperor Tiberius, but his ambitious plans unravel as his allies turn against him. The play serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences...
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Set in early 17th-century London this play is renowned for its sharp wit, intricate plot, and vibrant characters. Jonson masterfully crafts a story centered around the wealthy, old Morose, who detests noise and yearns for a quiet life, leading him to marry the seemingly silent Epicoene. However, his quest for tranquility quickly unravels in a series of comedic twists and turns, revealing the true nature of his bride and the scheming surrounding his...
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It is known that Shakespeare's company produced several of Jonson's plays, Shakespeare himself appearing in "Every Man in His Humour" (1598). The play was Jonson's first major success, written in the style of "humour plays," a genre of comedy originated by George Chapman. In it, Jonson targets some of his favorite topics for satire: education, love, poetry, and social classes. As each major character represents a different issue, the play transforms...
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"Every Man Out of His Humour" is the companion play to the highly successful "Every Man in His Humour," which was produced by and starred William Shakespeare. This comedy of humors, much like its prequel, is a satire of English society. Jonson's complex and witty characters are a scathing representation of the flaws he saw in education, love, poetry, and social classes around him.
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"The Devil is an Ass" is a mildly satirical play, in which a lesser devil named Pug is allowed by Satan to travel to London and entrap innocent souls. He is surprised, however, when his victims turn out to be more cunning and unscrupulous than expected. Subplots involving scams and deception weave together in this highly comical tale of a group of Londoners making an ass of the Devil.
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In 1601 the playwright produced "Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love," a sort of stepping stone towards his subsequent masterpieces. The play was part of the so-called Poetomachia, or War of the Theatres, between Jonson and playwrights John Marston and Thomas Dekker. The character Cynthia represented Queen Elizabeth, and the play was marked by violence and controversy in reflection of the queen's final reigning years.
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"The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson is a comedic play that satirizes the greed and gullibility of its characters. Set in London, it follows three con artists who exploit the desire for wealth and transformation. As they pose as alchemists, chaos ensues when their schemes collide. The play humorously examines human flaws and the pursuit of unrealistic ambitions, showcasing Jonson's wit and social commentary.
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Volpone the Fox by Ben Jonson is a brilliant satire that delves into the themes of greed, deceit, and the corrupting power of wealth. Set in Renaissance Venice, the play centers on the cunning Volpone, who, along with his clever servant Mosca, devises a scheme to swindle the city's wealthy yet gullible citizens. Jonson masterfully crafts a narrative filled with sharp wit, humor, and a deep understanding of human nature, as he exposes the folly and...
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Jonson's play uses this fair as the setting for an unusually detailed and diverse panorama of early seventeenth-century London life. The one day of fair life represented in the play allows Jonson ample opportunity to not just conduct his plot, but also to depict the vivid life of the fair, from pickpockets and bullies to justices and slumming gallants. Jonson also uses the characters that he creates as a way to comment on the social, religious and...
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This satirical drama from one of the only playwrights regarded as a contemporary equal of Shakespeare may have originally been performed in the early 1600s, but it feels remarkably fresh centuries later. Beginning with a prologue which devolves into a slapstick comedy that presages postmodern irony, the play recounts a solemn religious observance that is much more than it appears to be.
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Duke Classics
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Samuel Taylor Coleridge said of Ben Jonson's The Alchemist that it had one out of the three most perfect plots in literature. This play, with its sharp portrayal of human folly, is considered by many to be Jonson's best comedy. First performed 1610, its popularity has endured to this day.
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"The Staple of News" is a satire on the newspaper and news agency business that was quickly developing at the time. The plot draws on at least five plays by Aristophanes, and tells the story of the plutocratic Lady Pecunia, an array of wooers and jeerers, and a group of women who represent "females out of control," a common theme of Jonson's work.
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"Cynthia's Revels: The Fountain of Self-Love" by Ben Jonson is a satirical play that delves into the world of courtly flattery, vanity, and self-indulgence. The court of Queen Cynthia (a representation of Queen Elizabeth I) is populated by characters representing various vices and follies. The central character, Crites, is a young courtier who seeks self-improvement through the Fountain of Self-Love. Through witty dialogues and sharp humor, Jonson...
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These much-studied and frequently performed comedies by the great Elizabethan playwright satirize the greed, mendacity, gullibility, and pretension that Jonson saw rampant in 17h-century London society. Both plays feature colorful characters, ingenious plotting, biting wit, and sharp insight into human nature. This is the only edition to include both plays in one, inexpensive volume.
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Benjamin Jonson was a Renaissance dramatist, poet, and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. Jonson focused on creating works that implemented elements of the realistic as well as the absurd. Jonson's most performed play, and the one that sparked a period of great success for the playwright, is "Volpone, or The Fox". Volpone, a Venetian con artist, is feigning to be on his death bed, pitting several aspirant heirs against one...
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"Epicoene: The Silent Woman" is a comedic play by Ben Jonson. Morose, a wealthy old man, seeks a wife who is quiet and silent. He plans to disinherit his nephew if he doesn't marry Epicoene, a supposedly silent woman. However, Epicoene turns out to be a young man in disguise. Chaos erupts as characters scheme to uphold the deception. Jonson's play humorously critiques societal expectations of gender roles, marriage, and appearances, while exploring...
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Joson's final comedy, "The Magnetic Lady, or Humours Reconciled," tells the story of a chaotic but revealing dinner party, with the wealthy Lady Loadstone, her attractive young niece, Placentia Steel, a group of amorous but foolish suitors, and a few out of control female servants.
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From about 1599-1601, a rivalry emerged between Jonson and the playwrights John Marston and Thomas Dekker dubbed Poetomachia, or War of the Theatres. Scholars agree that "The Poetaster, or His Arrangement," portrays all three playwrights in the characters of Horace, as Jonson, Crispinus as Marston, and Demetrius Fannius as Dekker. The term poetaster refers to a poet of inferior verse, so it is no surprise that the play is a scathing attack on the...
20) A Tale of a Tub
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Benjamin Jonson (1572-1637) was a Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor, known best for his satirical plays and lyric poems. His career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in the "Admiral's Men", and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson had a knack for absurdity and hypocrisy, a trait that made him immensely popular in the 17th century Renaissance...