Volpone
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Volpone (The Fox) is a Venetian gentleman who pretends to be on his deathbed after a long illness in order to dupe Voltore (The Vulture), Corbaccio (The Raven) and Corvino (The Crow), three men who aspire to inherit his fortune.
Volpone, written by English playwright Ben Jonson in 1606, is a satirical Jacobean comedy that unfolds in 17th-century Venice. The play follows the wealthy Volpone as he feigns illness in order to trick his greedy acquaintances into giving him gifts.
Volpone is an old, wealthy man without children living in Venice, Italy. With Mosca, his parasite (which means a hanger-on, a low-born servant or follower living off a wealthier person), Volpone stages an elaborate scam. Volpone pretends to be deathly ill, and is leading several people on to believe that they will be named his heir.
May 17, 2020 · Plot of Volpone. In Venice, Volpone, a stingy and rich man, sends the Moscow parasite from his future heirs, making them believe they are dying. The latter, in the persons of the lawyer Voltore, of Corbaccio and Corvino, cover Volpone with gifts for a speedy recovery, increasing the heritage of man without their knowledge.
Feb 16, 2010 · "Volpone, or the Fox," is, in a sense, a transition play from the dramatic satires of the war of the theatres to the purer comedy represented in the plays named above.
Volpone takes place in seventeenth-century Venice, over the course of one day. The play opens at the house of Volpone, a Venetian nobleman. He and his "parasite" Mosca—part slave, part servant, part lackey—enter the shrine where Volpone keeps his gold.
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Volpone (“Fox”), a wealthy Venetian without heirs, devises a scheme to become wealthier by playing on people’s greed. With the complicity of his servant Mosca (“Fly”), Volpone pretends to be near death.
Volpone 's satire is directed against "avarice," which can be thought of as greed that extends not just to money but also to all objects of human desire. The play's main thesis is stated by Volpone himself, "What a rare punishment / Is avarice to itself."
Volpone, wealthy and childless, is a con artist who attracts legacy hunters by pretending to be on the verge of death. Volpone's "clients" - including Corvino, Corbaccio, Voltore, and Lady Would-be Politic - bring him presents in the hopes of being included in his will.
