Works

In 1616 Jonson published his Works. It was a collection of his plays and poetry. He used a wide range of poetic genres: epitaph, epigram, elegy, song and ode.

Volpone

This comedy play was first performed in 1606 by The King’s Men, Shakespeare’s theatre company. Volpone is the Italian word for “fox”. The main character, a man named Volpone, is the embodiment of greed. Just as a fox is known for his cunning tricks, so is Volpone. He goes to great lengths to satisfy his hunger to possess everything and everyone. Jonson believed it was his moral obligation, as a poet and playwright, to educate his readers and audience. And so, the play wants to teach its audience and readers something about the consequences of greed. Volpone himself says: “what a rare punishment is avarice to itself”.³ This play wants to show the irony of greed. At first, greed can give you wealth and power, but in the end, everyone will be deceived by it.

The play is set in Venice, but there are clues that the city that is meant in the play is London. Like other writers in his time, Jonson was concerned about the new money economy that started to take shape, an economy in which everything was for sale. In Volpone, Jonson depicts the state as the worst criminal; the state is responsible for the inhuman laws, of which only the rich and greedy derive profit. Some characters from this play are based on characters from ancient Roman comedies. Volpone’s character is based on the medieval legend of Reinaard de Vos.

Summary of the play

My Picture Left in Scotland

In this, poem, Jonson attacks the cliché that “love is blind”. He tells that he met a woman and that he courted her with the most beautiful poetry. But, she looks down on him and doesn’t want his love. The poet knows why this is. Love is not at all blind. This woman has seen his “mountain belly”, and his “hundreds of grey hairs” and this sight has stopped her from listening to his beautiful words.