BookRags Literature Study Guide

The Alchemist by Ben Jonson

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&'(((%'()' BookRags, *nc# ALL R*G+TS R,S,R-,.# The follo"ing sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series /resenting Analysis, 0onte1t, and 0riticism on 0ommonly Studied 2orks *ntroduction, Author Biography, /lot Summary, 0haracters, Themes, Style, +istorical 0onte1t, 0ritical 3vervie", 0riticism and 0ritical ,ssays, 4edia Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, 0ompare 5 0ontrast, 2hat .o * Read 6e1t7, For Further Study, and Sources# 8c9)::;%'(('< 8c9'((' $y Gale# Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, *nc#, a division of Thomson Learning, *nc# Gale and .esign= and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license# The follo"ing sections, if they e1ist, are offprint from Beacham's ,ncyclopedia of /opular Fiction >Social 0oncerns>, >Thematic 3vervie">, >Techni?ues>, >Literary /recedents>, >@ey Auestions>, >Related Titles>, >Adaptations>, >Related 2e$ Sites># 8c9)::B%'((C, $y 2alton Beacham# The follo"ing sections, if they e1ist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Doung Adults >A$out the Author>, >3vervie">, >Setting>, >Literary Aualities>, >Social Sensitivity>, >Topics for .iscussion>, >*deas for Reports and /apers># 8c9)::B%'((C, $y 2alton Beacham# All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are o"ned and copy"ritten $y BookRags, *nc# 6o part of this "ork covered $y the copyright hereon may $e reproduced or used in any form or $y any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, 2e$ distri$ution or information storage retrieval systems "ithout the "ritten permission of the pu$lisher#

Introduction
The Alchemist is one of Ben Eonson' s more popular comedies# 0ony%catching or s"indling 8a cony "as another "ord for dupe, gull, or victim9 "as as popular in the seventeenth century as it is in the t"entieth# The con or s"indle "as a familiar theme and one "hich Eonson found to $e a natural topic for comedy# There is little kno"n a$out audience reaction to any of Eonson's plays# There "ere no theatre revie"s and no ne"spapers or magaFines to report on the

opening of a play# The little that is kno"n is dra"n from surviving letters and diaries# But Eonson "as not as popular "ith theatre%goers as 2illiam Shakespeare# *n general, Eonson's plays "ere not "ell received $y audiences, $ut The Alchemist appears to have $een more popular than most, pro$a$ly $ecause of its topic# Eonson differed from other play"rights of his period i?, that he did not use old stories, fa$les, or histories as the sources for his plays# *nstead, Eonson used a plot >type> as the $asis for most of his drama# *n The Alchemist the plot is the familiar one of a farce# The characters are common, a man or men and a "oman "ho set up the s"indle# The victims offer a selection of London society# Like the characters from Geoffrey 0haucer's Canterbury Tales, there are religious men, a clerk and a shopkeeper, a "ido", a knight, and a foolish young man# Eonson's characters are not "ell%defined, nor do they have any depth# *nstead, they are >types> familiar to the audience# The initial popularity of The Alchemist diminished in su$se?uent years< $y B,68EA4*69 E36S36 )G)( the eighteenth century the play "as rarely $eing produced# As is the case "ith most of Eonson's plays, The Alchemist has $een rarely produced outside of ,ngland during the t"entieth century#

Author Biography
Eonson "as $orn in a$out )CH'# The date is uncertain, since ,liFa$ethans "ere very casual a$out the recording of e1act dates# +e "as a scholar, a poet, and a dramatist# Eonson "as $orn near London shortly after the death of his father# +e "as educated at 2estminster School and for a $rief period "orked as a $ricklayer for his stepfather# Eonson "as $riefly in the military "here he killed an enemy in com$at# *n his ne1t career as an actor, Eonson also "rote additional dialogue for some of the "orks in "hich he performed# After killing another actor in a duel, Eonson "as arrested $ut released after claiming $enefit of clergy, "hich meant that he "as an educated man# Eonson converted to Roman 0atholicism during this period, and although he escaped hanging, he "as still la$eled a felon after his release# Eonson's first play, Every Man in His Humour, "as "ritten in )C:;, "ith 2illiam Shakespeare playing one of the roles on stage# Eonson continued "ith a ne" play every year for the ne1t fe" years Every Man out of His Humour 8)C::9, Cynthia's Revels 8)G((9, and Poetaster in )G()# /erhaps $est kno"n for his court mas?ues, Eonson "rote the first of many, The Masque of Blackness, in )G(C# Although Eonson $ecame "ell esta$lished as a play"right "ith "orks such as ol!one 8)G(G9, E!icene, or the "ilent #oman 8)G)(9, The Alchemist 8)G)(9, Bartholome$ %air 8)G)B9 and The &evil $as an Ass 8)G)G9, he is also "ell kno"n as a poet# Eonson "as not formally appointed ,ngland's poet laureate, $ut he "as a"arded a pension in )G)G $y @ing Eames *, thus ackno"ledging that the author "as essentially performing that function# Also in )G)G, Eonson $ecame the first poet or dramatist to pu$lish a folio edition of his #orks' Since not even Shakespeare had pu$lished a compilation of his "ork, Eonson received some criticism for this action# +e "as also a"arded "ith an honorary degree from 0am$ridge Iniversity in )G)G# Among Eonson's patrons "as the Sidney family for "hom he "rote one of his most famous poems,' 'To Penshurst,( one of the $est kno"n poems to cele$rate an estate and family# The $eauty of this poem and the skill "ith "hich Eonson composed it is evident to visitors "ho a$andon the road to approach /enshurst from the $ack of the estate# Eonson "as not al"ays popular "ith audiences, "ho "hile attending his plays, "ere often ver$ally critical of the "riter# .uring the height of his creativity, Eonson "as as popular a

"riter as Shakespeare, "ho "as also Eonson's friend# But he sa" much of his popularity diminish later in his life "hile Shakespeare's continued to gro"# Although Eonson "as largely responsi$le for the pu$lication of the first folio of Shakespeare's "ork in )G'J, for "hich he "rote a poem, Eonson "as less generous "ith his praise in private# Still, there is no dou$t that Eonson $oth liked and admired Shakespeare# 2hile Eonson "as a talented "riter, his misfortune "as to $e "riting plays during the same period as a talent as enormous as Shakespeare# Eonson spent the last nine years of his life $edridden after suffering a stroke# +e died in )GJH and "as $uried in 2estminster A$$ey

lot Summary
Act I
The scene is London in )G)(# This is a plague year and "ealthy people have fled London for the safer countryside# Love"it has departed until the plague is over and has left his $utler, Eeremy, to care for the house# As the play $egins, Eeremy and Su$tle are arguing over their relative importance to the s"indle they are organiFing, and each is claiming a larger share of the profit# .ol, "ho realiFes that the t"o could ruin everything "ith their loud ?uarreling, tries to ?uiet the t"o men# At that moment, the first victim, .apper, arrives at the house# .apper has come to the astrologer, Su$tle, to find a "ay to "in at gam$ling# After paying the t"o men all his money, .apper is assured that he "as $orn under a lucky star and that he "ill "in# +e is also told that the Aueen of Fairy "ill help him "in# The ne1t victim, .rugger, arrives and is told that he, too, "ill $e very "ealthy and a great success#

Act II
Sir ,picure 4ammon, accompanied $y /ertina1 Surly arrive at the house# 4ammon is promised the philosopher's stone "hich "ill turn all $ase metals into gold# +is companion, Surly is not as innocent and suspects Su$tle of $eing a thief# 4ammon has great plans for the stone that include having great "ealth and po"er# Surly is not convinced and sneers as 4ammon tries to convince him of the po"er of the stone# 4ammon accidentally sees .ol and is told that she is a Lord's sister "ho is suffering from madness# Su$tle and Eeremy get rid of Surly $y sending him on an errand# 4ammon leaves "ith the promise that he "ill send many of his household goods to Su$tle to $e turned into gold# The ne1t visitor is Ananias, "ho, "hen he reports that he cannot get more money to invest, is turned a"ay $y Su$tle# .rugger calls again to $ring to$acco and to tell Su$tle that the 2ido" /liant "ishes to have her fortune told# +e also agrees to $ring /liant's $rother to the house so that his "ishes can also $e fulfilled#

Act III
Ananias returns "ith 2holesome, "ho "hen told of a "ay to turn pe"ter into coins, is concerned "ith the morality of counterfeiting, even to $enefit the church# They $oth agree to purchase 4ammon's household goods, and $oth leave to consider the legality of the counterfeiting pro$lem# Surly returns to the house disguised as a Spaniard, @astril arrives "ith .rugger and is so impressed "ith Su$tle that the t"o young men leave to $ring .ame /liant $ack# .apper returns to meet the Aueen of Fairy# .apper is undressed and his money taken in an

ela$orate ritual during "hich he meets .ol disguised as the Aueen of Fairy# 2hen 4ammon knocks on the door, .apper, "ho is tied up and $lindfolded, has a piece of ginger$read stuffed in his mouth# +e is locked in the privy#

Act I!
4ammon is ushered in to meet .ol, "ho is disguised as an aristocratic lady suffering from madness# 4ammon is "arned that he should not speak of religion, as it "ill $ring on the "oman's madness# As others arrive, .ol and 4ammon are moved into another room of the house# .ame /liant arrives and is placed in the garden to "alk "ith the Spaniard# Soon, .ol assumes a guise of madness, and 4ammon is told that he has caused this $ecause of his moral la1ity, and thus, the completion of the stone is certainly delayed# 2hile this is occurring# Surly, disguised as the Spaniard, has revealed to the "ido" that Su$tle and Face!Lungs!Eeremy are s"indlers# Surly also proposes marriage to the "ido"# +er $rother, "ho has $een learning the art of ?uarreling in another part of the house, is told that since the Spaniard is an impostor, @astril should challenge Surly to a duel# The t"o /uritans reappear and announce that they have decided that the church's need for money meant that counterfeiting, although against the king's la", "as certainly not against God's la"# Surly is so disgusted that he leaves the house# The scene ends "ith Love"it's reappearance#

Act !
Eeremy goes to the door and tries to detain Love"it long enough for Su$tle and .oK to escape# Eeremy's attempts to convince his master that the neigh$ors are "rong a$out the activities that have occurred in the house fails "hen 4ammon and Surly return to e1pose Su$tle and .ol# Eeremy decides to confess his role in the game to his master, "ho decides to forgive the $utler "hen he promises to deliver .ame /liant to Love"it as "ife# *n the $ack of the house .apper has $een freed and has received "hat he thinks is a guarantee that he "ill $e a "inner at gam$ling# Su$tle and .ol are forced to flee "ithout their re"ard and .rugger is tricked out of his fiance# After Love"it "eds .ame /liant, he convinces the remaining characters that they have $een victims of their o"n greed# @astril is pleased that his sister has made a good match and is no longer interested in a duel# The plays ends "ith Eeremy in control and safe from retri$ution#

Characters
The Alchemist
"ee Su$tle

Ananias
Ananias is one of the holy Brethren of Amsterdam# +e is a /uritan "ho seeks out the s"indlers so that he might secure possession of the philosopher's stone# +e hopes to increase his influence through possessing the stone# But "hen Ananias tells the alchemist that the Brethren "ill not invest any more money in the stone, Su$tle drives the /uritan from the house# Later he returns "ith another elder, Tri$ulation 2holesome, and the promise to pay more money# +e is Fealous and ?uarrelsome, an idealist "ho reLects 0hristmas as too 0atholic $ut "ho decides that counterfeiting is not really a crime if it $enefits his congregation# *n the Bi$le, Ananias is a man "ho "as struck dead for lying#

Jeremy Butler
Eeremy is 4aster Love"it's $utler# +e is kno"n to his friends as Face, "hile Lungs is the persona Eeremy assumes as the alchemist's assistant# @no"ing that "hile the plague continues to claim victims Love"it "ill remain a$sent, Eeremy decides to offer the home and his services to an ac?uaintance, Su$tle and his partner .ol, so that they can prepare an ela$orate s"indle# +e is smart and inventive# *n his disguise as Face, he is a$le to recruit ne" victims to the house and the s"indle# 2hen Love"it returns une1pectedly, Eeremy offers marriage to the rich 2ido" /liant as a means of escaping punishment# Lungs is an appropriate name for one "ho assists an alchemist "ith the dark and shado"y process of turning $ase metals into gold# +is name conLures up the smoky furnace of the alchemist's la$oratory# Since alchemy is also associated "ith Satan, Lungs also suggest the fires and smoke of hell# Face is sym$olic of the many faces, names, and characters that Eeremy can assume depending on his need and audience#

"ol Common
.ol 0ommon is a prostitute, a friend of Eeremy and Su$tle, and a partner in their con game# She disguises herself as the Aueen of Fairy as part of the s"indle of .apper# She also assumes the persona of a great scholar "ho is seeking a rest cure as part of the s"indle of 4ammon# .ol is the cool, level%headed partner, the one "ho keeps the other t"o under control "hen their arguing gets too loud# +er name offers t"o clues to her identity# .ol suggests doll, an artificial plaything that can $ecome "hatever its o"ner or holder "ishes# 0ommon represents the nature of the prostitute, lo"er class and too readily or easily availa$le#

"apper
.apper is a la" clerk "ho gam$les and "ho hopes to learn ho" to "in at games of chance# Eeremy met .apper at the .agger and the young la" clerk comes to the house seeking assistance and a means to "in at racing and gam$ling# .apper pays Su$tle and is told that a rare star "as aligned at his $irth, a good fairy, "ho "ill help him "in# 2hen .apper returns prepared to meet his fairy, he is stripped, his mouth is stuffed "ith ginger$read, and he is locked in an outhouse as a more important customer arrives at the house# The "ord dapper "as identified "ith young men "ho present themselves as neat, trim, and smart in appearance, $ut "as also often associated "ith littleness or pettiness#

"eacon
"ee Ananias

Abel "rugger
.rugger is a to$acconist "ho is also a victim of the s"indlers# .rugger is seeking a magic that "ill tell him "here to place the doors of his ne" shop and "here to store certain goods so that he can make more money and $e successful in his enterprise# The s"indlers tell .rugger that it "ill $e $is fortune to enLoy great success and that he "ill achieve a position $eyond his youthful years# .rugger returns to the s"indlers a second time "ith a story a$out a rich young "ido" "ho "ould like her fortune told# +e hopes that Su$tle "ill assist "ith a match $et"een

the to$acconist and the "ido"# The smoking of to$acco in London $egan "ith the importation of the product from the 6e" 2orld# Since .rugger "as used to refer to someone "ho dealt in drugs or "ho functioned as a druggist, Eonson's use of the name may suggest that he vie"ed to$acco as a drug#

#lder
"ee Ananias

$ace
"ee Eeremy Butler

%astril
@astril, $rother to .ame /liant, has recently inherited money, and he "ants to learn to $e ?uarrelsome so that he might $e a gentleman and a gallant# +e is referred to as the angry $oy# +e is given a lesson in ?uarreling $y Su$tle# At the play's conclusion, @astril is very impressed "ith Love"it's a$ility to ?uarrel and so consents to his sister's marriage to Love"it# According to The )*for+ En,lish &ictionary, the "ord, @astril, is thought to $e an derivative of @estrel, a type of small ha"k that is most noted for its a$ility to hold itself in the same place in the air "ith its head turned into the "ind#

Lo&e'it
Love"it is master of the house# Because of the plague that has hit London in )G)(, he has left to"n and taken refuge in the country# +e returns home earlier than e1pected and interrupts the s"indle that his $utler, Eeremy, has undertaken# +e decides to forgive his $utler in e1change for his assistance in marrying a rich "ido" "ho "ill make him feel seven years younger# Love"it's departure from London permits the knavery to $egin< his return $rings the trickery to a close# +e forgives his $utler for allo"ing his master's house to $e used in the deceptions, hence the love origin of Love"it's name#

Lungs
- "ee Eeremy Butler

#picure (ammon
4ammon is a disreputa$le knight "ho is guilty of avarice and lechery7 +e is a great $eliever in alchemy# +e anticipates $eing a$le to transform all the $ase metals in his house into gold and precious metals# +e has grandiose plans to $e "ealthy and to ac?uire all the lead, tin, and copper availa$le, "hich he "ill then turn into gold# +e also thinks he can turn old men young, cure all disease, and eliminate the plague# 4ammon even pays more money for the e1tra promises the stone offers# +e e1pects to have many "ives and mistresses, silk clothing, and "onderful perfumes# After 4ammon catches a glimpse of .ol, he is enamored and "ants to marry her# As is true for so many of the s"indler's victims, 4ammon is foolish an,d greedy and an unsympathetic victim of his o"n avarice# The e1plosion of the alchemist's furnace "ipes out 4ammon's investment in the scheme# 4ammon's origination is as a Greek "ord for riches# *n 4edieval

,nglish, 4ammon is thought to $e the name of the devil "ho covets riches# *ts use in Eonson's play descri$es the nature of the character#

)ido' liant
"ee .ame /liant

"ame liant
.ame /liant is a soft and $u1om "ido", "ho Lust happens to $e rich and "hom .rugger seeks to marry# Surly also "ishes to marry her, $ut in the end, .ame /liant "eds Love"it# Although she is engaged to .rugger she is "illing to marry another man, hence the meaning of her name 8>pliant> meaning fle1i$le9#

The Spaniard
"ee /ertina1 Surly

Subtle
Su$tle is a s"indler "ho poses as an alchemist# +e is disreputa$le and uses his persuasive a$ilities to cheat his gulli$le victims# Su$tle has a talent for language and so presents a sort of pseudo%science that convinces his "illing victims to part "ith their money# 2hen Love"it returns, Su$tle is forced to flee "ithout his gains# Su$tle fits the definition of his name he is cunning and crafty, difficult to discern or perceive, and a skillful, clever liar#

ertina* Surly
Surly is e1perienced "ith s"indlers and he immediately suspects that Face, .ol, and Su$tle are conducting a s"indle# +e is unconvinced at the evidence, and so Sir 4ammon attempts to persuade Surly "ith documents# Surly, ho"ever, is unconvinced# +e is finally sent off on an errand# 2hen Surly returns in Act *-, he is dressed as a Spaniard "ho cannot speak ,nglish# The s"indlers heap insults upon Surly "hen they think he cannot understand ,nglish# 2hen left alone in the garden "ith .ame /laint, Surly reveals the s"indlers' purpose and purposes marriage to the "ido"# As his name suggests, Surly is a menacing threat to Su$tle and his partners# +e is unfriendly and rude, and as his first name 8pro$a$ly derived from pertinacious9 alludes, he is tenacious in his ?uest to e1pose the s"indlers#

Tribulation )holesome
2holesome is a church elder "ho accompanies Ananias on his second trip to the see the s"indlers# +e promises more money and "hen he is told that he and Ananias might transform pe"ter into money, he finds he must de$ate the ethics of coining foreign money# Like Ananias, 2holesome represents Eonson's use of satire to poke fun at /uritanism# 2holesome is the opposite of his name# +e is much more "illing that Ananias to forget ethical concerns "hen the ?uestion $ecomes one of compromise and profit or conscience#

Themes

Appearances and Reality

2hat the victims of the three s"indlers perceive as reality is not the truth of the play# ,ach one thinks that he "ill receive "ealth or po"er as a re"ard gained through little effort# The reality is that each "ill $e left "ith less "ealth and no more po"er than they had initially#

Change and Transformation

The theme of transformation is crucial to this play# The plot revolves around the chance and e1pectation that Su$tle can change $ase metals into gold# A $elief m alchemy "as still firmly held at the $eginning of the seventeenth century# Aueen ,liFa$eth investigated the possi$ility of using alchemy to increase her "orth and even Sir *saac 6e"ton $elieved in the principle# *n The Alchemist, alchemy is the $asis for a con game, a means to s"indle unsuspecting victims# The only transformation that occurs is a lightening of their purses#

"eception
The plot of Eonson' s play is $ased on deception# ,ach of the three s"indlers uses deception for financial gam# But the victims are also self%deceiving# Their "illingness to $elieve allo"s the game to succeed# Surly assumes a disguise to reveal the deception, $ut his disguise is in itself a deception# Eeremy disguises himself as Face to lure victims to the house and later he $ecomes Lungs, the alchemist's assistant# .ol pretends to $e the Aueen of Fairy and a mad aristocrat as part of the game, and Su$tle is an astrologer and an alchemist# ,ach deception is dependent on none of the victims meeting one another# Thus, $eginning "ith the middle of Act *- "hen the victims comings and goings reach a level of unanticipated activity, the deception $ecomes more difficult to control#

Greed
*t is the victim's greed that allo"s the s"indles to occur# ,ach man seeks more po"er or "ealth than he has earned or deserves# And each returns to $e further s"indled as their greed escalates# The loss of goods and money increases as each victim fails to $e satisfied "ith his lot and each desires even more "ealth#

(orality
The play's resolution creates some ?uestions a$out morality# The sting of loss is eased in the victims as they learn their lessons< their lives are $etter kno"ing the ill%effects caused $y e1cessive greed# 2hen Su$tle and .ol are forced to flee the house "ithout the money and goods gained from their efforts, it is also clear that there is no re"ard for dishonesty# But Eeremy escapes any punishment for his role in the s"indles, and so, the concept of Lustice is ?uestioned# Traditionally, the audience "ants to see the $ad guys punished and the good characters re"arded# That resolution is denied "hen Eeremy is forgiven $y his master, and the end of the play leaves Eeremy victorious#

+rder and "isorder

These t"o ideas are tied to the e1it and entrance of Love"it# 2hen Love"it leaves London and his house in Eeremy's care, disorder is the result# This is especially evident in Act *- "hen the victims $egin amassing at the house, each seeking more help and more "ealth# 3rder is

finally restored "hen Love"it returns to the house# The s"indlers flee the house and the victims are forced to restore order to then%lives "hen they accept their losses# Religion The t"o /uritans are important sym$ols of Eonson's intent to satiriFe e1treme religious practice# 2hen Su$tle tells the t"o that they need more money, he also suggests that they can >make> more money $y transforming pe"ter to coin# The initial concern is the legality of transforming foreign coin# But this is all a deceptive de$ate a$out counterfeiting# The t"o .eacons decide that their need for money is necessary to fulfill God's "ork# Accordingly, the needs to God out"eigh the la"s of man or, in this case, the la"s of the king# *n effect, the /uritans compromise their religion and their ethics in the name of God's "ork# Eonson uses the t"o /uritans to illustrate "hat he sees as one of the pro$lems of organiFed religion, the ina$ility of some Fealots to recogniFe that civil la"s are important in the function of a society and cannot $e discarded to satisfy religious need#

!ictim and !ictimi,ation

The Alchemist put the definition of victim and victimiFation to the test# The victims of the s"indlers are victims $ecause they have $een "illing to cheat, to gain from magic or dishonesty "hat they have not earned# The issue, then, $ecomes "hether they are victimiFed $y Su$tle, Eeremy, and .ol or if they are victims of their o"n greed# Since in the end, all, e1cept Eeremy, $ecome victims, the audience concludes that each character has arrived at their destination due to their o"n actions< they have only victimiFed themselves and have reaped "hat they deserve#

Style
Act
A maLor division in a drama# *n Greek plays the sections of the drama signified $y the appearance of the chorus "ere usually divided into five acts# This is the formula for most serious drama from the Greeks to the Romans and to ,liFa$ethan play"rights like 2illiam Shakespeare# The five acts denote the structure of dramatic action# They are e1position, complication, clima1, falling action, and catastrophe# The five act structure "as follo"ed until the nineteenth century "hen +enrik *$sen com$ined some of the acts# The Alchemist is a five act play# The e1position occurs in the first act "hen the audience learns of Su$tle and Face's plan and meets the first of the victims# By the end of Act **, the complication, the audience has met the rest of the victims# The clima1 occurs in the third act "hen the victims all $egin to arrive and .apper must $e gagged and locked in the privy# The near misses as each of the victims is targeted $y the s"indlers in a separate part of the house provides the falling action, and the catastrophe occurs in the last act "hen Love"it arrives to restore order and each victim discovers the e1tent of the trickery#

Character
A person in a dramatic "ork# The actions of each character are "hat constitute the story# 0haracter can also include the idea of a particular individual' s morality# 0haracters can range from simple stereotypical figures to more comple1 multi%faceted ones# 0haracters may also $e

defined $y personality traits, such as the rogue or the damsel in distress# >0haracteriFation> is the process of creating a lifelike person from an author's imagination# To accomplish this the author provides the character "ith personality traits that help define "ho he "ill $e and ho" he "ill $ehave in a given situation# The Alchemist differs slightly from this definition, since each character is little more than a >type#> The audience does not really kno" or understand the character as an individual# For instance, .rugger is recogniFa$le as a representative the ne" merchant class# +e is a shopkeeper "ho hopes to use magic to $e more successful than other shopkeepers#

Genre
Genres are a "ay of categoriFing literature# Genre is a French term that means >kind> or >type#> Genre can refer to $oth the category of literature such as tragedy, comedy, epic, poetry, or pastoral# *t can also include modern forms of literature such as drama novels, or short stones# This term can also refer to types of literature such as mystery, science fiction, comedy, or romance# The Alchemist is a comedy#

lot
This term refers to the pattern of events# Generally plots should have a $eginning, a middle, and a conclusion, $ut they may also sometimes $e a series of episodes connected together# Basically, the plot provides#the author "ith the means to e1plore primary themes# Students are often confused $et"een the t"o terms< $ut themes e1plore ideas, and plots simply relate "hat happens in a very o$vious manner# Thus the plot of The Alchemist is the story of three s"indlers to try to cheat some gulli$le victims of their money# But the theme is that of greed#

Setting
The time, place, and culture in "hich the action of the play takes place is called the setting# The elements of setting may include geographic location, physical or mental environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, or the historical time in "hich the action takes place# The location for Eonson' s play is London and the house of 4aster Love"it# The action is further reduced to three "eeks during )G)(#

Satire
Satire attempts to $lend social commentary "ith comedy and humor# Satire does not usually attack any individual $ut rather the institution he or she represents# The intent is to e1pose pro$lems and create de$ate that "ill lead to a correction of the pro$lem# *n The Alchemist, the t"o /uritan .eacons are the o$Lect of satire $ecause they represent an over%Fealous approach to religion#

-istorical Conte*t
Religion and Society
*n )G)(, Eames * had $een king for seven years# And the Anglican church, firmly re% esta$lished "ith the reign of ,liFa$eth *, "as only one of several religious influences at "ork in Renaissance ,ngland# Among these different religions, the /uritans "ere of maLor importance to theatre%goers# /uritans opposed the theatre, since they vie"ed it as deceitful# Actors "ere, after all, assuming a role other than their o"n# For /uritans, acting "as

analogous to lying# Accordingly, it is easy to understand "hy Eonson might target /uritans for satire in The Alchemist' *t is also important to understand that plays "ere su$Lect to censure and "ere revie"ed $y the 4aster of Revels, "ho could force revisions and censure content# Inlike t"entieth%century "orks, seventeenth%century plays "ere not revie"ed for se1ual content or o$scene language# *nstead, the issue of revie" "as religion and politics, theology governed politics in many cases# *n addition, the depiction of the king, "ho "as a representative of God, and as such, "as head of the Anglican 0hurch, "as especially important# The hierarchy that $egan "ith God and moved to the @ing, "as also analogous to the structure of the family, "ith the order descending from man to "oman to child# ,ngland "as still a largely agrarian society at the $eginning of the seventeenth century# 4ost men la$ored outside the house and most "omen functioned primarily as "ife, mother, cook, housekeeper, and sometimes nurse# Fe" men and even fe"er "omen could read# Society "as very class% defined# For most purposes, there "ere t"o classes the aristocratic land%o"ners and those "ho "orked for them# *n a society "here fe" people could read, men and "omen "ere largely dependent on the church for their information# The clergy used church services as an opportunity to teach lessons and morals, and so the ,nglish had a kno"ledge of the Bi$le that fe" t"entieth%century church%goers can appreciate#

The Theatre
The first permanent theatre "as $uilt c# )CHG and this led to a greater social status for theatre people# By )G((, some actors and play"rights like 2illiam Shakespeare also o"ned an interest in a theatre and earned a comforta$le income# 4ost theatres "ere located Lust outside to"n due to religious pro$lems, especially "ith /uritans# /lays "ere performed outside, during the day, and many patrons stood during the entire performance# The theatres "ere open at the top, shaped in a circle or octagon, "ith ro"s of seating along the perimeter# The seats "ere protected $y a covered gallery, $ut there "as a large area in front of the stage "here spectators stood that "as open to the elements# *f the "eather "as cooperative and a play "as to $e performed, a flag "as displayed to notify the audiences of a performance# Since "orking people "ere not usually free to attend plays during the day, the audience consisted largely of gentlemen "ho paid a$out ) pence for the more e1pensive seats, "hile those "ho could afford the less costly center area cro"ded $efore the stage# Respecta$le "omen could attend if accompanied $y a male escort# /rostitutes also attended to increase trade# All roles "ere played $y male actors, "ith younger $oys assuming the roles of female characters Although many in the audience "ere uneducated, stage presentation and performance usually overcame those shortcomings, and the ideas of the plays "ere often familiar enough to $e easily grasped $y the audience# There "ere no curtains or dimming of lights to signal the end of an act< the act "as finished "hen all actors in the scene had left the stage# There "as no intermission and no scenery and none of the time or location indicators that are so familiar to today's audiences# There "as only the te1t, "hich "as often in verse# Eonson's plays "ere fre?uently performed in the Glo$e, the theatre in "hich Shakespeare "as part o"ner# /lays "ere very popular, $ut thirty years after Eonson's play, /uritans finally succeeded in closing do"n the theatres# They "ould remain closed until the Restoration in )GG(#

Critical +&er&ie'
There is little information a$out ho" Ben Eonson's The Alchemist "as received $y critics and the pu$lic# 4ost scholars ackno"ledge that Eonson's plays "ere not generally "ell received# The audience "as often loudly critical, and Eonas Barish noted that several of Eonson's plays "ere hissed from the stage# This is not necessarily $ecause die plays "ere not entertaining or topical, $ut rather, the play's reception reflected the audience's acceptance of the author# Eonson is usually descri$ed as arrogant and difficult< that may $e a generous report# Eonson inspired little neutral comment# 0ritics and contemporaries either loved and "orshiped Eonson or they hated and scorned him# Since plays "ere not revie"ed during the period in "hich this play "as composed, response to a play may $e determined $y e1amining ho" often it has $een produced in the years since its creation# Another "ay to gauge a play's popularity is through anecdotal evidence, letters, diary, and Lournal entries from the period# Infortunately, in the case of The Alchemist, there is little evidence of this kind availa$le# There is also little information a$out ho" long any play remained in production and on the stage during the early part of the seventeenth century# Although all plays "ere licensed $y a government official, the 4aster of Revels, these records have not survived# The details of performance that are so readily availa$le in the t"entieth century, length and dates of performance and the theatre in "hich a production played, are not availa$le for the period during "hich Ben Eonson "rote# The topic of The Alchemist "as a familiar one to ,liFa$ethan audiences# The idea of a con man or s"indler "ho, "ith or "ithout a partner, seeks to part a gulli$le fool from his or her property derives from an old tradition in literature# *t is a "ell%kno"n story in Geoffrey 0haucer's Canterbury Tales' The most familiar of 0haucer's stories of a fool conned $y a "oman and man is >The 4iller's Tale,> the narrative of a young "ife and her lover "ho s"indle a greedy older hus$and of his "ife's fidelity# Thus, the plot of The Alchemist "ould have $een anticipated and enLoyed $y Eonson's audience# *ndeed The Alchemist proved to $e popular during the seventeenth century# Alvin @ernan o$served in .onson / "hakes!eare, that this Eonson play reappeared on stage throughout the seventeenth century and into the eighteenth# But $y the middle of the eighteenth century, the play's language and its allusions had $ecome too alien for audiences# .uring the nineteenth century the play "as rarely performed, $ut many of Eonson's plays have $een reappearing on stage during the t"entieth century# 4ost often, the reasons cited for not performing Eonson's "ork center on the difficulty of the language and the o$scure nature of the references# *t is interesting to note that "hile 2illiam Shakespeare's plays are enLoying a resurgence of interest on film 8they have never $een gone long from the stage9, none of Eonson's plays has ever $een filmed and fe" are produced on stage outside ,ngland# Shakespeare "as Eonson's friend, $ut he "as also his greatest rival# That appears to $e Lust as true four hundred years later# The Alchemist "as not Eonson's only use of the con game as a play's primary topic# *n ol!one 8"ritten five years $efore The Alchemist0, Eonson creates an ela$orate s"indle devised $y a man and his servant# The premise is the duping of several individuals "ho, thinking they "ill $e left a su$stantial estate, sho"er the charlatan "ith e1pensive gifts# 3f course the protagonist is not dying, the victims "ill not inherit anything, and the entire plot is revealed and order is restored in the conclusion# The central idea, the farce, needs only a full compliment of cheaters and victims to $e successful#

Like The Alchemist, ol!one is set in contemporary London# This is one "ay in "hich Eonson differed from his contemporaries, especially Shakespeare# Shakespeare's plots "ere dra"n from stories and from history# They "ere set in another time or in another land, $ut they did not relate the events of the London outside the theatre's "alls# *t is difficult to assert e1actly "hy Eonson's popularity "ith theatre audiences lagged so far $ehind Shakespeare's# But Eonson "as enormously popular "ith Eames M and 0harles *, Eonson's mas?ues 8mas?ues differed from plays $ecause they "ere characteriFed $y ela$orate costumes, scenery, and stage machinery< they "ere very e1pensive to produce9 "ere very successful, and Eonson is $est kno"n for revitaliFing a genre that dated from the 4edieval period and reintroducing it in the seventeenth century# *t is ironic that the e1cessive and progressively e1pensive cost of the mas?ues "ere one element of "hat ultimately led to the closing of the theatres 8in )GB'9 and the deposition of 0harles * during the ,nglish Revolution#

Critical #ssay ./
1n this essay, Met2,er +iscusses .onson's symbolic use of the !la,ue to satiri2e social +ysfunction' *n )G)(, London suffered another $ad plague year# Those "ho could, left their city homes and fled to the clean air and relative safety of country life# *t is this partial desertion of London that provides the time and setting for The Alchemist' Inlike his friend and contemporary, 2illiam Shakespeare, Ben Eonson incorporated topical locations and issues into his plays# 2hen Love"it leaves his home in the care of his $utler, Eeremy, and flees to the country, thus setting up the action of the play, the master's actions are similar to those that "ere occurring in London at the time# The importance of setting is the focus of 0heryl Lynn Ross's e1amination of The Alchemist in Renaissance 3uarterly' Ross e1plained that >the "orld of Ben Eonson's Alchemist % its setting, its rogues and their victims, the structure of the play, and the moral Ludgments $oth inherent in the te1t and on its margins % is the "orld of London during a plague#> The plague grants Eeremy a freedom he "ould not other"ise enLoy# Ross argued that it is this freedom, common enough during a plague year, that provides Eeremy "ith the unstructured time to assume other identities# +e is free to roam the city as Face, to go into taverns and seek out victims, and to transform himself into Lungs, the alchemist's assistant# The plague also provides an empty house in "hich the three knaves can centraliFe their plot and the action# -ictims can $e invited $ack to the house to $e conned at the thieves' leisure# This is another glimpse of the plague than that traditionally offered in historical accounts# The increase in crime due to increased opportunity is clearly esta$lished in Eonson's comedy and is Lust one element of the connection $et"een Eonson's location and his theme# The o$servation that crime in The Alchemist is an opportunistic disease is only one small part of the satire that Eonson employs to provide laughs at the e1pense of his victims the clergy, scientists, philosophers, and merchants of London# 3ne important element of satire is its a$ility to poke fun at institutions and ideas rather than individuals# This occurs in The Alchemist "hen the plague that visits the city $ecomes a part of Love"it's house# As sickness envelops the real London, Eonson uses the sym$ols of sickness to illustrate the infection 8in the form of con games and dishonesty9 that threatens London# .uring the height of the plague, men a$andoned their "ives, mothers, and children, and neigh$ors $ecame enemies# Fear $ecame a motivating force in the destruction of social relationships#

Ross concluded that this $etrayal of humanity is another part of the sickness that accompanies the plague# Eonson illuminates the pro$lem $y transforming it into a plot a$out three scheming knaves "ho try to $ilk other Londoners out of their money# 3f these characters, Ross stated that >from .rugger to 4ammon, the characters represent a society suffering a thoroughgoing contagion of immorality#> *t is not the plague that makes them sick< it is their lack of morality# Ross continued "ith >Nthese charactersM a$solute selfishness is a symptom of moral sickness that the plague characteristically and unerringly uncovered, tearing a"ay at relationships of love and trust, pitting neigh$or against neigh$or, parent against child, su$Lect against ruler#> *ndeed, The Alchemist e1emplifies the moral rottenness of London# *t is little "onder that Eonson "as unpopular "ith his audience# +is picture of London society "as not a flattering one# Ross insisted that to cure the city of its moral plague, Eonson su$verts the usual ending of the plague % the return to the city of those "ho had fled to the safety of the country# Rather than have Love"it return to the house and restore order to the play, and $y representation, to London, Eonson uses Love"it to illustrate a different ending# Ross noted that >"ith Love"it's entrance, the play changes its appearance#### For Love"it does not return London to its original, pre%plague state< he does not restore Su$tle's $ooty to its rightful o"ners# *nstead, he appropriates it himself, turning Su$tle's productive efforts to his o"n advantage#> Eonson's ending denies his audience the tidy resolution they e1pect# The moral am$iguity of a roaster "ho seiFes the victims' property and "ho forgives his $utler for such acts of deception raises some ?uestions# Ross "ould argue that Eonson is only illuminating the moral decay of London society# But that interpretation is dependent on a close reading of the final act# *t is this interpretation of the final act that interested G# .# 4onsarrat, "ho argued in Cahiers Elisabethans that an understanding of Love"it is completely dependent on ho" the last three scenes are read# 4onsarrat provided a close reading of the final scenes and concluded that Love"it is not a dishonest rogue as is his $utler< instead, Love"it is provided only the $riefest information that Eeremy has confessed to his master# Traditional readings of the last act assume that Eeremy confesses everything to Love"it offstage# 3n%stage, the audience learns only that Eeremy asks that Love"it >pardon me th' a$use of your house#> To help make this forgiveness easier, Eeremy offers his master the 2ido" /liant as an incentive# 2hen Eeremy tells .ol and Su$tle that Love"it kno"s all, the audience assumes that the $utler has confessed everything offstage# But it is also possi$le that Eeremy offers Love"it's kno"ledge and forgiveness as a means of convincing Su$tle and .ol that the master of the house is in control, and "ith him lies the authority of the la"# 4onsarrat pointed out that >even if Love"it does not kno" everything Eeremy must make them $elieve that he does, other"ise they themselves might reveal all to Love"it# Thus, Eeremy has a lot at stake if he cannot convince .ol and Su$tle to leave ?uickly and ?uietly# Although the audience kno"s that Eeremy is a liar, 4onsarrat noted that Eeremy does not have an opportunity to meet Love"it offstage, and accordingly, the audience should not $elieve Eeremy's "arning to Su$tle and .ol# Love"it is further a$solved of complicity, according to 4onsarrat, "hen he fails to ask Eeremy "hether he has gotten rid of Su$tle and .ol# The critic argued that >if Eeremy and Love"it "ere partners the natural thing for Love"it to do "ould $e to in?uire "hether Eeremy has got rid of Su$tle and .oll# But Love"it does not ask any ?uestions, and Eeremy volunteers no information, precisely $ecause they are not partners#> Love"it's failure to ?uestion Eeremy a$out his partners indicates that the master has no kno"ledge of them# 2hen Love"it invites the officers to search the house, it is $ecause he has no reason not to# As 4onsarrat pointed out, Love"it says that $utler has >let out my house !### To a .octor and

a 0aptain "ho, "hat they are, ! 3r "here they $e, he kno"s not#> 3n stage, Eeremy has only confessed to the a$use of the house, and yet Love"it states that the house "as let to a doctor and captain# This information is not provided on stage and appears to contradict 4onsarrat's argument, since Love"it is either em$ellishing Eeremy's story to protect his $utler or Eeremy has talked to Love"it offstage# 4onsarrat assumed that Eeremy has told his master this information, $ut it creates a loose end that "eakens the argument# *n his discussion of the disposition of the goods, though, 4onsarrat does offer some interesting o$servations that help diminish Love"it's appearance of guilt# 4ammon claims the goods as his# But Su$tle has sold them to Ananias and Tri$ulation, "ho also claim the goods as theirs# Love"it does "hat any good magistrate might he asks 4ammon to prove his o"nership# 4onsarrat argued that >"hatever Love"it's personal motives, it seems evident that he also fulfills a Ludicial function ### the officers never intervene, and therefore do not o$Lect to Love"it's $ehaviour#> 4ammon appears to accept Love"it's Ludgment, since he ackno"ledges that the loss of his dreams is a greater disaster than the loss of his household goods# The goods do not represent great "ealth# They are the pe"ter and tin that 4ammon has sent to $e changed into gold# The "ealth lies "ith the "ido"# *n marrying her, Love"it ac?uires more "ealth, $ut he also ac?uires a younger "ife "ho "ill help keep him young# She is the real priFe# 4onsarrat made one last point that is an important o$servation a$out Eonson' s use of language in naming his characters# Love"it's name does not suggest deception, as does Su$tle or Face# *n a play, such as The Alchemist, "here the character's name reveals his or her personality and temperament, Love"it's name reveals only innocent traits, not deceptive ones# 4onsarrat's argument provided a very different glimpse of Love"it than the one offered $y Ross# Iltimately, only the reader's close e1amination of the te1t "ill reveal the Love"it each reader $elieves Eonson intended# Source Sheri 4etFger, for &rama for "tu+ents, Gale, )::;#

Critical #ssay .0
1n this essay, Cervo +iscusses the allusions to o+ors % !articularly offensive ones % that characteri2e the emotional content of a scene in The Alchemist# *n the spat $et"een Face and Su$tle, the alchemist, that opens Eonson's play, Su$tle is descri$ed as having $een very much do"n on his luck $efore Face met him Fiteously costive, "ith your pinch'd%horn%nose, And your comple1ion of the Roman "ash, Stuck full of $lack and melancholic "orms, Like po"der%corns shot at th' artillery%yard 8))#';%J)9 Glossing >Roman "ash,> Brooke and /aradise suggest >a "ash of alum "ater,> that is, an emetic# Face apparently returns to this odious metaphor "hen he calls Su$tle >The vomit of all prisons%#> +o"ever, the phrase >/iteously costive> introduces the motif of constipation to the passage that seems to point to a conflation of se"er and stomach contents, such as occurs in the Curculio of Eonson's chief comedic model, /lautus# *n Curculio 8corn%"orm, "eevil9, /latus uses the "ord cloaca 8a se"er, drain9 to descri$e the stomach of a drunken "oman# -omit and e1crement may $e e?ually offensive to one's >nose,> and Face kno"s, in retrospect,

that Su$tle "as a charlatan "aiting to e1plode# *n the spat, Su$tle resorts to a kind of halo% effect defense! attack, $erating Face as a >scara$,> that is, a dung $eetle, and >NtheM heat of horse's dung#> Eonson's irony here centers on the fact that the scara$ held a privileged place in esoteric alchemy, signifying the survival of the stag 80hrist9 in a "orld the morality and thought processes of "hich amounted to little more than vomit and e1crement# *n addition to $eing kno"n as the dung $eetle, the scara$ is also kno"n as the stag $eetle $ecause of the peculiarity of the structure of its antennae# Cervo volante, >the flying stag,> is *talian for scara$# 2hereas 0hrist's flying may $e linked to resurrection and ascension, compara$le to the ascension of the illuminated man in esoteric alchemy, Su$tle's >flying> is a s"indle, consisting in the >Selling of flies,> that is, familiar spirits, to gulli$le clients# 0onse?uently, Eonson's parodic irony is positively vitriolic "hen he has Face e1claim to .apper, a mark, in reference to Su$tle, >+ang him, proud stag, "ith $is $road velvet head> % velvety like the dung $eetle's antennae and $road "ith relatively enormous pincers# The element of the cloaca is essential to Eonson's larger satirical meaning# *n the passage cited a$ove, it seems clear that Eonson is using a pun to ackno"lede the Curculio 8the corn%"orm9 as his conte1tual source >"orms> and >corns> point to /lautus# 0lyster and emetic com$ine to produce Su$tle's moral character# Source 6athan 0ervo, >Eonson's The Alchemist( in the E*!licator, -olume CC, no# J, Spring, )::H, pp# )';%':

Critical #ssay .1
1n this e*cer!t from his book The Third Theatre, Brustein revie$s a !erformance o!The Alchemist# #hile he com!lains of the lackluster !ro+uction, Brustein +oes note that .onson's !lay is (one of the three most !erfect !lays in literature( % a fact that is not +iminishe+ by mun+ane !erformances an+ sta,in,' Eules *rving had t"o possi$le alternatives "hen he decided to stage Ben Eonson's The Alchemist % either to find some modern e?uivalent for the action "hich might point its relevance to contemporary America or to choose a more traditional mode of presentation and offer the "ork frankly as a revival# *rving made the latter option, setting the play near its o"n time 8the seventeenth century9 and adopting a style common on the ,nglish stage a$out fifteen years ago measured pace, lots of props, elocutionary delivery# The initial decision "as honora$le enough % it is a pleasure to see a "ork as $rilliantly conceived as The Alchemist either in a ne" frame"ork or an old % $ut "ithin that option, the production is not successful# For all the farcical frenFy and frenetic activity on the stage of the -ivian Beaumont, there is no real speed in the performance, "ith the result that some inner vitality has $een lost and one of the fastest "orks in the ,nglish language no" seems like one of the slo"est# *t is difficult to account for the longueurs of the evening certainly the play"right is not at fault# The con games Eonson provided for his three central characters are still as fresh and inventive as the day they "ere conceived, and if alchemy is no longer e1actly a popular hipster racket, "hy then politics and advertising can easily $e su$stituted# Tri$ulation 2holesome and Ananias, those fanatical /uritan elders, have $een replaced $y more gli$ $ut no less du$ious personalities like 3ral Ro$erts and Billy Graham< the gigantic hedonism of Sir ,picure 4ammon is no" $eing realiFed $y the kick%seeking +olly"ood and Bohemian aristocracy< and open%mouthed suckers % like Eonson's gulli$le .apper % are still looking for shortcuts to fortune "ith the horses or the num$ers# @astril, the angry $oy "ho lives to ?uarrel, is personified today $y those "ho try to prove their manhood through persistent violent encounters, and A$el .rugger, "ho "ants his to$acco shop $lessed "ith magical

charms, is no more a$surd than those "ho put religious icons in their automo$iles# As for Eonson's amia$le con artists, Su$tle and Face, they have $ecome as indigenous to American life as 4om and apple pie % indeed, 4elville took the confidence man to $e an archetypal national figure# /erhaps the ideal actors in these roles "ould have $een 2# 0# Fields and Groucho 4ar1, perhaps the ideal epigraph of the play a common Americanism never give a sucker an even $reak# Then, Eonson's manipulation of his comple1 action is a$solutely masterly 0oleridge "as correct to call this one of the three most perfect plays m literature# The author keeps at least si1 distinct plots $ustling simultaneously, not to mention countless secondary plots, and enormous energy is unleashed through this method % none of the strands allo"ed to touch until the conclusion, "hen they are rolled into a tight $all "ith the appearance of Face's master, Love"it, returning to London# 2hy then does the Repertory Theatre production seem so dull7 The company is considera$ly more accomplished than previous casts at Lincoln 0enter, Eames +art Steam's setting captures the atmosphere of the Eaco$ean theatre "ithout sacrificing the spaciousness or ingenuity of the modern one, and George Roch$erg's $rassy score has a fine dissonant, and occasionally electronic, raucousness# But the evening suffers from much too much production, as if the $udget for the sho" "ere a large one and every penny had to $e spent# /oints "hich should $e made through character are made through the use of e1pensive props< a huge steam%producing machine, "ith a female figurehead, is pumped for laughs "henever the action flags< the costumes, though handsome, do not look as if they had ever $een "orn $y human $eings< and none of the actors manages to make a vivid imprint on his part# The failure of the actors to rise a$ove the production is the most disappointing aspect of the evening, for most of these performers have $een e1tremely impressive in previous roles# /erhaps they are hamstrung $y the casting % * certainly found it strange# ,picure 4ammon, for e1ample, possi$ly the most e1travagant and voluptuous figure in dramatic literature, is reduced, $y George -oskovec, to a mincing courtier "ith nervous mannerisms and minor appetites# 4ammon's desires are so immense that even his speech is a form of gorging note ho", in his description of the $an?uets and orgies he intends to give after achieving the philosopher's stone, the si$ilant consonants make him sound as if he "ere slo$$ering over his "ords * myself "ill have The $eards of $ar$els served, instead of salads 3ird mushrooms, and the s"elling unctuous paps 3f a fat pregnant so", ne"ly cut off, .rest "ith an e1?uisite, and poignant sauce ### 4ammon is a 4arlovian figure "ho "ishes not to con?uer the "orld $ut to s"allo" it< -oskovec turns him into a hungry 4iddle ,uropean "ho "ould $e perfectly satisfied "ith a fe" scraps in a restaurant not even endorsed $y 4ichelin The actors playing Su$tle and Face also seem to $e miscast, since each "ould have $een more effective in the other's role# 4ichael 3'Sullivan % a galvanic actor "ith Beatle $angs and a marvelous dental smirk % is too light for the "eighty Su$tle, "hile Ro$ert Symonds % a heavy presence "ith the sonorous chuckle of Frank 4organ % is too earth$ound for the ?uicksilver 0aptain Face# Both Symonds and 3'Sullivan are e1tremely inventive performers "ho are perfectly capa$le of managing the numerous impersonations called for $y the te1t 4The Alchemist is $ased on the varying of shapes9, $ut since it is makeup and costume that is forced to do the Lo$, one goes a"ay remem$ering not so much alterations in character as changes in "igs, cloaks, and $eards# /hilip Bosco, an actor "ho looks like Redgrave and sounds like Gielgud, is solid and authoritative as Love"it, and 6ancy 4archand, as .ol 0ommon, maintains a solid, vulgar, $ra"ling ?uality "hich suggests more than anything the lo"%life

character of the play# But the actors as a "hole simply cannot hold one's attention for more than moments at a time, or "ake one from a state of semi%somnam$ulism# The production, finally, is "ithout risk, and "ithout the fine ensem$le "ork that might divert attention from the lack of risk# 3h, there is one playful te1tual innovation % Tri$ulation 2holesome is played $y a "oman# Aline 4ac4ahon, "ho plays the part, is a charming, "armhearted actress, $ut charm and "armth are hardly appropriate ?ualities for this smooth, unctuous hypocrite, and considering "hat the /uritans thought a$out the >monstrous regiment of "oman,> it is not very likely that a female preacher "ould have $een accepted into the ranks of the Ana$aptists# Iltimately, then, the production is the result neither of good anti?uarian research nor of a ne" vision, and that may $e "hy, for all its intermittent moments of vitality, it gives the impression of having entom$ed the play# Source Ro$ert Brustein, >Sepulchral 3dors at Lincoln 0enter> in his The Thir+Theatre, @nopf, ):G:, pp# )HJ%HH#

Topics for $urther Study

Research the use of character names to represent traits or ideology 2hen did play"rights first $egin this practice7 Research contemporary characters in theater, film, and literature# +o" do their names reflect their character7 Religion "as very important to ,nglish social structure during the seventeenth century# Roman 0atholics "ere for$idden from receiving degrees from the universities and also $anned from holding many political offices# /uritans "ere often the o$Lect of derision and many fled to the 6e" 2orld seeking religious freedom# ,1amine the role of religion during this period and try to resolve some of the references to religion that you find in Eonson's play# At the end of the play, Su$tle and .ol have fled "ithout any re"ard for their knavery and only Eeremy seems to have profited from the three "eeks his master has $een gone# Eeremy is forgiven "hen he offers the "ido" in marriage# 6early four hundred years after the play "as "ritten, changing social values "ould condemn such an arrangement and insist that Eeremy $e punished rather than having the "ido" >sold> in e1change for $is master's forgiveness# 0onsidering those issues, do you think the play is still effective7 .o you rind that it condemns >get rich ?uick schemes> or that it offers an effective satire of the artificial nature of men's morals# 0onsider "ho you think really $enefits from the play's resolution# 0ritics sometimes argue that Eonson's play lacks a comedic plot and that it is really Lust a series of short episodes strung together, thus it is not really a comedy# Traditionally, comedies of this period "ere defined as such if they ended "ith a happy marriage# *f you compare The Alchemist to other comedies of the period, "hat is it lacking7 Because of the pu$lic's e1posure to television sitcoms, do you think a modern audience might $e more receptive to the structure of this play7

Compare 2 Contrast
/3/45 The plague, "hich is a reoccurring pro$lem for congested London, hits especially hard# Today5 The plague, "hile not completely eradicated, is no longer a maLor threat to London or other maLor cities of the "orld# Today's modern plague continues to $e +*- and A*.S# /3/45 The 6e" 2orld is $eing settled "ith Eamesto"n colonists preparing to a$andon their

colony after a particularly difficult period# They are convinced to stay and try again "hen more colonists arrive# Today5 Those British colonies, "hose tenuous survival "ere once in dou$t, have $ecome a maLor military and economic force, the Inited States# /3/45 +enry +udson makes another attempt to find a 6orth"est /assage# Backed $y ,nglish investors, +udson succeeds only in entering the strait that "ill $ear his name# Today5 The t"entieth%fifth anniversary of the last manned lunar landing is cele$rated, and 6ASA announces that another e1ploration of the moon is planned# /3/45 Shakespeare has enLoyed nearly t"enty%five years of success as a play "right# After )G)(, he "ill "rite The Tem!est and colla$orate on t"o more plays, All 1s True 5Henry 1110 and The T$o 6oble 7insmen' Today5 Shakespeare is enLoying a Renaissance in film and theatre# 6early a doFen of his plays have $een filmed in the last ten years or are in the planning stages# *n addition, scenes or plots have $een adapted to other popular film use#

)hat "o I Read 6e*t7

Ben Eonson's ol!one, "ritten in )G(C, is another play that uses the farce or the con game as a plot device# *n this case a "ealthy man pretends to $e dying so that he can con e1pensive gifts from everyone "ho thinks he or she might $enefit from his "ill# Geoffrey 0haucer's >The 4iller's Tale> is another para$le a$out greed# As he did else"here in his Canterbury Tales, "ritten c# )J;H, 0haucer uses an old man's greed and lust to reveal the vulnera$ility of men# T$elfth 6i,ht, $y 2illiam Shakespeare, "as first presented in )G((# Although the plot is not a$out a s"indle, it does involve the use of disguise and trickery to $ring a$out order and resolution# Since Shakespeare "as a contemporary of Eonson's, his comedies provide a useful contrast to Eonson's# The Merchant of enice, also $y Shakespeare, "as first presented in )C:G# This play also involves disguise and deceit, $ut it is interesting $ecause the ending creates many ?uestions a$out the definition of comedy# Like The Alchemist, a complete moral resolution is missing, $ut in the case of this Shakespearean play, the plot raises more complicated ?uestions a$out racism and honesty# The character of /ortia also provides a contrast to .ol and .ame /liant for those "ho are interested in the depiction of female characters in comedies of this era# -olume )) of Ben .onson, "ritten $y 0# +# +erford and /ercy and ,velyn Simpson 8pu$lished ):'C%C'9, provides the most complete information a$out Eonson and his plays# -ol# )( also provides some of the history of The Alchemist's production#

$urther Reading
Ford, Boris, ,ditor The Cambri+,e Cultural History of Britain -ol# B "eventeenth-Century Britain, 0am$ridge, ):;: This $ook provides an easy to understand history of ,ngland in the seventeenth century# The $ook is divided into separate sections on literature, art, and music# An introductory section provides a historical conte1t#

Fothenngham, Richard# >The .ou$ling of Roles on the Eaco$ean Stage> in Theatre Research 1nternational, -ol )(, no ), Septem$er, ):;C, pp# );%J' This short essay provides an interesting e1amination of the dou$ling of roles on stage# 4ost play"rights "rote "ith an eye to ho" fe" actors "ould have to $e paid to play the roles# Thus scenes and lines "ere constructed "ith the anticipation that one actor might $e playing several roles, thus entrances and e1its "ere planned accordingly +erford, 0 +#, /ercy and ,velyn Simpson, ,ditors Ben .onson, -ols# *%O*, 31ford, ):'C%C'# This eleven volume "ork includes a $iography of Eonson and introductions to each of the plays# This te1t of the plays is a reprint of the )G)G folio that Eonson printed There is also some information a$out the pu$lic's reception of the plays and a great deal of information dealing "ith almost every aspect of Eonson's life and "ork +ill, 0hristopher The Century of Revolution 89:;-8<8=, 6orton, ):G)# +ill is a "ell%kno"n author of Renaissance $ooks that e1amine the cultural and historical $ackground of ,nglish literature# +ill has provided an "ell%organiFed e1amination of the economic, religious, and political issues of the seventeenth century# The events that led up to the ,nglish Revolution, the Revolution, and the Restoration that follo"ed "ere crucial incidents that shaped the literature of this period and that "hich follo"ed 4aclean, +ugh, ,ditor Ben .onson an+ the Cavalier Poets, 6orton, ):HB#

Sources
Ferreira%Ross, Eeanette.# >Eonson's Satire of /uritanism in The Alchemist( in "y+ney "tu+ies in En,lish, -ol )H,)::)%:', pp ''%B'# Fothenngham, Richard# >The .ou$ling of Roles on the Eaco$ean Stage> mTheatre Research 1nternational ol' )(, no ), Septem$er, ):;C, pp );%J'# +arp, Richard# >Ben Eonson's 0omic Apocalypse> in Cithara Essays in the .u+aeo Christian Tra+ition, -ol# JB, no ), 6ovem$er, )::B, pp JB%BJ# @eman, Alvin B >Shakespeare's and Eonson's -ie" of /u$lic Theatre Audiences> in .onson / "hakes!eare, edited $y *an .onaldson, +umanities, ):;J, pp# HB%H;# @ernan, Alvin B#, ,ditor# The Alchemist, Dale, ):HB# 4ares, F + >0omic /rocedures in Shakespeare and Eonson Much A+o about 6othin, and The Alchemist( m .onson / "hakes!eare, edited $y *an .onaldson, +umanities, ):;J, pp# )()% );# 4onsarrat, G# .# >,diting the Actor Truth and .eception in The Alchemist, -#J%C> in Cahiers Elisabethans> ?ate Me+ieval an+ Renaissance "tu+ies, -ol 'J, April, ):;J, pp# G)%H)# Ra", Laurence E# A# >2illiam /ole's Staging of The Alchemist( in Theatre 6otebook, -ol BB, no# ', )::(, pp# HB%;( Ross, 0heryl Lynn# >The /lague of The Alchemist( in Renaissance 3uarterly, -ol# B), no J, Autumn, ):;;, pp# BJ:%C;#