Course No. 305

E-Book For My Teddy
Course No. 305

Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama

ModdhobittO

As You Like It
Doctor Faustus
The Duchess of Malfi
The Spanish Tragedy

Volpone

As You Like It

By

William Shakespeare

As You Like It Summary

As You Like It is a play with two main plots: there is the conflict between Orlando and his
older brother Oliver, and there is the usurpation of the ducal throne by Duke Frederick from
his brother Duke Senior. The play opens with Orlando complaining to a servant
namedAdam about the way Oliver treats him. Oliver, as the eldest brother, has inherited the

entire estate from their father, Sir Rowland De Bois. As such, he is in charge of raising his two
younger brothers.
This plot is complemented by the fact that Duke Frederick, a younger brother to Duke Senior,
has usurped his brother's position. Duke Senior has been banished from the duchy and now lives
in the Forest of Ardenne with several other nobles, living off the land and killing the local

animals for food. Duke Frederick has a daughter Celia who is very close friends with Duke
Senior's daughter Rosalind. As a result, Rosalind is still at court with her cousin when the play

begins.
Orlando tells Adam that he is upset because Oliver has refused to educate him or help him
become a proper gentleman. Oliver arrives and soon the two brothers are in a fight that Orlando
wins by grabbing his brother and choking him. After Orlando leaves, Oliver meets with the

Duke's wrestler, Charles, and asks the wrestler to seriously harm Orlando if he chooses to fight

him in the wrestling contest the next day. Charles promises to make sure Orlando can never walk
again.
Rosalind and Celia, the two respective daughters of Duke Senior and Duke Frederick, are at
court talking. Rosalind is depressed that her father has been banished and Celia is trying to cheer

her up. A court fool named Touchstone arrives and entertains them with some witty dialogue.
Soon thereafter Le Beau, a courtier, informs the women that Charles has already won three

wrestling matches that morning. He further tells them that Charles will next wrestle on the spot
where they are standing.
Duke Frederick arrives and is trying to dissuade Orlando from becoming the next victim of
Charles' great skill. Orlando refuses and insists on challenging. Rosalind, liking Orlando's looks,
asks the Duke if she may try and convince him to not fight. However, she is also unable to stop
Orlando. The two men fight and Orlando manages to throw Charles, thereby winning the match.
Rosalind is so happy for him that she gives him a necklace to wear. He is speechless and does
not know what to say to her.

When Orlando arrives home, he is greeted by Adam who tells him to flee immediately because
Oliver has vowed to kill him. Orlando and Adam gather their things and depart for the forest of
Ardenne.

Meanwhile Duke Frederick has become fearful of Rosalind's influence over Celia. He meets with
her and banishes her as well. Celia is distraught by this and promises to accompany Rosalind into
banishment. Rosalind decides to dress as a young man in order to escape detection, and she
chooses the name Ganymede. Celia pretends to be Ganymede's sister Aliena, meaning "the
estranged one".

Rosalind and Celia convince Touchstone to join them and they arrive in the forest nearly

famished. They come across a shepherd named Corinand asks him for food but he tells them he

is not allowed to help strangers due to his master's orders. However, Corin admits that his master
is trying to sell the land. Rosalind (dressed as Ganymede) offers to buy it and together they go to
a shack with Corin.
In the forest the men the Duke Senior presides over spend their time hunting and playing games.

One man named Jaques is a melancholy character who disagrees with killing the deer. He

spends his time alone and prefers to contemplate how awful his life is. Duke Senior tries to find
Jaques because he finds his melancholy friend quite funny to listen to. After much searching the
Duke gives up and prepares a large meal for his men. Jaques finally returns to where the Duke
and his men are staying and informs them that he met Touchstone the fool in the forest.
Orlando and Adam reach the forest in a state of exhaustion. Adam is so tired that Orlando is
forced to carry the old man on his back. Orlando finally puts Adam down and goes to search for
food. He comes across Duke Senior and sees the food that the men are about to eat. Orlando then
rushes into the clearing and orders them to stop eating. Duke Senior politely asks him to join
them and Orlando gratefully goes to get Adam so they can eat.

Duke Frederick has in the meantime learned about the escape of Celia and Rosalind. He learns
that the two women were obsessed by Orlando and concludes that they must have run off with
Orlando. Frederick makes Oliver show up at court and demands to know what happened to
Orlando. Oliver cannot tell him since Orlando has run away, but Duke Frederick orders Oliver to
find his brother and confiscates all of Oliver's land until he does so. Oliver dejectedly prepares to
go into the forest in search of Orlando.

Having joined the Duke's men, Orlando now spends his time writing poetry to Rosalind. He
carves her name into all the trees and hangs his poems on the tree branches. She comes across
the writing and reads some it. Touchstone also has found the poems and he mocks the poor style
in which they are written. Rosalind is embarrassed by the fact that her name is appearing
wherever she looks and asks Celia if she knows who is doing this. Celia tells Rosalind that it is
Orlando.

At that moment Jaques and Orlando enter, forcing Rosalind and Celia to hide. Jaques urges the
younger man to stop putting his poems on all the trees. Rosalind, excited by seeing Orlando
again, emerges (still pretending to be Ganymede) and greets him. Rosalind informs Orlando that
she can cure him of his love. He does not want to be cured, but agrees to try out her remedy. She
makes Orlando pretend that she is Rosalind so he may woo her. The joke of course is that she
really is Rosalind disguised as Ganymede.

Touchstone has meanwhile fallen in love with a goatherd namedAudrey. She and he are about

to be married in the forest when Jaques appears. He tells Touchstone to wait a while and tries to
convince the court fool not to marry.
Rosalind and Celia go to a spot where Orlando agreed to meet them the last time they spoke with
him. Corin arrives first and tells Rosalind that there are two lovers she should see. She goes with

him and watches asSilvius tries to woo Phoebe, a young shepherdess who scorns his love.

Rosalind gets fed up with watching them and emerges from her hiding spot. She tells Phoebe that
she should be begging a man as kind as Silvius to marry her, "you are not for all markets"
(3.5.61). Phoebe immediately falls in love with Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise) in spite of the
harsh words that Rosalind is saying to her. After Rosalind leaves, Phoebe and Silvius both suffer
from being in love with someone who scorns their love. Phoebe then convinces Silvius to write a
poem with her so she can send it to Ganymede.
Rosalind and Celia return to their spot to wait for Orlando who arrives nearly an hour late.
Rosalind chides him for his tardiness, accusing him of not really loving her. He now pretends
that Ganymede is Rosalind and starts to woo her. Rosalind plays with him a little and tries to
teach him the proper way to win her heart. She further tries to make Orlando realize that she is
not perfect and will have some flaws when he meets her. They agree to meet again later that day.
Celia accuses Rosalind of misusing her sex by playing with Orlando the way she just did.

Rosalind and Celia return to the same spot and wait for Orlando again. He is late for a second
time and Silvius arrives first. He presents Ganymede (Rosalind) with a poem from Phoebe,
claiming he never helped her write it. Rosalind does not believe him but opens the letter and
reads it. Silvius is crushed when he realizes that Phoebe tricked him into delivering a love letter
rather than a letter expressing anger at the way Ganymede spoke to her.

Silvius leaves and Oliver arrives with a bloody handkerchief. Oliver first ascertains that Celia
and Rosalind are the two people he was sent to find. He then tells them that Orlando has sent the
bloody handkerchief along with an excuse for being late.

Oliver tells them that Orlando came across him sleeping under a tree. A snake was curled around
Oliver's neck and about to enter his mouth when Orlando scared it off. Next a large lioness
emerged and was about to attack Oliver when Orlando started to fight with it. Orlando killed the
lion but was wounded in the process. Oliver, realizing his younger brother saved his life,
immediately recanted his hatred and they were reunited as friends. Oliver hands Rosalind the
handkerchief as a sign that Orlando was wounded in the arm and therefore could not come
himself.

Rosalind faints after hearing the story and Oliver has to revive her. He is skeptical when she
pretends that the faint was only pretend, but agrees to tells Orlando that it was.

Touchstone and Audrey are still together, wandering around the forest hoping to get married
soon. A young man who love Audrey arrives and is greeted by Touchstone. After exchanging a
few pleasant words, Touchstone tells the man to go away and leave Audrey alone. He threatens
to kill the man if he should return.

Rosalind meets with Orlando, Silvius, and Phoebe. Phoebe is now in love with Ganymede,
Silvius in love with Phoebe, and Orlando in love with Rosalind who is pretending to be

Ganymede. Rosalind finally finds a way out of the entire crisis and orders them to all meet her
the next day. She promises Orlando that he will marry Rosalind and Silvius that he will marry
Phoebe. Rosalind promises Phoebe that she will marry her if Phoebe still wants her at the time of
the marriage ceremony the next day. Otherwise, Phoebe must marry Silvius.

Everyone gathers the next day including Duke Senior and his men. Rosalind arrives and makes
all of the lover's reaffirm their promises and vows. She and Celia then leave and change back
into women. Rosalind reemerges as Rosalind and Celia as Celia. Orlando is overjoyed but
Phoebe realizes that she must now marry Silvius. Meanwhile, Celia and Oliver have fallen in
love and plan to get married as well. Lastly, Touchstone and Audrey arrive.

Hymen, the god of marriage, performs all four ceremonies. Jaques, the melancholy character,

comments that it is like watching the couples be led into Noah's ark two-by-two. In the last
moments of the play the brother to both Orlando and Oliver arrives. He informs them all that
Duke Frederick met a holy man and converted to a religious life. In the process Duke Frederick
returned the duchy to his brother Duke Senior and abdicated his position. This happy ending
means that Orlando is the heir to the duchy, Oliver retains his estate, and Duke Senior returns to
his former position. Rosalind ends the play by asking the audience to favor the actors with
applause.

Doctor Faustus

By

Christopher Marlowe

Doctor Faustus (Marlowe) Summary

Doctor Faustus, a talented German scholar at Wittenburg, rails against the limits of human

knowledge. He has learned everything he can learn, or so he thinks, from the conventional
academic disciplines. All of these things have left him unsatisfied, so now he turns to magic. A
Good Angle and an Evil Angel arrive, representing Faustus' choice between Christian conscience
and the path to damnation. The former advises him to leave off this pursuit of magic, and the

latter tempts him. From two fellow scholars, Valdes and Cornelius, Faustus learns the

fundamentals of the black arts. He thrills at the power he will have, and the great feats he'll

perform. He summons the devil Mephostophilis. They flesh out the terms of their agreement,

with Mephostophilis representing Lucifer. Faustus will sell his soul, in exchange for twenty-

four years of power, with Mephostophilis as servant to his every whim.

In a comic relief scene, we learn that Faustus' servant Wagner has gleaned some magic

learning. He uses it to convince Robin the Clown to be his servant.
Before the time comes to sign the contract, Faustus has misgivings, but he puts them aside.
Mephostophilis returns, and Faustus signs away his soul, writing with his own blood. The words
"Homo fuge" ("Fly, man) appear on his arm, and Faustus is seized by fear. Mephostophilis
distracts him with a dance of devils. Faustus requests a wife, a demand Mephostophilis denies,
but he does give Faustus books full of knowledge.

Some time has passed. Faustus curses Mephostophilis for depriving him of heaven, although he
has seen many wonders. He manages to torment Mephostophilis, he can't stomach mention of

God, and the devil flees. The Good Angel and Evil Angel arrive again. The Good Angel
tells him to repent, and the Evil Angel tells him to stick to his wicked ways. Lucifer, Belzebub,

and Mephostophilis return, to intimidate Faustus. He is cowed by them, and agrees to speak and
think no more of God. They delight him with a pageant of the Seven Deadly Sins, and then
Lucifer promises to show Faustus hell. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has gotten one of Faustus'
magic books.
Faustus has explored the heavens and the earth from a chariot drawn by dragons, and is now
flying to Rome, where the feast honoring St. Peter is about to be celebrated. Mephostophilis and
Faustus wait for the Pope, depicted as an arrogant, decidedly unholy man. They play a series of
tricks, by using magic to disguise themselves and make themselves invisible, before leaving.

The Chorus returns to tell us that Faustus returns home, where his vast knowledge of astronomy
and his abilities earn him wide renown. Meanwhile, Robin the Clown has also learned magic,

and uses it to impress his friend Rafe and summon Mephostophilis, who doesn't seem too happy

to be called.

At the court of Charles V, Faustus performs illusions that delight the Emperor. He also
humiliates a knight named Benvolio. When Benvolio and his friends try to avenge the

humiliation, Faustus has his devils hurt them and cruelly transform them, so that horns grow on
their heads.
Faustus swindles a Horse-courser, and when the Horse-courser returns, Faustus plays a

frightening trick on him. Faustus then goes off to serve the Duke of Vanholt. Robin the
Clown, his friend Dick, the Horse-courser, and a Carter all meet. They all have been swindled

or hurt by Faustus' magic. They go off to the court of the Duke to settle scores with Faustus.
Faustus entertains the Duke and Duchess with petty illusions, before Robin the Clown and his
band of ruffians arrives. Faustus toys with them, besting them with magic, to the delight of the
Duke and Duchess.

Faustus' twenty-four years are running out. Wagner tells the audience that he thinks Faustus
prepares for death. He has made his will, leaving all to Wagner. But even as death approaches,
Faustus spends his days feasting and drinking with the other students. For the delight of his
fellow scholars, Faustus summons a spirit to take the shape of Helen of Troy. Later, an Old Man
enters, warning Faustus to repent. Faustus opts for pleasure instead, and asks Mephostophilis to

bring Helen of Troy to him, to be his love and comfort during these last days. Mephostophilis
readily agrees.

Later, Faustus tells his scholar friends that he is damned, and that his power came at the price of
his soul. Concerned, the Scholars exit, leaving Faustus to meet his fate.

As the hour approaches, Mephostophilis taunts Faustus. Faustus blames Mephostophilis for his
damnation, and the devil proudly takes credit for it. The Good and Evil Angel arrive, and the
Good Angel abandons Faustus. The gates of Hell open. The Evil Angel taunts Faustus, naming
the horrible tortures seen there.

The Clock strikes eleven. Faustus gives a final, frenzied monologue, regretting his choices. At
midnight the devils enter. As Faustus begs God and the devil for mercy, the devils drag him
away. Later, the Scholar friends find Faustus' body, torn to pieces.

Epilogue. The Chorus emphasizes that Faustus is gone, his once-great potential wasted. The
Chorus warns the audience to remember his fall, and the lessons it offers.

The Duchess of Malfi

by

John Webster

The Duchess of Malfi Summary

The Duchess of Malfi takes place in Italy, mostly at the Duchess’s palace in Malfi, in the
sixteenth century. The Duchess is a young widow whose two brothers, Ferdinand and the
Cardinal, are visiting her from Rome at the play’s start. Antonio, the manager of her

household, has just returned from France. Before leaving the Duchess, Ferdinand

engages Bosola, previously used by the Cardinal as a hit man, to ostensibly manage the

Duchess’s horses, but in reality to spy on her for the brothers so they can be sure she remains
chaste and does not remarry. Bosola is reluctant, but eventually agrees.
Before they return to Rome, Ferdinand and the Cardinal lecture the Duchess about the
impropriety of remarriage. She insists that she has no plans for remarriage, and shows some
irritation at their attempts to control her. However, as soon as they leave, she sets in motion a

plan to propose to Antonio with the help of her maid, Cariola. Antonio and the Duchess marry,

and the Duchess reassures Antonio that they will find a way to appease her brothers.

Act Two is set about nine months later. The Duchess is pregnant and Bosola, suspecting her
condition, hatches a plan to prove it to himself by giving her apricots, thought to induce labor.
She accepts them, and immediately becomes ill, rushing off to her bedroom. Antonio

and Deliodiscuss how to keep her labor secret.

Bosola now assumes his belief is correct, but finds further definitive proof through a horoscope
Antonio wrote for the infant. With the information confirmed, Bosola he writes a letter to the
Duchess’s brothers to tell them the news. The brothers are both incensed, but the Cardinal
maintains a cool calm, whereas Ferdinand grows erratically angry. Neither of them realizes that
she is married, and hence assume the baby is a bastard. Ferdinand says he won’t take any action
until he knows who the baby’s father is.

Act Three begins about two years later, with Delio’s return to the Duchess’s palace. Antonio and
the Duchess have had two more children in the meantime. Ferdinand has recently arrived, and
both Antonio and Delio suspect that he knows about the Duchess’s children. Ferdinand surprises
the Duchess in her bedroom, and when she tells him that she is married, he tells her she should
never reveal to him the name of her lover lest terrible violence then be unleashed on all of them.
He further banishes her forever from his sight.

The Duchess, who wishes to protect Antonio by removing him from Malfi, falsely claims he has
stolen from her and hence has him banished to Ancona. Once he has left, Bosola defends his
virtue to the Duchess so emphatically that she admits the secret of their marriage. Bosola
pretends to support her, and she sends him after Antonio with money and news that she will soon
follow him. In Ancona a few days later, the Cardinal catches up to them and banishes the
Duchess and her family from there.

On their way out of town, Bosola brings her an ostensibly forgiving but actually threatening
letter from Ferdinand, and so the Duchess, fearing an ambush, tells Antonio to separate from her
with their oldest son. Immediately after they part, Bosola and a group of soldiers take the
Duchess and her two remaining children captive and bring them back to her palace.

In Act Four, Bosola tells Ferdinand that the Duchess is bearing her imprisonment nobly, which
angers him. In an effort to make her insane with despair, he presents her with wax corpses of her
family to convince her they have died. Though Bosola pleas with Ferdinand to cease his torture,
he won’t listen, and instead sends a group of madmen to torment her. Bosola returns, disguised
as a tomb-maker, and prepares the Duchess for her impending death. Executioners follow with a
cord to strangle her, but the Duchess remains steadfastly calm and courageous, at peace with the
idea of rejoining her family, who she still believes are dead. They strangle her.

Bosola next orders her children and Cariola killed. Cariola pleads for her life, to no avail. When
Ferdinand confronts the Duchess’s body, he is suddenly overtaken with remorse and angry at
Bosola for following his orders. He not only betrays Bosola by refusing the latter a promised
reward, but also shows signs of insanity before he exits. The Duchess shows a final sign of life,
and before she truly dies, Bosola tells her that Antonio is still alive. Bosola shows genuine
sadness when she dies.

In Act Five, Antonio, ignorant of his wife and children’s deaths, plans to beg the Cardinal that
night for a reconciliation. Ferdinand has now completely lost his mind and is afflicted with
lycanthropia, or the belief that he is a wolf.

Bosola arrives and the Cardinal pretends that he has no idea about the Duchess's death. He offers
Bosola a great reward for the murder of Antonio, an offer Bosola accepts even though he is

plotting revenge.Julia, the Cardinal’s mistress, approaches Bosola, declaring her love for him,

and Bosola uses her to get the Cardinal to admit his involvement in the Duchess's murder.
After the Cardinal kills Julia, Bosola reveals he has overheard the secret and demands his reward

killing the Duchess. The Cardinal, once again, promises it will come after he has killed

Antonio and helped him get rid of Julia’s body. Bosola pretends to agree, but tells the audience
that he will find Antonio to either protect him or help him get his vengeance against the Cardinal
and Ferdinand.
The Cardinal tells his courtiers to stay away no matter what they hear from him or Ferdinand,
ostensibly because Ferdinand’s madness gets worse when people are around, but actually
because he wants privacy with which to dispose of Julia’s body. Bosola, waiting outside the
Cardinal’s room, accidentally kills Antonio, who has come to see the Cardinal. Distraught, he
goes into the Cardinal’s room and attacks him.

Because of the Cardinal’s warning, his courtiers at first ignore his cries for help. Ferdinand joins
the fray and stabs both the Cardinal and Bosola. Bosola kills Ferdinand. The courtiers finally
enter in time to see the Cardinal and Bosola die, but not before the latter has confessed the
particulars of the situation. Delio enters with Antonio and the Duchess’s oldest son, who is the
sole survivor of the family. Delio and the courtiers promise to raise the boy as a legacy to his
parents, which gives the play a final glimmer of hope.

The Spanish Tragedy

by

Thomas Kyd

The Spanish Tragedy Summary

In the introduction to the play, the Ghost of the Spanish courtier Don Andrea explains its history.
After Andrea was slain in a battle against Portugal, his Ghost made its way through the

underworld, only to find itself sent back to earth. The character Revenge, his guide, tells him
that he has been sent back to witness his former lover Bellimperia killBalthazar, the "author

of [his] death." The Ghost and Revenge sit down to watch the spectacle unfold.

In the opening act, the Spanish forces return from their victory over Portugal. The General gives
an account of the battle to the King, explaining that they have reached a state of "peace
conditional" and that they have captured the Portuguese prince Balthazar. The Duke of Castile's

son Lorenzo and the Marshall Hieronimo's son Horatio, however, dispute their respective

roles in capturing the Portuguese prince. The King rewards them both. Meanwhile, in Portugal,

the Viceroy laments his son's death. The loyal Alexandro tells him that his son is in fact still
alive. Another nobleman, Villuppo, however, declares that he saw Alexandro shoot Balthazar

in the back. Alexandro is immediately imprisoned.
In Spain, Horatio recounts the battle to Bellimperia, Lorenzo's sister and Andrea's former lover.
The two begin to fall in love. In the same scene, Balthazar also expresses his love for
Bellimperia. The Portuguese ambassador arrives, and Hieronimo stages a masque for him and
the King. The act closes with Revenge foreboding a general demise.

In the second act, the King of Spain attempts to arrange a marriage between Bellimperia and

Balthazar. Bellimperia, however, is in love with Horatio. As the two make their way to a

secluded bower, the servantPedringano betrays them to Lorenzo and Balthazar. Horatio is

hung from an arbor and stabbed to death. Hieronimo enters to find his son's body and vows
revenge. The Ghost expresses dismay at the turn of events, but Revenge advises him to be
patient.
The Viceroy discovers the truth about his son in the third act. He immediately sets Alexandro
free and condemns Villuppo to a painful death. In Spain, Bellimperia is held captive, but
manages to send Hieronimo a letter in which she reveals the identity of Horatio's killers.
Lorenzo, on the other hand, attempts to purge all evidence of the murder. He makes Pedringano
shoot Serberine (Balthazar's servant who was present at the murder scene), and then plots
successfully to have Pedringano himself hanged. Pedringano's last (undelivered) letter to
Lorenzo, however, falls into Hieronimo's hands. Hieronimo thus confirms Bellimperia's
accusations and resolves to demand justice before the King. At home, his wife Isabelle "runs
lunatic."

Like his wife, Hieronimo shows distinct signs of madness. He contemplates suicide, but again
vows to first exact revenge for Horatio's death. The Portuguese ambassador, meanwhile, arrives
with good news: the Viceroy has consented to the marriage between Balthazar and Bellimperia
(whom Lorenzo has just released from captivity). Hieronimo calls for justice before the King, but
undermines himself by falling into a frenzy. Later, several citizens come to petition Hieronimo,
but once again Hieronimo is carried away in an ecstatic fit.

The Viceroy himself arrives at the end of the act. While the nuptial celebrations are prepared, the
Duke confronts Lorenzo and Hieronimo about the negative rumors surrounding the two.
Hieronimo denies any wrongdoing on Lorenzo's part, and Bellimperia seems to have reconciled
with Balthazar. The Ghost is alarmed at such an unexpected turn of events, but Revenge once
again reassures him that all is well (or, for the characters in the tragedy, quite amiss).

In the final act, Bellimperia and Hieronimo work together to exact their revenge on Lorenzo and
Balthazar. Hieronimo wrote a tragedy in his youth, which the two young men now act out for the

royal audience. Back in the arbor where Horatio was murdered, Isabella commits suicide. As

for Hieronimo's play, the plot is executed smoothly, and Lorenzo and Balthazar are killed on
stage. Bellimperia, too, commits suicide. The King, the Viceroy, and the Duke are all horrified
when they discover that the play seemed to merely be a simulation. They demand to know
Hieronimo's motives, but the latter bites off his tongue, stabs the Duke, and finally commits
suicide.

Volpone

by

Ben Jonson

Volpone Summary

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. At

the opening of the play, Volpone delivers a soliloquy in which he literally worships his gold

while his servant Mosca, often called his Parasite, flits around and periodically interrupts him
with flattery. Nano, Castrone, and Androgyno- Volpone's buffoons - enter and perform a

skit which gives a sarcastic account of the transmigration of Pythagoras's soul. The entrance of
Voltore, a lawyer, dispatches the buffoons. Voltore brings an antique plate and is told he will be
Volpone's sole heir. Corbaccio and Corvino enter in succession, bringing a bag of gold coins and
a pearl, respectively, and are also told that they will be heir to Volpone's fortune. Mosca is
responsible for their deception, including Corbaccio's false belief that disinheriting his

son Bonario will eventually pay dividends. Lady Would-be also comes to the door but is told
to return later. Mosca describes the beauty of Corvino's wife Celia to Volpone, who decides he

must see her for himself. They agree to go to her house in disguise.

Fellow Englishmen Sir Politic Would-be and Peregrine are seen in the public square

outside Corvino's house at the opening of Act Two. They discuss a series of rumors involving
animals which Sir Politic interprets as bad omens for the English state. Mosca and Nano interrupt
their discussion as they enter to set up a stage. Volpone, disguised as a mountebank, takes the
stage and delivers a sales pitch for an elixir. When he asks for a handkerchief from the audience,
Celia throws hers down to him. Corvino enters and furiously disperses the crowd.
Back at his house, Volpone swoons for Celia. He gives Mosca permission to use his fortune in
whatever way is necessary to woo Celia. At Corvino's house, Corvino sharply reprimands Celia
for showing favor to a mountebank. He brandishes his sword and threatens her with physical
violence before Mosca knocks on the door. Mosca tells Corvino that Volpone is on the mend but

is in need of a female companion to maintain his health. After due consideration, Corvino offers
Celia and goes to tell her to prepare for a feast at Volpone's house.

Act Three begins in the street with a soliloquy from Mosca regarding the supposed superiority of
natural-born parasites compared to learned parasites. Bonario enters and scorns Mosca, who
breaks down crying. Mosca then tells Bonario that Corbaccio plans to disinherit Bonario. Mosca
offers to bring Bonario hear it for himself. Back at Volpone's house, the entertainment provided
by Nano, Castrone, and Androgyno is interrupted by the entrance of Lady Would-be, who talks
Volpone's ear off and brings him a cap she made herself. Mosca enters and dispatches with her
by telling her he saw her husband Sir Politic on a gondola with another woman. Mosca hides
Bonario so that he may witness the conversation with Corbaccio. However, Corvino and Celia
arrive early and Mosca is forced to move Bonario to the gallery. After considerable deliberation,
Celia is forced to be alone with Volpone, who reveals to her that he is not actually sick. Volpone
offers her his fortune, but she declines. Just as he begins to force himself on her, Bonario leaps
out and rescues Celia, exiting through the window. Mosca, who has been wounded by Bonario,
enters and attends to Volpone. Mosca then convinces Corbaccio and Voltore to go after Bonario.

At the opening of Act Four, Sir Politic and Peregrine discuss the ways of a gentleman. Sir Politic
details his get-rich-quick schemes, one of which involves selling the Venetian state to the Turks.
Lady Would-be enters and accuses Peregrine of being a woman who is seducing her husband.
Mosca enters and convinces Lady Would-be that her husband's seducer is actually Celia. Though
Lady Would-be apologizes to him, Peregrine vows revenge on Sir Politic for his humiliation.

At the Scrutineo, Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino, and Mosca get their story straight. Though they
side with Bonario and Celia at the opening of the case, the Avocatori eventually align

themselves with Voltore, who argues that Bonario committed adultery with Celia and attempted
to kill his father. Lady Would-be testifies that Celia seduced her husband. Bonario and Celia
have no witnesses of their own, so they lose the case.
Volpone's soliloquy at the beginning of Act Five foreshadows his punishment at the end of Act
Five. He complains that, during the court case, he began to feel the pains which he has been
faking for so long. He downs a glass of wine to "shake it off" (5.1.8) and Mosca enters to
celebrate their unsurpassable masterpiece. Mosca goads Volpone to begin cozening his "clients,"
so Volpone writes a will naming Mosca as heir and spreads the word that he is dead. When
Volpone's "clients" enter and discover that they have been duped, Mosca berates them one by
one as Volpone looks on from behind the curtain. Volpone and Mosca decide to disguise
themselves and continue tormenting the "clients" in the street.

At Sir Politic's house, Peregrine plays a practical joke on Sir Politic. Pretending to be a
messenger, Peregrine tells Sir Politic that he has been reported for his plan to sell Venice to the
Turks. Sir Politic panics, instructs his servants to burn his notes, and hides under a large tortoise
shell just as three merchants, dressed as statesman, enter the house. Once the merchants discover
Sir Politic under the shell, Peregrine tells him they are even and leaves. Sir Politic decides to
leave Venice forever since his reputation has been so damaged.

In the street, Volpone, disguised as a commendatore, torments Corbaccio, Corvino, and

Voltore by pretending he has heard news that they inherited a fortune. Voltore cracks and goes to