Volpone

By: Jonson, Ben

Volpone by Ben Jonson " He tells us that he took no degree, but was later "Master of Arts in both the universities, by their favour, not his study." When a mere youth Jonson enlisted as a soldier, trailing his pike in Flanders in the protracted wars of William the Silent against the Spanish. Jonson was a large and raw-boned lad; he became by his own account in time exceedingly bulky. In chat with his friend William Drummond of Hawthornden, Jonson told how "in his service in the Low Countries he had, in the face of both the camps, killed an enemy, and taken opima spolia from him;" and how "since his coming to England, being appealed to the fields, he had killed his adversary which had hurt him in the arm and whose sword was ten inches longer than his." Jonson's reach may have made up for the lack of his sword; certainly his prowess lost nothing in the telling. Obviously Jonson was brave, combative, and not averse to talking of himself and his doings.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1727061039
• ISBN13: 9781727061031
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Each version and edition reveal new facets.

I came upon this play and Ben Jonson by the back door. I was watching a movie titled "The Honey Pot" (1967) with Rex Harrison. His character, Cecil Fox, after observing this play, Volpone, which was first performed in 1606 at the Globe Theatre in London. used the outline for his purposes. So naturally, I must read the play to see what the movie is mimicking. I have several copies of "Volpone" (the fox) to compare information on Ben. This is a review of the "New Mermaids Series." I have several of their series. They give you all the background information and any annotations needed. They make the information interesting enough that you feel that Ben Jonson is in the room with you. I am sure some people would not want to be in the same room. I was surprised to find that William Shakespeare acted in some of Ben's plays. The play is well-written and has many levels to it. If it did not have so many footnotes, I would be in trouble. It reads like an English play, yet has parts that would make Stephen King blush. Any version is better than none.