Censuring Indulgence: Volpone's "Use of Riches" and the Problem of Luxury1

There is no argument that Ben Jonson's Volpone satirizes the blind greed of suitors competing to become heir to the apparently declining and soon-to-die Volpone, reflecting in the process on the impact of contemporary greed on society's systems of justice and social bonds. Yet, Volpone is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:A.U.M.L.A. 2008-11, Vol.2008 (110), p.1-15
Main Author: Scott, Alison V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Content analysis
English literature
Jonson, Ben (1573-1637)
Literary criticism
Social criticism & satire
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:There is no argument that Ben Jonson's Volpone satirizes the blind greed of suitors competing to become heir to the apparently declining and soon-to-die Volpone, reflecting in the process on the impact of contemporary greed on society's systems of justice and social bonds. Yet, Volpone is not merely a miser, and to label him simply avaricious is to overlook interesting complexities of his characterization. He is also luxurious, and his characterization provides a satire not merely on avarice but also on possessive desire and self-indulgence. To this end, Scott suggests that Jonson in his characterization of Volpone examines how, in the socio-economic climate of early modern England, the sin of avarice was giving way to the practice of luxury.
ISSN:0001-2793
2051-2856
2051-2864
DOI:10.1179/000127908805259734