A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE DRAMA OF BEN JONSON

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Synopsis

Lovewits, like many wealthy Londoners flees the city of London in order to avoid being destroyed by the plague ravaging the place, leaving his house to his butler, Jeremy. Jeremy who now assumes the name, Face, enlists two other dubious lower class citizens like him and turns the house into a beehive of knavery where greedy and lustful fellows of both secular and religious realms are dispossessed of their money and goods. Dol Common, a prostitute is used to drain the pockets of men who have an uncontrollable appetite for sexual gratification.

While Subtle, whom the con-artists assigned the title of doctor of alchemy, uses the mountebank reputation and mystic pretensions of the subject to water the addictions of affectations of the people. This is in order to keep them longing all the more and to cause them to surrender their money and goods without contemplation. Face’s job is to scout for customer whom he convinces that Doctor Subtle, can through projections, give them elixir of youth, and cause them to see the Queen of fairy and to acquire the philosopher’s stone that can enable them to do anything their mind can conceive. Above all, he can turn base metals into gold and has the perfect ability for match-making.

Their first customer is Dapper, a lawyer’s clerk. Subtle tells him that he will be given “a familiar” that will enable him as a gambler to “win up all the money in the town” and “blow up gamester after gamester”. He is told that “He is of the only complexion, the queen of Fairy loves”. This makes Dapper to conclude to abandon the law and to be prepared to give all his money and material things to see the Queen of Fairy. The second customer and victim is a tobacco dealer named Drugger. He is told by the doctor of alchemy that an incredible fortune is looking for him and that he will be a wonderful distiller. He is asked to pay and to rejoice in doing so because he is born on Wednesday of which Mercury is the Lord of the holescope. Subtle says that all these are revealed to him by a “metoscopy”, “A certain star in the forehead you see not” (Act I Scene I).

The third victim is Sir Epicure Mammon, a wealthy man. He needs an elixir of youth and the philosopher’s stone that will enable him change ages of people, cure all manner of plagues and turn base metals into gold and:

To have a list of wives and concubines

Equal with Solomon, who had the stone

Alike with me; I will make me a back

With elixir, that shall be as tough

As Hercules, to encounter fifty a night

(Act the Second Scene I)

Mammon wants also to “buy divine flatterers” and to make all his “cooks, knights”. In fact, “be rich” is what he needs to say to his loved ones to make them wealthy. Mammon tries to persuade the skeptical Subtle who accompanies him to believe that the book of alchemy is an ancient book packaged by Adam, Moses and his sister as well as Solomon.

The fourth client comes from the religious world, the holy brethren of Amsterdam, the exiled saints who need the stone to increase their number and perform great feats. Their representative is Ananias. Ananias’s appearance indicates that the saints have already paid a lot of money and this very coming is to tell Subtle the decision of the saints not to give any other money until they “see projections”. However, when Subtle, on enquiry, discovers that the name of the saints’ representative is Ananias, he uses his biblical knowledge to push him away and to cause the saints’ to make a repeat visit with Ananias being accompanied by a more elderly person. In chasing Ananias away, Subtle utters:

Out the varlet

That coxezened the apostle! Hence away!

Fie mischief! Had your holly consistory

No name to send me, of another soul

Than wicked Ananias?

In Act three, Ananias returns now accompanied by Tribulation. The discussion of the two indicates that both are skeptical about Subtle’s claim and art. Ananias sees Subtle as bearing “visible mark of the beast in his forehead”. He also perceives his art as heathenism and work of darkness used to blindfold men. Although Tribulation regards Subtle as “profane person indeed”, he sees their cause as overriding everything and, therefore, advises that they must “hasten on the work” in order to restore “the silenced Saints,… “which ne’’er will be but by the philosopher’s stone” (Act the Three Scene I).

To get the two men in tune and to overpower Ananias’s skepticism, Subtle tells them that the stone will be ready in 15 days but he need more load of coal to get their fire to the level of “ignis ardens”. But should their purse run dry, he has the trick to melt pewter into Dutch dollars. This idea is attractive to Ananias but Subtle tells them to go and ascertain from the saints whether such idea is lawful and acceptable.

When Ananias and Tribulation depart, Face and Dol Common who play the Lady rejoice for manipulating people and duping them in their ‘safe’ discipline. Dapper comes and undergoes humiliating rituals, including being pinched many times until he gives everything on him away.

Mammon is made to see Dol Common who pretends to be a graceful lady, which he had been dying to see. He gives Face money for bringing the woman, and tells the woman that beholding her makes him the “happiest man in Eunpe”. However, when Dol finishes dealing with him, she feigns mad to prevent him from having carnal knowledge of her.

Kastril comes to be taught how to quarrel and learn wit along with his widowed sister seeking for match – making. The woman is promised to be made a spinard countess but she will prefer to be one of English. She is persuaded to accept their wish but the truth is that Face and Subtle quarrel over who will possess her.

Act Four, Scene IV marks the turning point of the play. Surly pretends to be a Spanish rich man desiring a woman. After abusing Surly in English which they feel he does not understand, Subtle and Face give Dame Pliant away to him. Not willing to join this act of folly, Surly reveals his true identity to Dame Pliant whom he has not slept with and now requests her to marry him. Pliant accepts the request and the two come out for Surly to unmark the knaves.

However, as Subtle comes to do his normal business but is bluffed and struck down by Surly, Face slips out and then comes in with Kastril whom he requests to quarrel Surly out of the house. As Kastril is doing so, Drugger enters and joins the quarrel on the side of the con-men, claiming that Surly is indebted to him. In a moment, Ananias joins, calling Surly an antichrist and “child of perdition”. In fact, Face told them that Surly is employed by another conjurer who does not like the doctor. Surly leaves when no one is willing to hear him, regarding all of them as insane.

When the dust calms down, Drugger presents the damask which he is requested to bring, Ananias tells Subtle that the saints agreed “that casting of money is most lawful” (Act four, Scene IV). Ananias is asked to go and tell the brethren to pray and fast for a “fitter place” to do the casting. He agrees and says as he leaves, “the peace of mind/rest with these walls”. As Face and Subtle talk about what has happened and haggle over who will take Dane Pliant, Dol comes to announce the arrival of Lovewits, the owner of the house.

In Act five, Lovewits discusses with neighbours who tell him all they observe taking place in his house during his absence. Face takes the chance afforded him by the discussion to change into Jeremy and arrange for the escape of his colleagues. He is confronted by his master with information given to him by his neighbours. He puts up smart defence. His appearance as Jeremy confounds their neighbours who now make contradictory statements.

As Lovewits contemplates what to believe, Surly and Mammon come to look for the gang and as they are talking with the bewildered Lovewits, Kastril enters, followed by Ananias and Tribulation, Surly has revealed the truth to them and all come fuming, gearing up to deal with Subtle and Face. Neighbhours identify them as some of the people that visit the house. In the heat of all this Dapper who has been gagged cries out inside the house. Face asks for forgiveness, promising to give his master a rich widow of which he will be thankful. He tells that putting on a Spanish cloak is the only required magic to achieve this.

Having settled with his master, Face sets Subtle and Dol Common on their feet by telling them that his master is already aware of their business and that officers, are underway to arrest them. The two con-artists run away empty-handed; while Lovewits uses superior logic to ensure that all the other victims forfeit their money and goods.

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