00513-- VOLPONE (1606) /PLAY/by BEN JONSON

1.      VOLPONE (1606) /PLAY/by BEN JONSON

Ben Jonson did not possess Marlowe’s poetic power, but his career on the whole was more productive and better rounded.  One of the best of his plays is Volpone.  It is a harsh and scathing exposure of human greed in terms which are at the same time horrifying for their baseness and yet mockingly humorous.  The rich and avaricious Volpone, aided by his wily servant, Mosca (The Fly), pretends that he is dying.   He tricks his equally greedy friends into giving him costly gifts of gold and jewels, leading each one to believe that he has a chance of becoming heir to Volpone’s great wealth. 

When the friends have been bled, one of them having disinherited his son in Volpone’s favour, another having offered him his wife, Volpone spreads the rumour that he has died, and confounds the hopefuls/candidates by a will making Mosca his heir.  Mosca, seizing the upper hand, tries to keep Volpone legally dead, but succeeds only in bringing the house of cards down upon the heads of the whole unsavoury crew. 

Volpone is an impressive play, similar in quality and texture to the almost forgotten plays of Machiavelli.  In 1928 the Theatre Guild produced it in an adaption for the modern stage by Stefan Zweig, and it has since been made into a French film. 

00510--Song to Celia/lyric/Ben Jonson

S           Song to Celia/lyric/Ben Jonson

  Song to Celia is from Ben Jonson’s The Forest.  John F.M.Dovaston was the first to point out in 1815 that song to Celia was constructed from passages in the prose epistles of Philostratus.  Ben Jonson is indebted to him for the bantering tone and the ingenious conceit.  But he has so skilfully transformed the borrowing that the poem appear original and, to use the words of George Parfit, thoroughly English in Diction, syntax and rhythm.  W.M.Evans observes that the happy marriage of words and music is responsible for its excellence.

The first eight lines express how the poet esteems the kiss of Celia superior to wine and Jove’s nectar.  The next eight lines suggest that she can influence and improve upon Nature; for she makes the garland fresh and lends her fragrance to it, which is more pleasant and lasting than its own sweet smell.  This conceit smacks of the metaphysical concept of unified sensibility.  The poem, thus extols the unique and and almost divine trait of Celia.

The poem may be divided into two eight-lined stanzas with the rhyme scheme abcb abcb, each line consisting of eight syllables.  It is marked by classical poise, elegance, subdued emotion and an urban tone.

00029—Analyse Ben Jonson’s observations on style. [To read the best authors/Observe the best speakers/Much exercise of one’s own style.]

      Ben Jonson              

Language and thought, according to Ben Jonson, are inseparable entities.  Language without thought is lame, and thought without language is dumb.  Language owes its life to thought.  It’s also an index of character: it ‘most shows the man.’   Style is the choice and arrangement of words to express one’s thoughts most effectively.  Ben Jonson recommends three steps to develop an effective style:

a)     To read the best authors,

b)    Observe the best speakers, and,

c)     Much exercise of one’s own style.

One should remember that the first word that comes to one’s mind is not always the best word for his purpose, nor is the first construction of the sentence or paragraph.  They must be revised and reconstructed repeatedly to arrive at the best. “So did the best writers in their beginnings; they imposed upon themselves care and industry.  They did nothing rashly.  They obtained first to write well, and then custom made it easy, and a habit.  So the sun of all is: ready writing makes not a good writing: but good writing brings on ready writing.”

Ben Jonson says that it is fit for the beginner and learner to study others and ‘the best.’  For the mind and memory are more sharply exercised in comprehending another man’s things than our own.  This is applicable to observing and learning from the best authors and best speakers.  Ben Jonson’s concept of style may be summed up in his own words thus: “Choiceness of phrase, round and clean composition of sentence, sweet falling of the clause varying an illustration by tropes and figures, weight of matter, worth of subject, soundness of argument, life of invention and design of judgement.”

Ben Jonson's concepts of good style are: 

1.choiceness of phrase,

2.round and clean composition of sentence, 

3.sweet falling of the clause,

4.varying in illustration by tropes and figures,

5.weight of matter,

6.worth of subject,

7.soundness of argument,

8.life of invention, and, 

9.depth of judgement. 

  

***********************************************

00028--Discuss Ben Jonson’s attitude towards the classical theories and principles of literature.

Ben Jonson was the first classical critic of England.  He held the ancient classical theories and principles of literature as laid down by Plato, Aristotle and Horace in high esteem.  He equally loved, admired and adored the ancient Greek and Latin poets.  They were the models fit to be followed and imitated by the moderns. 

The classical models were: Homer and Virgil for epics, Virgil also for pastorals, Seneca for tragedy, Plautus and Terence for comedy, and Juvenal for Satire.  Euripides, Sophocles and Aeschylus were model dramatists before Shakespeare.  However, with all his respect and admiration for these ancient poets and critics, he did not undermine the genius of the English poets and dramatists.  He did not want the moderns “to rest in their sole authority, or take all upon trust from them.  For to all the observations of the ancients we have our own experience; which if we will use and apply, we have abetter means to pronounce.  It is true they opened the gates and made the way that went before us, but as guides, not commanders.  For rules are ever of less force and value than experiments.  Nothing is more ridiculous than to make an author a dictator as the schools have done Aristotle. 

Jonson’s admiration and adoration of the classics did not shut the windows of his own mind.  He admired the ancients for what they were worth.  At the same time he did not love and admire to any degree less the great english authors like Shakespear, Spenser, Bacon, Marlowe, Sidney, Donne and others.  Thus we see that Jonson’s neo-classical creed did not blind him to the purely English genius and originality of the Elizabethan authors.  He was not to any degree blind to the glories of English literature.        

00027--What’s Ben Jonson’s concept of Humours? How does he apply them in his comedies?

                                      

The term ‘humour’ as used by Ben Jonson, is based on an ancient physiological theory of four fluids found in human body.  According to this theory there are four fluids in human body which determine a man’s temperament and mental state.  These four humours are:

·         BLOOD,

·         PHLEGM,

·         CHOLER (yellow bile), and,

·         MELANCHOLY (black bile).  
Audio Books

                                 

A normal man has these four humours in a balanced proportion.  But the excess of anyone of these humours makes him eccentric in one way or other.  He becomes abnormal and develops some kind of oddity in his temperament and behaviour and thus becomes an object of fun and ridicule.
 

1. The humour of blood makes a man excessively optimistic or sanguine even without the slightest chance of hope or success.

2. Phlegm makes one excessively calm and docile.

3. Choler makes one highly ill-tempered.

4. Black bile makes one excessively melancholy and morbid.
Audio Books

Ben Jonson explains the theory of humours in the introduction to his play EVERY MAN IN HIS HUMOUR.

Ben Jonson’s comedies are called Comedies of Humours because the principal characters in all his comedies are victim of one humour or the other.  BOBADIL, for example, is characterised by his decorous manners, uttering improbable boasts.  ASPER in EVERYMAN OUT OF HIS HUMOUR is a harsh and pitiless judge.  DELIRO is an idolising husband consistently rebuffed by his wife.  There is a stream of satire in all Ben Jonson’s principal characters.

                                       

***************************************************

You may also like:

00968--Write a note on Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist.

00513-- VOLPONE (1606) /PLAY/by BEN JONSON

00510--Song to Celia/lyric/Ben Jonson

00029—Analyse Ben Jonson’s observations on style. [To read the best authors/Observe the best speakers/Much exercise of one’s own style.]

00028--Discuss Ben Jonson’s attitude towards the classical theories and principles of literature.

00027--What’s Ben Jonson’s concept of Humours? How does he apply them in his comedies?

00026— What qualities should a person possess, according to Ben Jonson, to become a great poet?

00025--Analyse and State Ben Jonson’s advocacy of classical principles and models.

00026— What qualities should a person possess, according to Ben Jonson, to become a great poet?

                                                                       

It is popularly believed that poets are born, not made.  But Ben Jonson does not subscribe to this view.  He holds that inborn talent alone would not make one a great poet unless he enriches and refines that talent with industry and practice.  Therefore, according to Ben Jonson, a person must possess or cultivate the following qualities and qualifications in order to become a great poet.  

1 ) Ben Jonson says that in the first place a poet must enrich, refine and enlighten the inborn spark of poetry in him by study, exercise, art and imitation of renowned poets.  Natural endowment must be sharpened by training and practice.  So Ben Jonson says, “First we require in our poet or maker, a goodness of natural wit.  The poet must be able by nature and instinct to pour out the treasure of his mind.”

2) Even if a poet fails to produce something great in his first attempt, he must not lose heart or patience, and try again and again.  He should not end up as a rhymer.  A rhymer and a poet are two different entities.  Art and practice would turn a rhymer into a poet. 

3) The third requisite for a great poet is his power of imitation.  According to Plato, a poet is an imitator, but he must imitate either nature or a highly talented poet.  Let him choose one great poet and imitate him.  But his imitation must not be servile and he should draw forth the best and choicest pearls from him.  

4) In the fourth place, he must develop “an exactness of study and multiplicity of reading which makes a full man. “

5) And finally, he must cultivate art.  Ben Jonson sums up by saying that ‘inborn talent’ is the basic condition, but it cannot come to fruition without industry, practice and art.  
1. A poet must improve his talent by practicing.

2. He must be patient and try until he succeeds in creating genuine poetry.

3. He must have the power of imitation.

4. He must develop an exactness of study and multiplicity of reading.

5. He must cultivate art.

00025--Analyse and State Ben Jonson’s advocacy of classical principles and models.

               Ben Jonson was the first great classical English critic.  He was a strong advocate of classical principles and models in all branches of literature.  He advocated that the famous classical models should be kept in view by the English authors while writing their literary works in different genres.  He specially valued Aristotle’s precepts and noted them down in his ‘Discoveries’ for the guidance of English authors.  He earnestly wanted English literary works to be raised to the excellence of Greek and Latin works.  However he advised to avoid ‘excess’ in any case, excess in passion, excess of imagination, and excess of expression.  He was a staunch advocate of ‘discipline and order.’

Ben Jonson laid special emphasis on the UNITY OF ACTION in drama, epic or any type of long poem.  In this respect he lays down the following guide-lines for producing a powerful and unified ‘fable’ or ‘plot.’  He writes, “The fable is called the imitation of one entire and perfect action, whose parts are so joined and knit together, as nothing in the structure can be changed, or taken away, without impairing or troubling the whole.”  He further says that the Action should neither be too vast nor too small.  If the Action be too great, the audience wouldn’t be able to comprehend the whole, or if too small it wouldn’t give sufficient pleasure.  The action should not exceed the compass of one day and it should be one and entire.  The classical models are Homer for Epic, Virgil for Pastoral, Seneca for Tragedy, Plautus and Terence for Comedy, and Juvenal for Satire. 

************************************************