Avarice in Ben Jonsons Volpone Essay -- English Literature

What a rare punishment/Is avarice to itself! Volpone, Act 1, sc.iv. Do the events in the play confirm this? Volpone was written at a time when Jacobean London was infected with greed, cunning and credulity. These traits Ben Jonson used to show the folly of avarice and its rewards or punishment to those whose only love is money and appropriating more of it. Volpone is all about morals, greed and the depths people will sink to get what they want, despite its consequences on themselves and others. The Jacobean audiences were familiar with its setting in Venice and they thought Italy 'was the land of sensational evil-doing. Among Italian cities Venice ... stood in the front rank for this sinister repute.' (Barish, 1972: 65) So the choice of setting was deliberate, he wanted t...