Resumo de Volpone - Ben Jonson

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Volpone and his parasite Mosca make a lucrative game of

cozening wealthy suitors for his inheritance, who
believe

the Old Fox is at death's door. Volpone is actually in

sprightly health and little past his prime. His
visitors

are generally more ancient and creaking than he, yet

complacently imagine themelves outlasting him and
snatching

fresh hoards to heap in with their already considerable

riches. The first, Corbaccio, is so deaf Mosca makes a
game

of roaring insults in his ear and, when he's asked what
he

said, changing it to something neutral or
complimentary.

The next thinks Volpone so deaf that Mosca repeats the

performance in reverse, roaring insults in his master's
ear

that he makes no effort to correct.

(But is Mosca entirely to be trusted? This is a game

between master and servant, but the insults he pours in

Volpone's ear, knowing he can hear quite well, are far
more

savage than those he levelled at Corbaccio. Nothing
comes

from nothing.)

Voltore has the livest present to offer: his young
bride

Celia, whom Mosca is sent to negotiate for since
Volpone

saw her at a distance and felt his passion swell. He
tells

Voltore there's nothing to fear---Volpone is impotent,
if

he makes the attempt it might even be the shock his
system

needs to send it over to the next world---so Voltore

agrees, though the chaste maiden Celia finds the idea
gross

and sinful. Imagine her surprise when the decrepit,

incapable Volpone springs to visible life in his

bedchamber. He is all over her! with offers of love and

valuable presents and, when she firmly refuses, an
offer at

rape---which is refused on her behalf, at swordpoint by
the

young man Bonario. (How he happened innocently to be
hid

behind the huge cask of gold Volpone keeps near his
bed, is

a plot complication too involved to recite here.)

Volpone, Mosca and Voltore---since the law would look

harshly on their triangular pimping adventure---must

conspire to charge the pair with criminal congress

together, and Bonario with jealously attempting at the

murder of the helpless, ancient Volpone. Corbaccio (at
a

strong hint about the inheritance) is pressed into the

conspiracy against (his son) Bonario. With only their
poor

word against such a mass of wealth, influence and
fatherly

affection, things look bad for Celia and Bonario.

Then Volpone grandly over-reaches himself. Mosca will

arrange his funeral and the discovery of a will---
naming

the parasite sole heir. They enjoy a high feast of

schadenfreude as the expectant heirs come one by one to

Mosca and are repulsed---then Volpone says it's time to

come back to life. Mosca prefers the arrangement as it
is.

Volpone tries to dicker---half his estate; Mosca wants
it

all. Things can't get much worse if Volpone throws off
his

disguise, blows the whole scheme and cast himself on
the

court's scant mercy, and so he does. The three
conspirators

are stript of their possessions and led off in chains.
As

an accidental by-blow, Celia and Bonario are vindicated
and

acquitted, something they would never have power to
effect

by themselves.

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