Avarice is the main theme of Volpone

The main theme of “Volpone,” one of the best plays by Ben Jonson, is avarice. The central character of this play is Volpone, who was a nobleman in seventeenth-century Venice. Though he is quite rich, his greed knows no bounds. Volpone’s story revolves around his amassing more wealth and the kind of complexity that arises from this greed. The main lesson that we get from this play is that greed leads to destruction.

If we examine the characters of this play, we will see that each of the main five characters is extremely greedy. First is the central character, Volpone, who is difficult to label as a hero. His greed knows no bounds, and his religion is not Christianity but rather greed. From beginning to end, he obsesses over wealth and gold incessantly. Gold is significant because, during that time, it held more importance than other forms of wealth. That is why Volpone repeatedly fixates on gold.

In those days, currency was primarily minted using gold, and gold coins were also widely circulated. Gold coins were the most valuable currency, so when referring to gold, it often included gold coins as well. Therefore, when Volpone thinks of acquiring more gold, it implies his desire to accumulate wealth in the form of gold coins.

The next important character after Volpone is Mosca, and Mosca shares the same thoughts as Volpone throughout the day. Mosca does not engage in much labor; rather, his primary task is to survive by depending on Volpone. In a way, Mosca acts as Volpone’s servant, working for him all day long, albeit in a flattering manner. Mosca is not only a companion but also an active accomplice in Volpone’s nefarious deeds. Consequently, Mosca becomes extremely greedy at one point and betrays Volpone.

There are not many female characters in this play. Among the few, Corvino’s wife, Celia, is one. Driven by greed for Volpone’s wealth and ensnared by Mosca’s cunning, Corvino sends his wife to Volpone so that Volpone can enjoy her. Nothing could be more unethical than this, indicating how greedy Corvino was. If we consider Corvino’s greed as bad, then we can think about Corbaccio as well. Corbaccio agreed to disinherit his son Bonario and designate Volpone as the sole heir to his wealth. Certainly, Corbaccio and Corvino should be blamed more than Volpone or Mosca because they abandoned their son and wife, respectively, out of greed. Family is certainly important and should be the most important, but we learn from Volpone that people, out of greed, do not hesitate to sacrifice their own family or even the dignity of their wives.

As a result, each character in this play suffers. Volpone becomes almost mad by the end when he discovers that his favorite servant, Mosca, has been cheating on him. Mosca nearly succeeds in deceiving Volpone, but he ultimately loses in court. Corbaccio and Corvino do not inherit Volpone’s wealth; instead, their relationships with their families deteriorate. The two virtuous characters, Celia and Bonario, are proven innocent in court.

Ben Jonson tried to beautifully convey that avarice is a very bad thing. However, at the same time, we have to keep in mind that if people do not have morality in society, then it brings danger to society. Greed may lead to temporary gains, but it is not sustainable in the long run.