Keyword Guide · book-summary
Act 2 of Ben Jonson’s satirical play Volpone ramps up the con artist’s manipulations, turning the greedy suitors against one another while introducing new chaos to Venice’s elite. For students, this act is critical for analyzing character dynamics and the play’s core themes of greed and deception. This guide breaks down the key events and provides actionable study tools for assignments and discussions.
Volpone continues feigning illness to string along his wealthy would-be heirs, but the act takes a chaotic turn when the suitors begin sabotaging each other. One suitor’s attempt to discredit a rival backfires dramatically, drawing in a sharp-tongued noblewoman who sees through the manipulations. The act ends with Volpone’s scheme growing riskier, as the line between his fake illness and potential real danger blurs.
Volpone reveals a crueler, more impulsive side as he relishes the suitors’ humiliation. His servant Mosca grows bolder, taking more control over the scheme and testing his own power. The suitors’ greed escalates to petty betrayal, exposing their complete lack of moral backbone. The new noblewoman character emerges as a critical foil, cutting through the group’s lies with unflinching honesty.
Act 2 amplifies the play’s central theme of greed as a corrupting force, showing how it erodes trust and dignity. It also explores performativity—how characters fake identities, emotions, and even health to get what they want. Finally, the act touches on class satire, mocking the pretensions of Venice’s wealthy elite who value wealth over integrity.
For class discussions, create a two-column chart tracking each suitor’s attempts to outmaneuver the others and their consequences. For quizzes, memorize the three key turning points that escalate the conflict. For essays, focus on how Mosca’s growing ambition foreshadows future plot twists, using specific character actions (not direct quotes) to support your claim.
The most critical event is the failed sabotage attempt by one suitor, which draws in the sharp-witted noblewoman and puts Volpone’s entire scheme at risk for the first time.
Act 2 establishes Mosca’s growing ambition and introduces a character who can disrupt Volpone’s lies, laying the groundwork for the play’s eventual dramatic unraveling.
A strong essay topic is: “How does Jonson use the noblewoman character to expose the hypocrisy of Volpone’s suitors?” Focus on her interactions and the contrast between her honesty and their deception.
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