Named source · 1606

Volpone Quotes by Ben Jonson: Context & Meanings

1 quotation linked to Volpone by or associated with Ben Jonson, with source notes, explanations and related topics.

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Ben Jonson’s 1606 comedy of avarice, legacy-hunting and deception

Topics and ideas

Greed, wealth, materialism, hypocrisy, manipulation, satire and the moral exposure created by comic character speech.

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Good morning to the day; and next, my gold: Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.

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“Good morning to the day; and next, my gold: Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.”

Ben Jonson

Voice: Fictional character · Volpone

Meaning & context

Volpone’s opening worship of his hoarded gold immediately turns wealth into an object of devotion, establishing the comedy’s satire of avarice.

Source details

Volpone, Act I, Scene 1, Project Gutenberg #4039. Volpone opens the comedy by greeting his gold as a saint while Mosca reveals the hoard; the religious imagery establishes his avarice. It is fictional dramatic speech, not Ben Jonson autobiography, financial advice or a literal religious claim.

Ben Jonson’s 1606 comedy of avarice, legacy-hunting and deception

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