# Volpone; Or, The Fox

**Author:** Ben Jonson
**Tags:** Drama, Inheritance and succession, English drama, English drama (Comedy), Venice (Italy), Satire, English, Extortion
**Price:** Free
**Formats:** DOCX, EPUB, FB2, PDF, TXT
**Downloads:** 42
**Added:** 10.07.2026
**URL:** https://samolit.com/books/96179

## Description

In Ben Jonson's biting Jacobean satire, Volpone, a wealthy Venetian nobleman with no heirs, delights in orchestrating elaborate deceptions to fleece the avaricious citizens vying for his fortune. Feigning a fatal illness, he and his cunning servant, Mosca, entice a cast of greedy "legacy hunters"—the lawyer Voltore, the miserly Corbaccio, and the jealous merchant Corvino—to shower him with extravagant gifts, each believing they are securing their inheritance. As Volpone revels in their desperation and the accumulation of wealth, his schemes grow bolder and more depraved, culminating in a scandalous attempt to seduce Corvino's virtuous wife, Celia. This dark comedy, rich with animalistic characterizations, exposes the corrupting power of greed and challenges the pursuit of material gain, leading to a dramatic courtroom confrontation where all the elaborate lies are unmasked and justice, in its own unexpected form, is ultimately served.