Volpone

Volpone is a comedy of the English playwright Ben Jonson. It was established in 1606 and deals with the rich Venetians Volpone, The duped several Erbschleicher.

Editing by Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig published in 1926 a completely free reworking of the classic. He took it for the most part the characters of the commedia dell'arte, but formulated freely and in comparatively modern language. He changed both the original story and the characters into many parts and wrote a new ending, in which Volpone Mosca loses his fortune. Three acts, 13 rolls (two female, eleven male), playing time approximately 160 minutes. Location: Venice. Time: Renaissance.

Summary

The rich merchant Volpone ( fox ') is dying. At least believe that the greedy Venetians Corbaccio ( evil Crow '), Corvino ( raven ') and Voltore (, vultures '), the buzz around the terminally ill and shower you with gifts, to be used as an heir to his fortune. In reality, however, Volpone is alive and kicking, he wants only extensively enrich the Erbschleichern and then allowed to settle to his family in Smyrna. An agile young assistant and a parasite called Mosca (' fly ') supports him in this game.

Mosca playing the Erbschleicher sent off against each other and goads them on to outdo each other in their favors for the supposedly dying. The miser Corbaccio he persuaded to disinherit his son, and the jealous merchant Corvino he brings even to the fact that it offers Volpone, as a sign of friendship ' his wife Colomba ( dove '), so that these ' maintains, poor sick man. Corvino hopes namely that Volpone could meet by the excitement of the shock. Colomba, nothing of the suspects is the sudden recovery Volpone and especially so horrified his stormy overtures that she cries for help. Volpone is then of three gendarmes ( guards ) arrested and brought before the Court of the Republic of Venice. Prosecutor is Leone ( Leo '), which brought to his heir son of Corbaccio who has heard the cries for help Colomba from the next room and sees through the evil game Volpone. However, the hot-headed Leone can not stand before court against the deft maneuvers and tall tales of Erbschleicher that yes all of them have an interest that her future benefactor does not end up in prison, without having established an heir. Leone loses the case and throws a tantrum, which leads even to the fact that allows him to pillory the judge on the piazza.

After the trial, all pushing to the promised them exclusively Testament, and Volpone have no other choice, as made ​​out in several wills and every individual, sole heir ' to be used as. He then regrets that he could not witness how the greedy Venetians would argue about the heritage and therefore decides to fake his death in order to enjoy this spectacle can. Mosca, however, does not want to join this latest dizziness and finally agrees only on the condition that he also gets a testament that identifies him as the sole heir.

Mosca can be aligned so Volpone had died. Immediately flutter caused the gallows birds and begin to fight over the inheritance. The called for judges sentenced Volpone as a fraud and announced that the body of Volpone, The yes is still very much alive and trembling hidden behind the bed curtain is to be hung in a public place. As Mosca emerges, shows his will and proclaims generous that he would return as the sole heir to Erbschleichern all their gifts and even more if they wanted to spare only the body of Volpone. The dupes agree and Volpone have to be lucky to take at least the bare life of Venice home. "You have the others want to make a fool of myself and be 's become ," Mosca scoffs at the end triumphantly.

Secondary literature

• Jonas A. Barish: The double action in Ben Jonson > Volpone. " In: Willi Erzgräber (ed.) Interpretations Volume 7 · English Literature from Thomas More to Laurence Sterne. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main et al. 1970, pp. 96-111.

Films

• Literary work
• Literature (17th century)
• Literature ( English )
• Drama