5 h 32 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In one London house, three rogues sell golden dreams to people eager to believe.
When Lovewit leaves London to escape the plague, his servant Face turns the house into a trap for hopeful customers. With Subtle, a fake alchemist, and the sharp Dol Common, he promises wonders through disguises, learned jargon and whatever part the next visitor needs them to play.
In Ben Jonson's stage comedy The Alchemist, Dapper wants help winning at gambling, while Sir Epicure Mammon dreams of gold and endless pleasure. Subtle offers the promise of the philosopher's stone. As visitors crowd into the same house over one day, the schemes depend on keeping each person's hunger stronger than their doubt.
What you’ll discover
- Three rogues at work Meet Face, Subtle and Dol Common as they turn other people's wishes into their business.
- A furious opening quarrel Enter amid shouting as Dol tries to stop Face and Subtle from fighting.
- Dreams of golden pleasure Follow Mammon's extravagant hopes for a stone he believes can bring wealth and cure illness.
- Words that fool people Watch invented jargon and lofty promises give deception the sound of knowledge.
- Greed with its eyes shut Discover a biting satire where customers arrive ready to see exactly what they want.
Who will love it
For readers who love sharp comedy, clever schemes and the way words can fool people. It also suits anyone curious about Elizabethan and Jacobean London.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Three rogues take over an empty house
- Small dreams are the easiest to sell
- Sir Epicure Mammon dreams of golden pleasure
- Holy talk can cover hunger for gold
- What the play says about greed and belief
- A comedy built like a clock
Who’s who
- FaceThe clever servant who is left in charge of his master's house and lures customers in under the name of Captain.
- SubtleThe fake alchemist who uses learned jargon, astrology and lofty talk to make customers believe he can make gold.
- Dol CommonThe sharp partner in the scheme, who plays whatever part is needed and wants her fair share of the profits.
- Sir Epicure MammonA rich knight who longs for the philosopher's stone so that he can live in endless luxury and pleasure.
- Pertinax SurlyA gambler and skeptic who distrusts the alchemist and tries to keep his friend Mammon from being fooled.
- Abel DruggerA young, eager tobacco seller who wants Subtle's advice on how to make his new shop succeed.
- Dame PliantA rich young widow, brought to the house by her brother, who becomes a prize for several of the men.
- LovewitThe master of the house, who has gone to the country to escape the plague and left his servant in charge.
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- Paperback
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Alchemist
by Ben Jonson · 1612
Face turns his master's London house into a gold-making scam, where every visitor's desire becomes a trap.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
Three rogues take over an empty house
The play opens in the middle of a furious quarrel. Face and Subtle are screaming at each other, and Dol Common is trying to stop them. Face is the household servant, whose master, Lovewit, has gone to the country because plague is spreading through London. Subtle is a seedy man who poses as an alchemist. Dol is a clever woman who plays whatever part the scheme needs.
Their argument shows how the partnership began. Face found Subtle as a shabby beggar and gave him a place to live. Subtle, in return, has learned to talk like a learned master of secret arts. Face says he has made Subtle into something impressive, and Subtle replies that Face was nothing but a poor servant until he came along. Dol reminds them both that they are equals in the fraud and must share what it earns.
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What is The Alchemist by Ben Jonson about?
It is a comedy about three con artists who use a London house, left empty in a plague, to trick customers with promises of gold, luck and love. It mocks greed and gullibility.
Who are Face, Subtle and Dol Common?
Face is a servant who poses as a captain, Subtle is the fake alchemist, and Dol Common is their clever partner who plays different parts. Together they run the scheme and share the money.
What is the philosopher's stone in The Alchemist?
It is a legendary substance that alchemists believed could turn base metals into gold and cure illness or lengthen life. Subtle dangles it before greedy customers, who hope it will make them rich.
The author
Ben Jonson
1572–1637 · English playwright and poet
Ben Jonson (1572–1637) was an English playwright, poet, and actor who lived in London. He wrote Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone (1606), The Alchemist (1610), and The Devil Is an Ass (1616). A collection of his works appeared in 1616. He died in London in 1637.
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