Good morning to the day, and next, my gold!
Volpone is a notable literary work by Ben Jonson. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Volpone.
Answer
Good morning to the day, and next, my gold!
Open the shrine that I may see my saint.—Explain.
Ben Jonson’s (1572-1637) play “Volpone” (1606) opens with these lines. Volpone delivers this dialogue. With this dialogue, Volpone is treating his gold like a God. It shows his obsession with gold. It also shows that Volpone is a greedy and corrupt man.
Volpone calls his treasure room a “Srine” and his gold a “Saint.” A shrine is a holy place for worshipping saints or Gods. By comparing his gold to a saint, Volpone shows he loves gold very much. He worships gold like a God. He is praying to gold instead of praying to God. Though he is a rich man, he wants to acquire more gold and wealth. He loves gold more than anything else.
Volpone’s servant Mosca opens the curtain and shows the piles of gold, jewels, and silver. Volpone becomes very happy. He even kisses the gold and says it is “the best of things,” better than family, friends, or nature. Volpone believes that money gives power, honor, fame, and happiness.
Volpone’s dialogue also suggests that he is a very greedy man. He is a corrupt man, and he will do anything to get more gold and wealth. So, the very first lines set the tone of the play. As we see, Volpone quickly comes up with a plan to loot people and get more gold and gifts. Ultimately, this obsession with gold leads to his downfall. He loses everything and is sent to prison in chains.
In fine, Volpone’s speech reveals his moral decay. Though he is a rich and old man, he craves for more gold and wealth. It gives us the picture of a corrupt society, where people want to be richer by any means. His “shrine” of gold is a symbol of his greed and corruption.