How do the evildoers get their punishment at the end of “Volpone?” 

Answer

How do the evildoers get their punishment at the end of “Volpone?” 

Ben Jonson’s (1572-1637) “Volpone” (1606) is a satire on avarice (excessive greed). At the end of the play, all the evildoers get the punishment they deserve for their greed, lies, and tricks.

Volpone’s Punishment: Volpone is a rich old man. But he is greedy for more. So, he scams the legacy hunters by pretending that he is dying, so that they give him valuable gifts to be his heir. He even spreads the fake news that he is dead. However, in the end, his parasite servant Mosca tries to take all his property. To save his property, Volpone tells the truth in court. The Avocatori (the judges) realize everything and punish the greedy evildoers. Volpone is ordered to be imprisoned and to be in chains. All his property will be given to hospitals.

Mosca’s Punishment: Mosca is Volpone’s parasite servant. He helps his master to scam others. He even tries to betray Volpone and lies to the court. So, Mosca is whipped and sent away to a ship as a slave.

Punishment of the Legacy Hunters: Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino lie and do evil things to be Volpone’s heir. After Volpone’s attempt to rape Celia, Voltore lies to the court to save him. Corbaccio disinherits his own son, Bonario, and gives his property to Volpone to gain his favour. Corvino sends his wife, Celia, to Volpone’s bed. So, these legacy hunters are punished by the court.

Voltore’s licence to practise law is cancelled. He is banished from the state. Corbaccio is sent to the monastery, and his property is given to his son. Corvino is ordered to return three times more dowry, which Celia brought with her at the time of her marriage. He must also dress like a donkey and walk around the city in shame.

Finally, this punishment gives us a moral lesson: avarice (excessive greed) always leads to punishment. Earlier in the play, Volpone actually told this when he was punishing the legacy-hunters