Volpone : Summary

Summary

Volpone’s Plot to Cheat People: Volpone is an old and rich man. He lives in Venice, Italy. He has no children and is very interested in acquiring more wealth, especially gold. He makes various schemes to rob people of their wealth. In this work, his humble, flattering, and cunning servant Mosca helps him.

One day Volpone makes a plot to cheat people. He begins the drama of a dying patient who is confined to bed. Then the greedy people of the area come with various valuable gifts and wealth to please Volpone. But these greedy people mainly expect Volpone’s death, and after Volpone’s death, they want to inherit Volpone’s property. So to please Volpone they appear with various valuable gifts.

Greedy People appear with the gifts: Voltore, who is a lawyer, appears with an ancient and valuable plate to please Volpone. Volpone was already in bed before Voltore arrived. Mosca takes the gift and assures Voltore that Volpone will die very soon and Voltore will be his sole heir. Voltore was very pleased and left.

Then Corbaccio appears there. He is older than Volpone. But still, the old man hopes that he will live long and inherit the property of Volpone. He comes with a bag of gold coins as a gift for Volpone. Mosca takes it and pulls out another new trick. He convinces Corbaccio that all his property should be written off in Volpone’s name and his son Bonario should be deprived. Then Volpone would be satisfied and declare Corbaccio his successor. Corbaccio is quite satisfied with this excellent intelligence and departs

Then comes Corvino, who is a businessman. He comes with a diamond ornament as a gift. Mosca takes it and sends him away assuring him too.

Corvino’s beautiful wife Celia: Mosca informs his boss Volpone that Corvino has a beautiful young wife, named Celia. Celia is the most attractive woman in Venice. Volpone then disguises himself and decides to visit Celia.

Volpone takes the disguise of Scott. Scott is a famous ointment seller. Disguised, he goes next door to Corvino’s house and starts loudly selling drugs. When Celia comes out on the balcony, Volpone is overwhelmed by seeing her. Corvino becomes enraged by this scene and chases away the disguised Volpone without recognizing him. He blames his innocent wife Celia and forbids her from the balcony, calling her a bitch.

The plot to get Celia: Volpone returns home and admires Celia’s appearance to Mosca and wishes to have physical relations with her. Mosca comes up with an idea and shows up at Corvino’s house. He tells Corvino that if a young, beautiful and good-natured girl goes to bed with Volpone, his master will be cured, as the doctor has suggested. Moreover the doctor offers his own daughter for Volpone. So in such a situation, there is a fear that the doctor will become Volpone’s heir. Hearing this, Corvino, fearing the loss of property, decides to prepare his own wife for Volpone. So Mosca’s mission succeeds and he departs.

Celia and Bonario: On the way, Mosca meets Bonario. Bonario is the son of greedy old Corbaccio. Mosca tells Bonario that his father will disinherit him and write all the property in Volpone’s name. Bonario doesn’t believe that. Mosca takes him to Volpone’s house to witness the matter. Mosca tells him that his father will come to Volpone’s house in a moment to write off the property to Volpone. Mosca asks him to wait in the library until his father arrives.

Meanwhile, Corvino tricks his wife into coming to Volpone’s house. He forcibly sends his wife Celia to Volpone’s room. Volpone immediately jumps up from his bed and tries to hug Celia. Celia starts screaming to save herself. Bonario then hears the screaming from the library and beats Volpone and Mosca to rescue Celia, and leaves with her.

Volpone and Mosca become quite frightened for their crime. Just then Corbaccio and Voltore comes. Mosca immediately plots a story in which Bonario attacked his master because his father wanted to write off all the property to Volpone. Corbaccio becomes very angry on hearing this and declares his son Bonario to be an outlaw. Mosca also says that Bonario used Celia to frame his boss for rape. Bonario can sue his Volpone in court. Voltore then promises that he will fight for Volpone in court.

The Court: Everyone in the court testifies on Volpone’s behalf, hoping to inherit his property. Voltore says that Bonario and Celia have been involved in misdeeds and conspired against Volpone, as Bonario’s father would give all the property in Volpone’s name. Corbaccio and Corvino support this statement. The jury then finds Bonario and Celia guilty and decides to send them to prison. So Volpone wins the case.

Volpone’s new trick and falling into his own trap: Later Volpone makes a new trick to mock people. He decides to defame the money hunters. So he wills all his property in the name of Mosca to see the greedy men’s reactions. Then he spreads the news of his death around. The legacy hunters are happy to hear the news of the death and one by one appear at Volpone’s house. They are surprised to see Mosca’s name on the will. Mosca insults them and drives them away.

Volpone then decides to further humiliate them. He goes out on the street with Mosca in the disguise of a soldier. He insults Voltore in disguise. Voltore becomes very angry at this and decides to tell the whole truth about Volpone to the court. Voltore files a paper with the court in which he apologizes for earlier lies. He claims that Bonario and Celia are innocent. He also mentions that Mosca has fooled everyone. So the jury orders them to come to the court.

Meanwhile, Mosca now shows his true evil nature. He kicks out Volpone of his own house because all the property is now in the name of Mosca, Volpone falls into a dilemma and decides to confess everything in court.

The Punishment of the Guilty: Volpone comes to court and pleads guilty; everything becomes clear to the jury. The jury then acquits Bonario and Celia and sentences all the money-grubbing criminals. Mosca is flogged and sent to a ship as a slave. Volpone’s entire property is donated to the hospital and he is sentenced to prison. Corbaccio is sent to a monastery where he will spend his life, and his son Bonario becomes the rightful heir of his father’s property. Voltore’s lawyer license is revoked and he is exiled from the city of Venice. Corvino is ordered to pay Celia three times the dowry he had taken at the time of the marriage. Finally, all the money grabbers get their due punishment.

Moral Lesson: Evil which flourishes for a time, comes to its own destruction.