Volpone A monologue from the play by Ben Jonson Essay Example For Students

Volpone A monologue from the play by Ben Jonson Essay A monologue from the play by Ben Jonson NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Volpone (1605). VOLPONE: Why droops my Celia? Thou hast, in place of a base husband, found A worthy lover; use thy fortune well, With secrecy and pleasure. See, behold What thou art queen of, not in expectation As I feed othersbut possessed and crowned. See, here, a rope of pearl, and each more orient Than that the brave Egyptian queen caroused Dissolve and drink em. See, a carbuncle, May put out both the eyes of our Saint Mark; A diamond would have bought Lollia Paulina, When she came in like starlight, hid with jewels That were the spoils of provincestake these And wear, and lose em; yet remains an earring To purchase them again, and this whole state. A gem but worth a private patrimony, Is nothing; we will eat such at a meal. The heads of parrots, tongue of nightingales, The brains of peacocks, and of estriches, Shall be our food; and, could we get the phoenix, Though nature lost her kind, she were our dish. If thou hast wisdom, hear me, Celia. Thy baths shall be the juice of gillyflowers, Spirit of roses, and of violets, The milk of unicorns, and panthers breath Gathered in bags, and mixed with Cretan wines. Our drink shall be prepared gold and amber, Which we will take until my roof whirl round With the vertigo; and my dwarf shall dance, My eunuch sing, my fool make up the antic. Whilst we, in changed shapes, act Ovids tales, Thou like Europa now, and I like Jove, Then I like Mars, and thou like Erycine; So of the rest, till we have quite run through, And wearied all the fables of the gods. Then will I have thee in more modern forms, Attired like some sprightly dame of France, Brave Tuscan lady, or proud Spanish beauty; Sometimes unto the Persian Sophys wife, Or the Grand Signiors mistress; and for change, To one of our most artful courtesans, Or some quick Negro, or cold Russian. And I will meet thee in as many shapes; Where we may so transfuse our wandring souls Out at our lips, and score up sums of pleasures, That the curious shall not know How to tell them as they flow; And the envious, when they find What their number is, be pined. We will write a custom essay on Volpone A monologue from the play by Ben Jonson specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now