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"The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson is, I think, one of the most perfect comedies ever written. Kenneth Tynan, the veteran theatre critic, described is as "good episodic play ...bead after bead, the episodes click together upon the connecting string, which is chicanery and chiselry." It's basically a farce with a very dark underbelly. A conceit is set up: two conmen con stupid person after stupid person and get money from them. Each gull sees a different set of disguises from the two conmen: a lot of costume changes, a lot of props changes, and a lot of running aroudn ensue! Yet then Jonson gradually complicates matters by having the gulls come in unexpectedly. The conmen gradually lose their control over the plot, and the strings become harder and harder to hold on to: and their methods of keeping the con running get ever more complicated (so, when Surly tricks them into thinking that he is a Spanish Grandee, they have to hide him in a room in the house and arrange to marry him off to Dame Pliant in order to get his money and get him out of the way!). In one scene in Act 4, most of the gulls appear at the same time, and the conmen have to really struggle to hold things together. And it is JUST at the point where they think they have managed it that Lovewit comes back from his holidays, and they have to rapidly evacuate the house - forgetting about Dapper, whom they have locked in the toilet, in the process! It's a difficult play to read on the page. But see a good production, and you'll see that it really is an amazing comedy.
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Comment on the alchemist as a comedy of humours?
The comedy of humours pertains to a genre of dramatic comedy that focuses on one or many eccentric characters, each of whom has one overriding trait or 'humour' that dominates their personality and obssesses their mind. The comedy of humours was one of Jonson's major innovations. The Alchemist is basically a comedy of humours even though it does not contain such a variety of humours as in Jonson's earlier play, Every man in His Humour. In The Alchemist, Jonson concentrates mainly on greed which is the humour that dominates almost every character. Besides, the play presents lust as a humour through the character of Mammon. Hence, through a discussion of The Alchemist as a comedy of humours, I will also show how Jonson uses ridicule to teach people to keep their humours in check. In The Alchemist, the humour of greed is presented as endemic in society - almost all the characters display it. Subtle uses his excellent knowledge of alchemy in learned, scientific speech to fool people and amass money. Face goes about in order to "shark" foolish people like Drugger and Dapper, and Dol joins the two to rob people of as much money as possible. Those three conspirators are in fact the greediest. It is this very avarice that brings them into conspiring with each other to gull other greedy people. Every other character shows their greed through their gullibility. I feel that this avarice comes as a disease from which the characters suffer. They are so covetous that they become ridiculous in our eyes. It is because of this very humour of rapacity that they end up in becoming so gullible. In believing Subtle, they dream of acquring riches. Dapper, for example, wishes to give up his profession and become a whole-time gambler with the sole aim of acquiring riches: "(…)He would have (I told you of him) a familiar To rifle with at horses, and win cups." Finally, they all pay a heavy price due to their avarice.
What is the author name of the alchemist?
Puolo Coulho
What are the 2 types of comedy?
Old Comedy - comedy about political satire New Comedy - comedy that deviates away from political satire and makes fun of everyday family life
Is guys and dolls a comedy or tragedy?
a comedy :)
What was shakespeares shortest comedy?
The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest and Macbeth in that order.
Is there any long anime with Action Comedy?
Full Metal Alchemist which has 51 episodes , Full Metal Alchemist : Brotherhood which has 63 episodes , Inuyasha has 167 episodes and Sgt. Frog has 358 episodes .
What is a economic alchemist?
No such alchemist.
Is there a movie on the alcheist?
The correct spelling is the alchemist. There are two moves on the alchemist called The Alchemist, an American movie, and the Fullmetal Alchemist, a Japanese manga series.
Can you give the sentence with alchemist?
The alchemist tried to change lead into gold. He studied years to become an alchemist.
Is it Fullmetal Alchemist or Full Metal Alchemist?
It is Fullmetal Alchemist really it should not be FMA it should be FA.
What actors and actresses appeared in The Alchemist - 1913?
The cast of The Alchemist - 1913 includes: Murdock MacQuarrie as The Alchemist
What episode of Fullmetal Alchemist is on tonight?
"An Alchemist's Anguish"
When was the alchemist published?
The Alchemist - novel - was created in 1988.
Why are alchemist starting alchemist township India limited?
PARTICULARS
Setting of The Alchemist?
Do you think at http://chemweb.com/alchemist-current?
Who is the writer of alchemist?
The Alchemist (novel) was written by Paulo Coelho .
When was The Alchemist's Question created?
The Alchemist's Question was created in 1984.
