Comment on the alchemists a comedy of humours?

Answer 1

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.