Volpone Summary

The wealthy, cunning, and lustful fox.

Volpone is a rich Venetian magnifico who feigns illness and impending death to trick opportunistic heirs into showering him with gifts. He is a master of disguise and manipulation, reveling in the psychological torment he inflicts upon his dupes. Driven by an insatiable love of gold and a perverse pleasure in deception, he is also highly sensual and lustful, attempting to seduce Celia. He represents the avarice and moral decay at the heart of the play. His intelligence is matched only by his arrogance, which ultimately leads to his downfall.

Relationships: Mosca (Master-servant; later, rival); Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino (Victims of his deception); Celia (Object of his lust)

Volpone's cunning and ambitious parasite.

Mosca is Volpone's servant and parasite, a brilliant and amoral manipulator who is even more cunning than his master. He orchestrates many of the schemes, subtly guiding the dupes and twisting situations to Volpone's advantage. Initially content with his parasitic role, Mosca's ambition grows throughout the play. He recognizes his own superior intellect and eventually betrays Volpone, attempting to seize his master's entire fortune. He embodies the idea that greed can corrupt even the most loyal of servants, highlighting the pervasive nature of self-interest.

Relationships: Volpone (Servant-master; later, betrayer); Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino (Manipulator of their greed)

The avaricious lawyer.

Voltore is one of Volpone's primary dupes, a lawyer whose professional integrity is completely compromised by his desire for Volpone's inheritance. He is eloquent and persuasive, using his legal skills to twist truth and defend falsehoods in court. His greed blinds him to morality, leading him to fabricate stories and accuse innocent people. He represents the corruption of the legal system and the way in which professional ethics can be abandoned in pursuit of wealth. His eventual public disgrace is a consequence of his moral bankruptcy.

Relationships: Volpone (Prospective heir; victim of Volpone's trickery); Mosca (Co-conspirator)

The old, miserly usurer.

Corbaccio is an extremely old and miserly usurer, another of Volpone's dupes. He is so consumed by greed that he disinherits his own son, Bonario, in favor of Volpone, believing it will secure his inheritance. He is depicted as frail, deaf, and easily manipulated, a caricature of extreme old age and avarice. His willingness to sacrifice his familial duty for wealth underscores the play's theme of the destructive power of greed. His actions highlight the complete breakdown of natural human bonds in the face of material desire.

Relationships: Volpone (Prospective heir; victim of Volpone's trickery); Bonario (Father-son (estranged))

The jealous, avaricious merchant.

Corvino is a jealous and possessive merchant, and the third of Volpone's primary dupes. His desire for Volpone's inheritance is so strong that he forces his beautiful and virtuous wife, Celia, to prostitute herself to Volpone. He is a volatile character, prone to fits of rage and suspicion regarding his wife's fidelity, yet he readily sacrifices her honor for financial gain. Corvino embodies hypocrisy and moral cowardice, prioritizing wealth over his wife's virtue and his own dignity. His actions are among the most shocking in the play, demonstrating the depths of human depravity fueled by greed.

Relationships: Volpone (Prospective heir; victim of Volpone's trickery); Celia (Husband-wife)

The virtuous and chaste wife of Corvino.

Celia is Corvino's beautiful and virtuous wife, who becomes a victim of her husband's greed and Volpone's lust. She is a symbol of innocence and purity, maintaining her chastity despite immense pressure and threats. Her steadfast refusal to yield to Volpone's advances, even when threatened with violence, highlights her moral strength. She represents the potential for goodness and integrity amidst the pervasive corruption of Venetian society. Her suffering evokes sympathy, and her eventual vindication provides a glimmer of justice in the otherwise cynical world of the play.

Relationships: Corvino (Wife-husband); Volpone (Target of his lust); Bonario (Rescuer; fellow victim)

Corbaccio's honorable but disinherited son.

Bonario is Corbaccio's son, a young man of honor and integrity. He is disinherited by his avaricious father, who hopes to gain favor with Volpone. Bonario attempts to defend his father's honor and later rescues Celia from Volpone's attempted rape. He is initially naive but consistently acts with moral uprightness, standing in stark contrast to the corrupt characters around him. Though initially a victim of manipulation, his actions are crucial in exposing Volpone's villainy. He represents traditional virtue and filial piety, which are largely absent in the play's other characters.

Relationships: Corbaccio (Son-father (estranged)); Celia (Rescuer; fellow victim)

The verbose and pretentious English tourist.

Lady Would-be is a verbose and self-absorbed Englishwoman who visits Volpone, hoping to be remembered in his will. She is a caricature of the pretentious and gossiping gentlewoman, obsessed with fashion, poetry, and her own supposed intellectual prowess. Her endless chatter and lack of self-awareness provide comic relief but also serve as a satirical commentary on superficiality and social climbing. She is easily manipulated by Mosca and contributes to the chaotic courtroom scene with her misguided testimony. Her character highlights the folly of those who prioritize appearance over substance.

Relationships: Volpone (Prospective heir; annoyance); Sir Politic Would-be (Wife-husband)

The foolish, scheme-obsessed English knight.

Sir Politic Would-be is a foolish English knight, Lady Would-be's husband. He is obsessed with elaborate, often absurd, political schemes and conspiracy theories. He believes he has a profound understanding of Venetian politics and constantly devises impractical plans, such as escaping in a tortoise shell. He is a figure of pure comic relief, a satirical portrayal of the naive and self-important traveler. His interactions with Peregrine highlight his gullibility and his tendency to invent grand, yet utterly baseless, plots. His character contrasts with the more dangerous deceptions of Volpone, showcasing a different, less malicious form of folly.

Relationships: Lady Would-be (Husband-wife); Peregrine (Acquaintance; target of Peregrine's prank)