The Alchemist - Ben Jonson

I read The Alchemist by Ben Jonson for Fanda's LMRC, Renaissance Period.

Renaissance

Renaissance literally means rebirth. The world was emerging from the Middle or Dark Ages. The movement actually began in Italy and spread to England. English Renaissance occurred from 1500-1660. One key characteristic of the Renaissance was the idea of the 'Divine Right of Kings' to rule. Another was the development of humanistic ideas, such as the dignity of man. It was a time of scientific inquiry and exploration. The overwhelming spirit of the time was optimism, an unquenchable belief that life was improving for the first time. England graduated from an overlooked barbarian nation to a seat of commercial power and influence. The dominant forms of English Literature during this period were the poem and the drama.

The Renaissance or Early Modern Period is grouped into four periods:

Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)

 It was the golden age of English drama. Noted authors during this period are Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, Edmund Spencer, Sir Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare.

The Jacobean Age (1603-1625)

 It covers the reign of James I. Noted authors during this period are John Donne, William Shakespeare, Michael Drayton, John Webster, Elizabeth Cary, Ben Jonson and Lady Mary Wroth. The King James Translation of the Bible also appeared during this period.

The Caroline Age (1625-1649)

This covers the reign of Charles I. Noted authors are John Milton, Robert Burton, and George Herbert.

The Commonwealth Period (1649-1660)

This is the period between the end of the English Civil War and the restoration of the Stuart Monarchy. This is the time when Oliver Cromwell, a puritan led parliament ruled the nation. At this time, public theaters were closed to prevent public assembly and to combat moral and religious transgressions. Noted authors are John Milton, John Bunyan, Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Fuller, Abraham Cowley and Andrew Marvell.

The Alchemist by Ben Jonson

 

 

It is a satirical comedy play. The play is set in London, 1610. It is divided into five acts and all the acts occur at the house of Lovewit. Lovewit flees to the country because of an outbreak of Plague in London and leaves his house under the care of his butler, Jeremy. Jeremy utilises this opportunity to mint some money. He disguises as Face and join hands with a conman named Subtle, who pretends as an alchemist and Dolcommon, a prostitute. They use the house for their fraudulent activities.

The play begins with an argument between Subtle and Face over their supremacy in their fraud business. Dol intervenes and the men reconcile. By this time, their first gull, Dapper, who is a lawyer’s clerk, arrives. Face takes the role of captain Face, Subtle play as the Doctor and Face receives Dapper. Throughout the play the three rogues take different roles as they meet their gulls. Their gulls are from all social strata. Before they finish dealing with a gull, the next gull arrives. At onetime all their gulls arrive at the same time and when they sigh a relief after managing somehow, Doll announces Lovewit’s arrival.

 Face immediately becomes butler Jeremy and meets Lovewit at the door. Lovewit is mobbed by his neighbors and they tell him that his house had many visitors in his absence. Lovewit suspects something amiss when Sir Epicure Mammon (one of their gull) come back to expose Subtle and Face.  Finally Jeremy confesses and asks his master for forgiveness and promises to help him marry a rich widow.  Lovewit forgives Jeremy. Subtle and Dol Common are forced to escape without anything. Lovewit marries the widow.

It’s an interesting play. Ben Jonson satirises the Jacobean London. Alchemists and astrologers were common then and doing a lucrative business. How the selfishness and greediness of the people for wealth, power make them a prey to these conmen is beautifully portrayed in The Alchemist. Though Jonson was portraying Jacobean London, it still holds true today. The human weaknesses are exploited even today by many conmen.

 

The Classics Club - February Meme

It’s the second time I am trying to answer the Classics Club Meme. This months meme goes like this-

               

“What about Modern Classics? Pick a book published since 2000 and say why you think it will be considered as a classic in the future?”

A very interesting meme indeed! Classics have ordinarily stood the test of time. Classics have universal appeal. I recently read and enjoyed ‘ Life of pi’  by Yan Martel. It was published in 2001. I think Life of Pi definitely transcends time. It tells the story of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), the son of a zoo-keeper, who grows embracing all religions. When Pi was sixteen, his dad plans to settle in Canada and they board a Japanese freighter. In a shipwreck,  Pi is left adrift on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean in the company of zebra, orangutan, hyena and a Bengal tiger. In the fight for survival zebra, orangutan and hyena dies. Pi shares the lifeboat with the Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for nearly seven months. His adventurous survival  is portrayed beautifully by Martel. His courage, intelligence, hope, belief and above all his faith in God  helps him survive the difficult times. Yan Martel’s writing is beautiful and elegant. A compelling story with universally appealing theme, in my opinion makes Life of Pi a modern classic.

 

 

    

 

Le Morte D'Arthur - Thomas Malory

 

 

 

I read Le Morte D’Arthur for LMRC, Medieval period. I am glad that I managed to read Le Morte D’Arthur, a dense and heavy book. If not for LMRC, I confess I wouldn’t have read it in a months' time. Thankyou Fanda!

Medieval Literature

Medieval literature spans over a 1000 years, beginning with the fall of Roman Empire (450 CE) and ending with the invention of printing press in the 15^th century. Much of the first half of this period, prior to the 7^th century was oral literature. Most of the writings were religious in nature. Caedmon’s Hymn is the earliest recorded poem in old English. Beowulf, the works of Cynewulf and the works of period poets are some important works of Old English Literature (450-1066). As with the Old English period, much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature. However secular literature begin to rise from the 14^th century. There came a huge transition in the language, culture and lifestyle of England in the Middle English Period (1066-1500). Some of the notable works of this period are the Pearl Poet’s Pearl, patience, cleanness and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Langland’s political and religious allegory Piers Plowman, John Gower’s Confessio Amantis, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer is the most highly regarded English poet of the Middle Ages. He was seen by his contemporaries as an English successor to the great tradition of Virgil and Dante.

 

Le Morte D’Arthur

Thomas Malory wrote it while he was in prison between 1468 and 1470, but it was printed in 1485 by William Caxton. The stories about King Arthur were there for a long time. Malory collected them all and retold them with an epic unity, creating the Romantic Age of Chivalry. Le Morte D’Arthur is the first true novel written in English. Malory originally wrote Le Morte D’Arthur as eight books or tales. William Caxton divided it into 21 books and then printed it.

It centers on King Arthur and the knights of his round table. It tells the story of the birth of King Arthur to Igraine and Uther Pendragon by the sorcery of Merlin and how Arthur was brought up by Sir Ector, how Arthur was made the King of Britain after the death of Uther Pendragon by Merlin, Arthur’s wedding with Guenever and how he got roundtable as his wedding gift, how knights of the roundtable were ordained and their sieges blessed by the Bishop of Canterbury and numerous other adventures by the round table knights including the quest of the Sangreal, lovetale of Lancelot and Queen Guinevere and Tristan and Isolde and finally the death of King Arthur. It took a long time for me to read volume I and I thought it wouldn't be possible for me to complete it, but Volume II moved at a faster pace. I enjoyed reading all the tales of King Arthur and his knights' chivalry, peppered with mythology, medieval romance and the knights' numerous adventures including their quest of the Sangreal.

King Arthur Weds Guinevere

Tristan and Isolde

Sir Launcelot in pursuit of  Sir Melliagrance

Death of King Arthur