Knowra Ben Jonson Ben Jonson Ben Jonson (1572–1637) was an English playwright, poet, and literary critic whose satirical comedies, including Volpone and The Alchemist , shaped early modern English drama.
Comedy of humours : A comic mode in which characters are driven by dominant traits that distort their judgment and behavior. Jonson used exaggerated ruling passions to make characters’ flaws drive the plot.
Volpone : A comedy by Ben Jonson in which a wealthy Venetian pretends to be dying to exploit fortune-seeking visitors. Its inheritance plot makes greed the engine of an escalating satire.
William Shakespeare : An English playwright and poet whose plays include Hamlet , Othello , and King Lear . Shakespeare and Jonson worked in the same theatrical world and publicly praised one another’s work.
Westminster School : An English public school in Westminster, London, with a long tradition of classical scholarship. Jonson’s schooling there helped give him the Latin learning central to his literary identity.
Timber, or Discoveries : A collection of Ben Jonson’s notes, reflections, and literary criticism published after his death. Its remarks preserve Jonson’s judgments on writing, learning, and the craft of poetry.
Roman comedy : Ancient Roman stage comedy, especially the plays of Plautus and Terence, built around stock characters and intricate plots. Its character types and plotting supplied Jonson with major dramatic models.
The Alchemist : A comedy by Ben Jonson in which confidence tricksters exploit Londoners during a plague evacuation. Its tightly constructed deceptions display Jonson’s command of urban farce.
Francis Beaumont : An English dramatist who collaborated with John Fletcher on plays including Philaster . Beaumont belonged to the younger generation of playwrights Jonson’s criticism helped shape.
English Renaissance theatre : The professional stage culture that flourished in England from the late sixteenth to early seventeenth century. Jonson’s plays emerged from its companies, commercial playhouses, and court performances.
To the Memory of My Beloved, the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare : A poem by Ben Jonson, published in the 1623 First Folio edition of Shakespeare’s plays. Jonson’s tribute helped establish Shakespeare’s posthumous literary stature.
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