I. On the last day of the performance of The Poetaster, Ben Jonson declared that he would abandon Comedy and try his pen next time in Tragedy. This promise was fulfiled in Sejanus two years later, which, however, won for him little fame. Nevertheless this play seems to have a great significance in its relation to his masterpiece Volpone, and mark a turning-point in his life as a dramatist, which I am to show in this paper. II. One of the most remarkable features of Volpone, compared with his earlier plays, is that it has a serious and somewhat drastic tone, sometimes not unlike to that of tragedy. For the avarice depicted in Volpone is rather a 'crime' than a folly, while in his humour plays and comical satires his ridicule is wholly directed to 'follies' which result from unbalances of humours. Especially when Volpone, in spite of his wealth and means, swindles and teases the three legacy-hunters even at the risk of discovery of his evils, there we can see a desire to persue 'evil for evil's sake', such as is seen in Sejanus's insatiable ambition. And its ending is also far from comical serenity; for Mosca is overthrown, not by sagacity of the magistrates, but by Volpone's desperate spite at the risk of his own safety. As for the construction of this play, here was established the so-called Jonsonian method, which will be characterized by (a) singleness of motive, (b) consistent development of plot, (c) abruptness of catastrophe. III. And all of these characteristics are manifest in Sejanus: (a) the motive is kept to 'ambition' only even at the cost of historical' facts, (b) the plot is developed consistently along the execution of Sejanus's conspiracy, and (c) Sejanus falls headlong at the height of his prosperity. And the dismal tone is here almost decisive; for the strife between Sejanus and Tiberius, which is true conflict in this play, is that of craft against craft, and Sejanus's fall never means the victory of justice but the triumph of the more wicked. But the most striking feature in this play is Arruntius who may be taken for author's, exponent. When he repeatedly deplores levity of the people and foresees the appearance of another tyrant in Macro, we cannot but hear in his words the author's burning scorn of the ignorant people. IV. The reason of Jonson's internal change is never fully indicated. But it will be allowed to suppose that, as a result of the 'stage-quarrel,' he was driven to the distrust of the world. And concerning the technical mastery achieved in Volpone, that he had written Sejanus undeniably contributed to it.
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