Volpone

Mosca arrives and celebrates their success. Volpone praises the result, but Mosca doesn’t think he is sufficiently impressed with their “masterpiece” (5.2.13). Volpone doesn’t understand how it can be that the suitors still don’t suspect a thing, but Mosca knows the promise of gold blinds them. Volpone admits he was nervous, but he still enjoyed the trick. Mosca praises Voltore and asks Volpone to pay the lawyer for his role in their success. Volpone agrees Voltore spoke well, but he won’t pay him just yet.

Instead, Volpone plans a new scheme. He tells his fools to spread the rumor of their master’s death. Volpone plans to write a will naming Mosca the sole heir to shock his suitors. When the suitors come to seek their inheritance, they will instead see Mosca dressed up and inventorying his new estate. Volpone, meanwhile, will hide behind a curtain so he can watch the trick play out. Mosca and Volpone imagine the suitors’ upset, but a knock interrupts them.

Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino, and Lady Would-Be all swiftly arrive at Volpone’s house to claim their inheritance, but they see Mosca taking an inventory of the estate. Mosca ignores their questions, but eventually points out the fake will to the visitors. Volpone secretly delights in their disbelief when they see Mosca named the heir.

The visitors pester Mosca with questions until he angrily addresses each of them. Mosca mocks Lady Would-Be and reveals she promised him sexual favors in exchange for being put in the will. He tells the lady to remember her husband, and she leaves. Mosca addresses Corvino next, reminding the merchant that he was willing to force his wife to sleep with another man. Corvino’s gifts aren’t enough to hide his vices, and Mosca tells him to leave. Corbaccio belatedly understands that Mosca deceived him. Mosca derides the greedy old man who, at his supposedly wise age, committed unforgiveable acts with the hope of getting richer. Mosca threatens to expose everything if the man doesn’t leave immediately.

Voltore, the last visitor remaining, thinks Mosca has done all this for him. Mosca apologizes to Voltore, thanking him for his work in the court. Mosca insists that despite not getting the fortune, Voltore will have a lucrative career as a lawyer. With all the visitors gone, Volpone comes out of hiding and embraces Mosca. Not satisfied, Volpone decides to disguise himself again and torment the duped heirs further. Mosca plans to steal a court officer’s clothes for his master’s disguise.

Peregrine, in disguise, lingers outside Sir Politic’s house with two hired men to play a trick on Sir Politic. Sir Politic refuses the visitor because he is busy with matters of state. Peregrine insists, and Sir Politic eventually greets the disguised man. Peregrine lies that a man Sir Politic met with earlier in the day was a spy and has betrayed Sir Politic to the Venetian Senate. Peregrine’s hired men knock on the door pretending to be officers, and Sir Politic frantically finds a hiding spot. He climbs into a large shell and pretends to be a tortoise. He instructs Peregrine to have his business notes burned.

The men enter, and Peregrine draws their attention to the tortoise shell. They prod the shell, thinking the animal is real. Sir Politic creeps across the floor to keep up the illusion. The men uncover Sir Politic and laugh at him. Peregrine takes off his disguise and gleefully exclaims that he and the knight are even. Sir Politic laments his ruined reputation. Lady Would-Be arrives, and Sir Politic agrees to her plan to leave Venice.

Mosca and Volpone put on their new disguises. Volpone dresses as a commendatore (a court official) and Mosca dresses as a gentleman. Before leaving to seek news at the court, Volpone expresses his wish that Mosca had been born an aristocrat. Alone in the house, Mosca hatches a new plan to deceive Volpone. Since the suitors think Volpone died and Mosca is his heir, Mosca will force Volpone to continue faking his death until he gives Mosca a cut of the fortune. Before he leaves, Mosca frees the fools and takes the house keys.

Out on the street, Corvino and Corbaccio discuss the recent developments. Volpone approaches in disguise, congratulating Corbaccio on his new fortune. Corbaccio yells at the man for insulting him. Volpone turns to Corvino and determines that he must be the heir, proclaiming that the new riches will help comfort Corvino through Celia’s infidelity. Corvino curses the man, and he and Corbaccio walk away. Volpone spots Voltore, his next target.

Voltore walks down the street, angry at Mosca for deceiving him. The disguised Volpone greets Voltore and celebrates the educated gentleman for acquiring Volpone’s fortune. Volpone asks if he can have a house, since Voltore now has so many through his inheritance. Voltore walks away from the man and his mockeries. Volpone decides to taunt Corvino and Corbaccio again.

Corvino and Corbaccio see Mosca walking around dressed like an aristocrat. Volpone continues to pester the men. He asks if the rumor about Mosca’s inheritance is true. He can’t believe someone as wise as Corbaccio and as worldly as Corvino was tricked by a lowly parasite. Corvino threatens to become violent with the troublesome official, and Volpone tries to evade him. Mosca walks near, and Volpone asks for help. Corvino and Corbaccio don’t want to be near Mosca, so they leave. Volpone points Mosca toward Voltore.

Voltore greets Mosca with distaste. Mosca tells him to not speak so unbecomingly and leaves. Voltore groans when he recognizes the annoying official. Volpone teases Voltore again, saying he doesn’t believe a knowledgeable lawyer like him could be tricked by the uneducated Mosca. Volpone compliments the man’s education and good fortune as they walk toward the court.

The Avvocati and other officials enter the court with Bonario, Celia, Corvino, and Corbaccio. Volpone, still disguised, arrives with Voltore for the sentencing. Voltore, struck with a guilty conscience, confesses to his involvement in the scheme. Corvino, Corbaccio, and Volpone all silently panic. Voltore reveals that Mosca was behind the scheme, saying that he has papers to prove it.

The court sends an officer—actually Volpone—to fetch Mosca. Corvino and Corbaccio stick to their original story, and they accuse Voltore of being possessed. They believe Voltore’s jealousy of Mosca is the real cause of his changed behavior. The Avvocati wonder at the continued confusion of the case. All agree Volpone must be innocent, since they believe he died from his ailments.

Away from the court, Volpone laments Voltore’s confession and his own precarious position. He curses himself for continuing the plot when he was already a free man and for provoking Voltore’s guilty conscience. Volpone hopes he can find Mosca so they can fix the problem. Volpone sees his fools out in the streets, and they say Mosca let them out of the house. Volpone worries about Mosca’s loyalty, and he sends the fools to find him. He devises a plan to get Voltore to retract his confession.

In the court, the Avvocati discuss Voltore’s notes, which claim Bonario, Celia, and Volpone are innocent of Mosca’s schemes. Still acting as an officer, Volpone secretly reveals to Voltore that Volpone is still alive, that the plot was made up to test him, and that Voltore is still the heir. Volpone suggests he should act possessed and retract his statement. Voltore abruptly falls to the ground and flounders around while the imaginary devil leaves his body. Arising from his stupor, Voltore declares that the notes are false and that Volpone is alive.

Mosca arrives, lamenting for his dead master. Volpone quietly tells Mosca about the change in plan, but Mosca won’t play along unless Volpone gives him half of his fortune. Volpone refuses, and the two men tell their competing stories about Volpone’s status to the Avvocati—with Volpone still pretending to be a commendatore and speaking about himself in the third person. Believing him to be the commendatore, the Avvocati order Volpone to be quiet, and when he does not, they have him arrested for insubordination.

Realizing that his punishment for telling the truth will be no worse than his punishment for insubordination, Volpone takes off his disguise. Volpone confirms that he, Mosca, and the suitors are guilty. The Avvocati release Bonario and Celia, and they deliver their sentences on the men. Mosca, for his primary role in the plots, receives life imprisonment. Volpone, since he is a gentleman, has his fortune stripped away, and he will be chained in prison. Voltore will be exiled and debarred. Corbaccio will be sent to a monastery to die, and Bonario will receive his inheritance. Corvino will be publicly shamed, and Celia will live with her father. The Avvocati declare the criminals an example of how vice should be punished. After all characters exit, Volpone re-enters the stage to ask the audience to applaud the performance.