Ben Jonson: A turbulent story of a poet in Renaissence

 Ben Jonson 

 

Ben Jonson, born between 1572 and 1573 and passing away in 1637, was a notable English playwright, poet, and literary critic of the early modern era. He is considered one of the most important figures in English Renaissance theatre, alongside William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. He has risen from modest beginnings to become England's unofficial poet laureate, with a pension from the king and honorary degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge.  

 

Jonson was born in Westminster, London, to a Protestant family. He was educated at St. Martin's Church of England School and then became an apprentice bricklayer and took part in military service. Johnson's early life was quite turbulent. He escaped to join the English forces in Flander; he killed a man. When he came back to London, he attempted to make a living as an actor and playwright, but this endeavour almost ended in disaster. He was jailed in 1597 for collaborating with Thomas Nashe on the scandalous play The Isle of Dogs (now lost), and not long after his release he killed one of his fellow actors in a duel. Jonson was not executed on the gallows by pleading benefit of clergy (a medieval privilege exempting felons who could read Latin from the death penalty). Thanks to the influence of a priest imprisoned with him, he converted to Catholicism. Ben Jonson was becoming increasingly more of a marginal, not accepted by the society he had cleverly mocked in his past plays. In 1603 he was called before the Privy Council to answer charges of "popery and treason" found in his play Sejanus. He was in jail again for his part in the play Eastward Ho a little more than a year later, which openly mocked the king's Scots accent and propensity for selling knighthood. In 1605, he received the preparation to organize the Twelfth Night entertainment; The Masque of Blackness was the first of twenty-four masques he would produce for the court, most of them in collaboration with the architect and scene designer Inigo Jones. In the same years that he kept on writing the masques, he produced his greatest works for the public theatre. His first successful play, Every Man in His Humor (1598), inaugurated the so-called comedy of humour, which ridicules the eccentricities or passions of the characters.   

 

Despite his antagonistic nature, Jonson had a great friendship with Shakespeare, Donne, Francis Bacon, and John Selden. While Shakespeare is known as the greatest playwright of the English Renaissance, Jonson's work is often seen as more intellectually challenging and sophisticated. Jonson was also known for his role as a literary critic and his work in establishing the first English literary tradition. Ben Jonson died in 1637 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. His legacy as a playwright and poet continues to be celebrated today. 

 

Ben Jonsons’ major plays are the comedies  

Every Man in His Humour (1598) 

Volpone (1605)  

Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman (1609) 

The Alchemist (1610) 

Bartholomew Fair (1614). 

Doctor Faustus

 Dr. Faustus 

 

"Dr Faustus" is a play written by the English playwright Christopher Marlowe in the late 16th century. It tells the story of a brilliant but disillusioned scholar named Faustus who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and power. As a result of this deal, Faustus gains unbelievable abilities such as the ability to summon spirits, travel through time and space, and command the elements. However, as time goes on, Faustus becomes increasingly disillusioned with his powers and the deal he made with the devil. Although being warned by a good angel to repent and turn back to God, Faustus carries on to indulge in his desires and eventually meets a tragic end. 

 

Historical Background 

At the time the play was being performed, Calvinism was on the rise within the Church of England but remained a source of controversy. It is clear that the Protestant English church and Roman Catholicism had an influence on the play's disparaging depiction of the pope. The Church of England witnessed a surge in Calvinism, though it still caused controversy. Scholars perpetually debated the Faustus play's attitude towards the Calvinist doctrine of destiny. 

 

Themes 

• Pride: Faustus is portrayed by his pride, which makes him unwilling to repent or seek forgiveness for his sins. His pride prevents him from recognizing the fault of his ways until it is too late. 

 

• The supernatural: The play analyses the relationship between the human and supernatural worlds, as Faustus summons demons and interacts with the devil himself.  

 

• Good vs. evil: The play explores the conflict between good and evil, as Faustus struggles between his desire for knowledge and power and his conscience, which tells him that he is making a deal with the devil. 

 

• The human condition: The play explores the limitations of human knowledge and the fragility of human existence, as Faustus realizes too late that his deal with the devil has led him to damnation. 

 

I want to shed light on some critical themes such as ambition and the power of temptation. Throughout the play, Faustus is tempted by the devil in various forms, offering him wealth, power, and knowledge. Faustus is initially reluctant to make a deal with the devil, but he ultimately succumbs to temptation and makes the deal. Faustus is obsessed with the idea of gaining more power and knowledge and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, including selling his soul to the devil. He is the slave of his desires, and he lost it. We can see many works which written in this period. In fact, when we compare the people of modern times with the people of that period, we can see that conditions never changed literally. People's desire possession for power will never finish, although these desires are the end of them.  

  

Literary devices 

 

• Soliloquy: Faustus often speaks directly to the audience in soliloquies, revealing his inner thoughts and motivations. 

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• Imagery: The play is rich in imagery, especially when depicting the supernatural realm and the demons that Faustus summons. 

 

• Irony: The play makes use of irony, particularly in its portrayal of Faustus's downfall. Despite his desire for knowledge and power, he ultimately becomes a servant of the devil. 

 

• Allusion: The play makes use of allusions to classical and biblical texts, such as the story of Icarus and the fall of Lucifer. 

 

• Foreshadowing: The play uses foreshadowing to hint at Faustus's eventual downfall, such as when Mephistopheles tells him that he will never be able to repent. 

 

 Symbols  

As with many other works from this period, Dr. Faustus includes various symbols such as Blood, the Good-Evil Angels and The Seven Deadly Sins. The three symbols make me influenced exactly, yet I focus on the last symbol, the seven deadly sins. Lucifer entertains Faustus by calling up the Seven Deadly Sins. These symbols rather clearly symbolize the sins for which they are named, but they also reveal Faustus' foolish neglect of sin. These symbols rather clearly symbolize the sins for which they are named, but they also reveal Faustus' foolish neglect of sin. 

 

Pride 

Covetousness 

Wrath  

Envy 

Gluttony 

Sloth 

Lechery 

 

Finally, Marlowe's use of language is one of the most striking features of the play. He employs vivid imagery, metaphors, and poetic language to create a dramatic and engaging story. The play is written in blank verse, which is a form of unrhymed iambic pentameter, and this adds to the play's poetic and dramatic effect. "Doctor Faustus" is a thought-provoking and powerful play that continues to be studied and performed to this day. Its exploration of themes such as ambition, morality, and the consequences of making deals with the devil makes it a timeless work of literature.