Project Gutenberg 2003-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 39935 Jonson, Ben 1637 Johnson, Ben Jonson, Benjamin Ionson, Ben The Alchemist Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(play) Produced by Amy E Zelmer, Robert Prince, Sue Asscher, and David Widger "The Alchemist" by Ben Jonson is a comedic play likely written in the early 17th century during the English Renaissance. The work revolves around themes of deception, greed, and the satirical examination of human folly, focusing on characters engaged in a series of swindles and con games in London. The opening of "The Alchemist" sets the stage in a room belonging to the character Lovewit, who has left his home to escape a plague. Two main characters, Face and Subtle, are seen bickering over their plans to con various wealthy patrons, with the added interest of Dol Common, a bawdy accomplice. Their quarrel reveals the tensions in their partnership as they prepare to exploit their guests through alchemical frauds. The dialogue is fast-paced and filled with clever wordplay, giving a glimpse into Jonson's characteristic style, where sharp wit and comedic elements combine with a critique of the societal norms of his time. The scene establishes an atmosphere of chaos and humor that invites the audience to consider the absurdity of the characters' schemes. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 85.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. en English drama (Comedy) English drama -- 17th century London (England) -- Drama City and town life -- Drama Alchemists -- Drama PR Text Harvard Classics Category: Humour Category: Plays/Films/Dramas Category: British Literature 373737 2025-07-02T09:39:57.219003 text/html 366326 2013-01-25T15:48:44 text/html 194020 2025-07-02T09:40:06.128949 application/epub+zip 202236 2025-07-02T09:39:58.989967 application/epub+zip 202237 2025-07-02T09:39:57.885007 application/epub+zip 330575 2025-07-02T09:40:09.489952 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 354716 2025-07-02T09:40:05.460997 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 328258 2022-09-02T13:01:26.606191 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 324599 2025-07-02T09:39:56.374021 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 324456 2010-01-06T17:17:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19775 2025-07-02T09:40:09.617991 application/rdf+xml 9026 2025-07-02T09:39:58.381976 image/jpeg 2529 2025-07-02T09:39:58.133963 image/jpeg 134349 2013-01-25T15:48:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 130520 2010-01-06T17:18:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 188367 2025-07-02T09:39:57.246989 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia