The Devil is an Ass. Ben Jonson's comedy The Devil is an Ass was first performed by the King's Men in 1616. Half because of the play itself, half because of this particular edition. Information and translations of devil, the, is an ass in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Publication date 1905 Usage Public Domain Publisher New York : H. Holt Collection toronto Contributor University of Toronto - CRRS Library for Renaissance Studies Language English. When Fitzdottrel intends to see a play in Act I, the play in question is The Devil Is an Ass. Run sheet Running time: app 2h 45m. Excessive events, a hallmark of Jonson's plays, is fully in force here, but the mystical elements go a long way to justifying them. Meercraft has by this time tricked Fitzdottrel into signing over all his fortune to his wife, with Meercraft himself as the intended guardian; Wittipol and Manly manage to switch the guardianship to Manly at the last moment. Associate Director: Peter Barnes. When Meercraft and Ingine are looking for someone to play the "Spanish woman," they mention Richard Robinson, a real actor with the King's Men; Robinson played female parts as a boy, and had acted in the company's production of Jonson's Catiline in 1611. The Devil may be an ass but he was correct about Pug not being ready to wreak havoc on Earth yet. He is surprised, however, when his victims turn out to be more cunning and unscrupulous than expected. Using Stephen Greenblatt (‘Shakespeare and the exorcists’ in Shakespearean Negotiations), Barbara Rosen (ed), Witchcraft in England 1558-1618, Keith Thomas, etc, a chronology of some of the relevant events: I also liked how edgy this book was for being written in 1616. Director: Stuart Burge. Robert Johnson composed music for the play. The Devil is an Ass (1616) is partially a summary of Jonsonian dramatic innovation to date and for that reason links with many past plays are evident: Volpone, Epicoene, The Alchemist and Bartholomew Fair are perhaps the most obvious points of reference. Logan, Terence P., and Denzell S. Smith, eds. Once she has legal control of their estate, Mistress Fitzdottrel can prevent her husband's follies from bankrupting them. Meanwhile, Meercraft is making progress with his intended mark by tempting Fitzdottrel with various get-rich-quick schemes, like raising "drowned land," harvesting dogs' skins, or making wine from raisins. This edition of "The Devil is an Ass" (1616) aims to provide an insight into Jonson's life and work, the theatrical qualities of the play, its political background and its textual history. Start by marking “The Devil is an Ass” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Ship This Item — Qualifies for Free Shipping Buy Online, Pick up in Store Check Availability at Nearby Stores. See the Introduction to the Johnson edition, pp. Very long and crammed with incidents, but the core concept, of a demon given twenty-four hours in contemporary London to do as much damage as he can, is amusing. The Map of Early Modern London , edited by Janelle Jenstad , U of Victoria, 15 Sep. 2020, mapoflondon.uvic.ca/DEVI1.htm . Meercraft's trial before Sir Paul is warming up, with Fitzdottrel giving a bravura performance as a bewitched victim. Satan, triumphant in his prediction that 1616 London was more than Pug could handle, arrives to spirit Pug away, blasting a wall out of Newgate in the process, and leaving the thief's body behind. And the jailers realise, belatedly, that the man they'd arrested in the afternoon was the same man they'd hanged in the morning. Meercraft, now realising that he's been fooled, strikes back: he persuades Fitzdottrel (who is outraged at his wife's usurpation of authority) to pretend to be bewitched by his wife and her confederates. I don't know if I did not find it funny since most of the jokes did not age well in the past 400 years or if they were never funny. Nick Hern Books (London) publishes an extensive set of plays for students, actors, and theatregoers in their Drama Classics series. The Devil may be an ass but he was correct about Pug not being ready to wreak havoc on Earth yet. Pug spent the entire play being so incompetent at being bad that it is funny. Design: Robin Archer. LibriVox recording of The Devil is an Ass by Ben Jonson. 23. We've found 2,044 lyrics, 33 artists, and 45 albums matching devil, the, is an ass.. Year: Apply. Wittipol manages to obtain a window-to-window conversation with her—but her husband finds out about it and seeks to guard her even more closely than usual. Fitzdottrel is most enthusiastic about the first, and Meercraft convinces his dupe that he will soon be elevated to the peerage as the Duke of the Drowned Lands. To see what your friends thought of this book. His reputation for eccentric foolishness has made Fitzdottrel the target of a host of confidence men, who fall out into two groups: on the one hand, the young gallant Wittipol and his friend Manly, and on the other the "projector" Meercraft and his henchmen, Ingine the broker, Lady Tailbush, Guilthead the goldsmith, Everill and Train and others. Unfortunately, the play is not that funny. To train Mistress Fitzdottrel in the manners of the upper class, Meercraft persuades his victim to solicit, with a present of a diamond ring, the aid of an Englishwoman who has lived in Spain and is fluent in courtly manners. People give Job too much credit. Of course I am sure that there would be more comic potential if I saw it performed but as a reading experience it is not the best play of it's time. Excerpts from The Devil Is an Ass. Pug comes to him in the body of a thief who'd been hanged earlier in the morning; Fitzdottrel refuses to believe that Pug is a devil, since the corpse's feet are not cloven hooves—but Pug's claim that his name is "Devil" (or "Deville") is enough to earn him a place as a servant in Fitzdottrel's household. 3. Among the characters are Satan, "the great devil," and Pug, "the less devil." papers that have been postulated as copy for Bartholomew Fair and The Devil is an Ass: This mildly satirical play, like Bartholomew Fair, abounds with unscrupulous characters, con men, and gullible dupes. Copies of the 1631 printed text were released, though whether they were sold publicly or circulated privately by Jonson is unclear. Paperback. Search type:Within Lyrics Lyrics Exact Match Titles Exact Match. $0.99. Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf lrf pdb html. Chaps 3/31/2021 12:41 AM. Since I liked the premise and the character Pug, I am going to give this play two stars out of five. The Devil may be an ass but he was correct about Pug not being ready to wreak havoc on Earth yet. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly, Goodreads Members' Most Anticipated Spring Books. This page describes my post-processing of The Devil is an Ass by Ben Jonson, Edited with Introduction, Notes, and Glossary by William Savage Johnson, Ph.D., 1905. The Devil Is an Ass is a Jacobean comedy by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1616 and first published in 1631.[1]. Meercraft is after Fitzdottrel's money, while Wittipol is more interested in the man's wife. Yet, Grandee's, would you were not come to grace Our matter, with allowing us no place. This edition of The Devil is an Ass in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series is edited by Peter Happé, and introduced by Simon Trussler. ‎Benjamin "Ben" Jonson was born in June, 1572. Bibliography: p. She denounces Pug to Fitzdottrel, who beats the imp with a cudgel. Synopsis Notes . by Ben Jonson . Since I liked the premise and the character Pug, I am going to give this play two stars out of five. The Devil is an Ass: This mildly satirical play, like Bartholomew Fair, abounds with unscrupulous characters, con men, and gullible dupes. The Devil Is An Ass Rose Playhouse 3 - 28 Nov 2015 ★★★★★ LondonTheatre1 - A highly entertaining show, driven with plenty of energy and vivacity by a strong cast ★★★★★ Bardathon - A lean, dynamic and frequently hysterical production….A real treat Pug appeals to Satan to take him back to Hell with whatever punishment the lord of the underworld chooses—for nothing in hell compares "to a lady of fashion." Chicago citation The initial publication of the play was somewhat irregular, in that Jonson intended to include it in a second folio collection of his works in 1631, but scrapped the plan when he was dissatisfied with the printing. $14.99. He is still entranced by Meercraft's con-game, however, and the central scenes in the play spin out a complex web of manipulation that includes rounds of Who's got the cloak? NOOK Book. Pug, looking for opportunities for villainy, tries to tempt Mistress Fitzdottrel into cheating on her husband with Wittipol; but his effort is inept, and she thinks he is a spy planted by her husband. (Return to main page: index.html) The above engraving of a Catholic exorcism is by Jaques Callot, in 1630 (France/Italy). The Devil is an Ass by Ben Jonson. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The devil is an ass by Jonson, Ben, 1573?-1637; Johnson, William Savage. This book was scanned by Google Books, archived at the Internet Archive, then proof-read and marked up by the Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders in 2005–2007. View All Available Formats & Editions. KING JAMES I AND THE DEVIL IS AN ASS Ben Jonson's satirical comedy, The Devil Is an Ass, was presented by the King's Players in 1616 at the Blackfriars. It was revived at the Theatre Royal in 1682. Read it, because chances are you will never get to see it. He is surprised, however, when his victims turn out to be more cunning and unscrupulous than expected. A man of vast reading and a seemingly … xi–xiii. God And The Devil Absolutely Dropped The Peoples' Elbow Right On Job's Candy-Ass Head And He Tapped Like A Little Bitch In The Camel Clutch While Covered In Gauze. 1. The Devil is an Ass, Issues 29-30 The Devil is an Ass, William Savage Johnson Volume 29 of Yale studies in English: Author: Ben Jonson: Editor: William Savage Johnson: Publisher: H. Holt, 1905: Length: 252 pages : Export Citation: BiBTeX EndNote RefMan The Devil Is an Ass Prologue Lyrics. The Devil Is an Ass - The Persons of the Play Lyrics. Ben Jonson, The Devil is an Ass (1616), and exorcism. (Reclaiming swamps and fens for agricultural use, via dykes and windmill-driven pumps, was a real and lucrative development of the time.) Lighting: Robert Ornbo. The Devil Is an Ass Tracklist. The play opens in Hell, with Satan and an inferior devil named Pug. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Wittipol, the character in the play who does masquerade as the "Spanish woman," was most likely played by Robinson, creating another of the loops of self-reference that Jonson liked to generate in his plays. Publication date 2018-08-13 Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0 Topics librivox, audiobooks, London, morals, vice. Pug pleads his case, however, and Satan sends him into the world, specifically to plague an eccentric and foolish gentleman named Fabian Fitzdottrel. In addition to his main mania, Fitzdottrel has subsidiary obsessions: he dresses his beautiful young wife sumptuously, but clothes himself in second-hand garments, which he wheels and deals over with enthusiasm. Appealing to Wittipol to put his "noble parts" that have impressed her "To a right use," she seeks his aid in resolving her dilemma: Influenced by Manly and his own better nature, Wittipol puts aside his lustful quest to help Mistress Fitzdottrel out of her difficulties. But no publication materialized until 1640, when these three plays (each prefaced by its original 1631 title-page) were issued together under the general title of ‘THE WORKES OF BENIAMIN IONSON. "The Devil is an Ass" is a mildly satirical play, in which a lesser devil named Pug is allowed by Satan to travel to London and entrap innocent souls. The play was included in the eventual second folio of Jonson's works (1640–1), published after his death in 1637, and also was issued in a separate "variant reprint edition" in 1641.[2]. But word arrives of the satanic doings at Newgate; and Fitzdottrel, realising that Pug, "Deville," had been a devil after all, is so beside himself that he abandons the pretense of bewitchment and spills the beans. Pug spent the entire play being so incompetent at being bad that it is funny. Lots of cross-dressing and embezzlement; it needs to be heard or, better, seen, to make sense of it. Did he watch all of his animals, land, and workers get destroyed? Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. 2. However over the top, this play is just fun and really very good. We’d love your help. Jonson successfully interweaves several subplots involving deceit and trickery, creating an enjoyable comedy. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Be the first to ask a question about The Devil is an Ass. However just or unjust may be the characterisation of Jonson's later plays as his "dotages," there would be no more great works after Bartholomew Fair, and a full decade would elapse between The Devil Is an Ass and Jonson's next play, The Staple of News. by Nick Hern Books. earning it the new fashioned way When he wrote The Devil is an Ass 390 years ago, Ben Jonson might as well have been looking at the last two decades in America as at his own London. Pug wants to be sent to Earth to do the Devil's work of tempting men to evil – but Satan thinks he isn't up to the job; the world has grown so sophisticated in its vices, especially in the moral cesspool of London, that a simple devil like Pug will be severely out of his depth. One’s memory is continually being jogged by echoes of scenes, situations, climactic revelations, characters, even phrases that recall past successes. This tract The Devil Is an Assfollowed Bartholomew Fair(1614), one of the author's greatest works, and marks the start of the final phase of his dramatic career. Fitzdottrel is obsessed with the idea of meeting a devil; he has consorted with magicians and conjurers (Simon Forman among others) in hopes of encountering an imp who will aid him in the discovery of buried treasure. Refresh and try again. Paperback $ 14.99. Several subplots involving deceit and trickery are successfully interwoven, creating an enjoyable comedy. Jonson's work is renowned for its wit and biting religions and social commentary these four plays are no exception. In the play's first Act he is enthusiastic about a fancy cloak that he plans to wear to the Blackfriars Theatre to see a play. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays; Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, and his equally accomplished lyric poems. 1 Intermission . In exchange for a sumptuous cloak, Wittipol actually negotiates fifteen minutes of conversation with Mistress Frances Fitzdottrel, in her husband's presence. Nevertheless, in this comic play virtue triumphs. March 1st 1996 This book is not yet featured on Listopia. HE Devil is an Ass: That is, to day, The Name of what you are met for, a new Play. This page was last edited on 6 June 2020, at 13:01. In the end, the con men are themselves conned, the witty enjoy the fruits of their wit, and virtue is preserved. The Devil is an Ass was first printed in 1631, together with Bartholomew Fair and The Staple of News, as part of a plan to issue a companion volume to the 1616 folio of Jonson’s writings. The Devil is an Ass, a comedy by Ben Jonson, was acted in 1616 by the King's servants at Blackfriars, but not printed till 1631. Mistress Fitzdottrel, however, surprises Wittipol and Manly with an effective plea to their nobler natures (Act IV, scene vi). Pug spent the entire play being so incompetent at being bad that it … The devil is an ass User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Music: John Leach . The Devil Is an Assis a Jacobeancomedy by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1616 and first published in 1631. Search results for 'devil, the, is an ass' Yee yee! Thesis--Yale University, 1905. A Private Entertainment of the King and Queen on May-Day, The Entertainment of the Kings of Great Britain and Denmark, News from the New World Discovered in the Moon, Time Vindicated to Himself and to His Honours, Neptune's Triumph for the Return of Albion, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_Is_an_Ass&oldid=961072491, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Unfortunately, the play is not that funny. Welcome back. Meaning of devil, the, is an ass. Spring is Mother Nature’s way of saying, “Oof–let’s try this again.” The last 12 months have been, well, challenging is the polite term.... A great neglected comedy by the great Elizabethan/jacobean playwright. It's hard to read anything from this period and not compare it to Shakespeare but even so, it is very underwhelming and I didn't find it funny. Inevitably, as it's Jonson, the demon fails, as humans are far too corrupt and nasty for him to make any difference. Login I don't know if I did not find it funny since most of the jokes did not age well in the past 400 years or if they were never funny. The Devil is an Ass is no exception. The Devil has been produced successfully in modern times, while the more experimental Poetaster has remained largely in obscurity. The Devil Is an Ass followed Bartholomew Fair (1614), one of the author's greatest works, and marks the start of the final phase of his dramatic career. The Devil Is an Ass Ben Jonson. Pug has not done well through all these developments: beaten, manipulated, and generally abused, he ends up confined to Newgate Prison at the end of the day. To this point, Wittipol and Manly have been co-operating with Meercraft and company, but now, in effect, they change sides. A cursory glance through The Devil Is An Ass 1 will leave the impression that it is something of a repeat performance for Jonson. The "Spanish woman" will actually be a Meercraft henchman in disguise. The Devil is an Ass 94. by Ben Jonson. "The Devil is an Ass" is a mildly satirical play, in which a lesser devil named Pug is allowed by Satan to travel to London and entrap innocent souls. Its contemptuous attitude toward witchcraft and demoniacal possession has been much discussed and heartily approved, but the editors and critics The Devil is an Ass, Rose Playhouse Enthusiastic little devil Pug wants a crack at antagonizing mortals, but big man Satan isn’t sure he’s ready. Performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival, the National Theatre and on a European tour . Though you presume, Satan, a subtle thing, And may have heard he's worn in a thumb-ring; Do not on these Presumptions, force us act, In compass of a Cheese-trencher. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published (Jonson, true to the Aristotelian unities of time and place, stages all this action in a single day.) Fitzdottrel tries to outwit the gallant by ordering his wife to remain silent; but when Wittipol finds that the young woman will not answer him, he answers for her, so aptly that the virtuous Mistress Fitzdottrel is impressed, almost against her will, with his "brain and spirit.". and Who's got the ring?, and a wealth of satirical commentary on various aspects of London life, such as the booming business of women's cosmetics. I also liked how edgy this book was for being wr. This duo represent a hit and a miss by Jonson. 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