A.     How successful is Middleton in making De Flores attractive?

B.      To which character is the title best applied?  Examine the claims of the relevant characters in The Changeling.

C.     “The tragedy arises from the consequences of a light-hearted act.”  Discuss this view of The Changeling.

D.     What power, for a modern audience, have the motives and actions of the characters in The Changeling?

E.      “The greatness of The Changeling lies in its exploration of the nature of evil.”  Discuss.

F.      Discuss the view that the comic scenes in The Changeling seem quite out of place.

G.     “What compels our interest in The Changeling is its display of the attraction of ugliness.”  Discuss.

A.     “Beatrice is a character who is morally ignorant rather than actually evil.”  Discuss.

B.      “Jacobean dramatists encourage their audience to be too fascinated by the gruesome”.  How far does your reading of the play support this view?

C.     “What compels our interests in The Changeling is its display of the attraction of ugliness.”  How true do you think this is from your reading of the play?

D.     Look again at the opening scene of the play.  Draw out at least three ways in which the scene provides the reader with clues about plot development.

E.      Consider the following passages from The Changeling: Act 2, Scene 2, lines 127-147; Act 3, Scene 4, lines 151 – 171; Act 5, Scene 3, lines 159-178.  How important are these passages to the play’s development?  You may also want to consider any interesting points of theme, character, language and imagery.

A.     “We may learn to regard De Flores as the hero of The Changeling, but it is impossible to see Beatrice as the heroine.”  Do you agree with this view of the main characters?

B.      “Although there is occasional evidence of morality, the world portrayed in The Changeling is essentially evil.” Discuss.

C.     “Fools and madmen are not confined to Alibius’s establishment, but are to be found generally in the play.  The dramatists have shown a world run mad.”  In the light of this statement, comment on the relationship between the main plot and the sub-plot in The Changeling.

D.     Middleton has been praised for his “clear-sighted depiction of human character and motivation.”  Examine the portrayal of the character and motivation of De Flores and Beatrice, and comment on its depth and clarity.

E.      “Middleton’s cynicism about love is much stronger than his sense of evil.  If anything, the cynicism renders the play more disturbing than the sense of evil.”  Comment on Middleton’s cynicism in this play.

Comment on the importance, within the developing action of The Changeling, of the following passage, and on any interesting points of theme, character, verse, language, imagery, and anything else you think is relevant.

BEATRICE. Alsemero, I am a stranger to your bed,

Your bed was cozen’d on the nuptial night,

For which your false bride died.

ALSEMERO; Diaphanta!

DE FLORES. Yes, and the while I coupled with your mate

At barley-break; now we are left in hell.

VERMANDERO: We are all there, it circumscribes us here.

DE FLORES: I lov’d this woman in spite of her heart;

Her love I earn’d out of Piracquo’s murder.

TOM. Ha! My brother’s murderer?

DE FLORES. Yes, and her honour’s prize

Was my reward; I thank life for nothing

But that pleasure; it was so sweet to me

That I have drunk up all, left none behind

For any man to pledge me.

VERMANDERO. Horrid villain!

Keep life in him for further tortures.

DE FLORES. No!

I can prevent you; here’s my penknife still;

It is but one thread more,[stabs himself] and now ’tis cut.

Make haste, Joanna, by that token to thee,

Canst not forget, so lately put in mind;

I would not go to leave thee far behind. [Dies].

Comment on the importance, within the developing action of The Changeling, of the following passage, and on any interesting points of theme, character, verse, language, imagery, and anything else you think is relevant.

DE FLORES.  I shall rest from all lovers’ plagues then;

I live in pain now; that shooting eye

Will burn my heart to cinders. Oh, sir, hear me

She that in life and love refuses me,

In death and shame my partner she shall be.

BEATRICE (kneels) Stay, hear me once for all; I make thee master

Of all the wealth I have in gold and jewels;

Let me go poor unto my bed with honour

And I am rich in all things.

DE FLORES. Let this silence thee:

The wealth of all Valencia shall not buy

My pleasure from me; Can you weep

Fate from its determin’d purpose?

So soon may you weep me.

BEATRICE. Vengeance begins;

Murder, I see, is followed by more sins.

Was my creation in the womb so curs’d,

It must engender with a viper first?

DE FLORES. Come, rise, and shroud your blushes in my bosom:

[Raises her.] Silence is one of pleasure’s best receipts;

Thy peace is wrought for ever in this yielding.

‘Las, how the turtle pants! Thou’lt love anon

What thou so fear’st and faint’st to venture on.

Comment on the importance, within the developing action of The Changeling, of the following passage, and on any interesting points of theme, character, verse, language, imagery, and anything else you think is relevant.

BEATRICE. As thou art forward and thy service dangerous,

Thy reward shall be precious.

DE FLORES. That I have thought on:

I have assur’d myself of that beforehand,

And know it will be precious; the thought ravishes

BEATRICE. Then take him to thy fury!

DE FLORES. I thirst for him.

BEATRICE. Alonzo de Piracquo!

DE FLORES. He shall be seen no more.

His end’s upon him

BEATRICE. How lovely now

Dost thou appear to me! Never was man

Dearlier rewarded.

DE FLORES. I do think of that.

BEATRICE. Be wondrous careful in the execution.

DE FLORES. Why, are not both our lives upon the cast?

Then I throw all my fears upon thy service.

DE FLORES. They ne’er shall rise to hurt you.

BEATRICE. When the deed’s I’ll furnish thee with all things for thy flight;

Thou may’st live bravely in another country.

DE FLORES. Ay, ay, we’ll talk of that hereafter.

BEATRICE [aside]. I shall rid myself

Of two inveterate loathings at one time,

Piracquo, and his dog-face.

Either, (1) “The visitors to the alchemist’s shop are not so much deceived, as self-deceived.”  Discuss and illustrate.

Or, (2) Comment on the appropriateness of the ending of the play.

Either, (1) Look again at the quarrel between Subtle and Face up to the point when Dol has managed to patch up their differences at Subtle’s speech:

“Royal Dol!

Spoken like Claridiana, and thyself!”

How does this opening to the play show you the relations of these three characters and help you to understand their relations at the end of the play?

Or, (2) Select 2 or 3 of Mammon’s longer speeches in the play.  How do they reveal his character and personality? How would they affect you if you saw them performed?

Either, (1) “The Alchemist sets out to expose Man’s attempts to transform base reality into a golden dream as a great swindle.”  Discuss.

Or, (2) How does the fact that most of the action takes place at or near Lovewit’s house contribute to the play’s dramatic effectiveness?

Either, (1) “Throughout The Alchemist there is a disparity between what people are and what they say or think they are.”  Discuss and illustrate.

Or, (2) Show how Jonson uses alchemical language and imagery in the play for dramatic purposes.

Or, (3) “There is no grand conclusion of poetic justice in the play.”  Do you agree?

Either, (1) “Doll. Do not we

Sustain our parts?” (I, i, 143-4)

Comment on the parts “sustained” by Subtle, Face, and Doll in the course of the play, and on the theatricality of Jonson’s play.

Or, (2) It has been claimed that “Jonson portrays his characters more by what they say than by what they do.”  Examine the following passage in detail, and say to what extent you agree with the quoted opinion on Jonson’s characterization.

MAMMON.  I will have all my beds, blown up; not stuff’d:

Down is too hard. And then, mine oval room,

Fill’d with such pictures, as Tiberius took

From Elephantis, and dull Aretine

But coldly imitated. Then, my glasses,

Cut in more subtle angles, to disperse

And multiply the figures, as I walk

Naked between my succubae.

My mists I’ll have of perfume, vapour’d ’bout the room,

To lose ourselves in; and my baths, like pits

To fall into: from whence, we will come forth,

And roll us dry in gossamer and roses.

(Is it arriv’d at ruby?) Where I spy

A wealthy citizen, or rich lawyer,

Have a sublim’d pure wife, unto that fellow

I’ll send a thousand pound, to be my cuckold.

Face.  And I shall carry it?

Mammon.   No. I’ll ha’ no bawds,

But fathers and mothers. They will do it best.

Best of all others. And, my flatterers

Shall be the pure, and gravest of divines

That I can get for money. My mere fools,

Eloquent burgesses, and then my poets,

The same that writ so subtly of the fart,

Whom I will entertain, still, for that subject.

The few, that would give out themselves to be

Court and town stallions, and, each where, belie

Ladies, who are known most innocent, for them;

Those will I beg, to make me eunuchs of:

And they shall fan me with ten ostrich tails

Apiece, made in a plume, to gather wind.

We will be brave, Puff, now we ha’ the med’cine.

My meat shall all come in, in Indian shells,

Dishes of agate, set in gold, and studded,

With emeralds, sapphires, hyacinths and rubies.

The tongues of carps, dormice, and camels’ heels,

Boil’d i’ the spirit of Sol, and dissolv’d pearl,

(Apicius’ diet, ‘gainst the epilepsy)

And I will eat these broths with spoons of amber,

Headed with diamond, and carbuncle.

My foot-boy shall eat pheasants, calver’d salmons,

Knots, godwits, lampreys: I myself will have

The beards of barbels, serv’d instead of salads;

Oil’d mushrooms; and the swelling unctuous paps

Of a fat pregnant sow, newly cut off,

Dress’d with an exquisite, and poignant sauce;

For which, I’ll say unto my cook,

‘There’s gold, Go forth, and be a knight’.

Either, (1) What features of the play’s construction and plot contribute to your enjoyment of The Alchemist?

Or, (2) By close reference to the following two passages, and to other speeches from the play, discuss the ways in which Jonson uses variety of language to establish character.

DOL. S’death, you abominable paire of stinkards,

Leave off your barking, and grow one againe,

Or, by the hght that shines, I’ll cut your throats.

I’ll not be made a prey unto the marshall,

5 For ne’re a snarling dog-bolt o’you both.

Ha’you together cossen’d all this while,

And all the world, and shall it now be said

Yo’have made most courteous shift, to cosen your selves?

You will accuse him? You will bring him in

10 Within the statute? Who shall take your word?

A whore-sonne, upstart, apocryphall captayne,

Whom not a puritane, in black-friers, will trust

So much, as for a feather! And you, too,

Will give the cause, forsooth? You will insult,

15 And claime a primacie, in the divisions?

Yon must be chiefe? as if you, onely, had

The poulder to project with? and the worke

Were not begun out of equalitie?

The venter tripartite? All things in common?

20 Without prioritie?

II-MAMMON    

No I’ll ha’no bawds

But fathers, and mothers. They will doe it best

Best of all others. And, my flatterers

Shall he the pwe, and gravest of Divunes,

5 That I can get for money. My mere fooles,

Eloquent burgesses, and then my poets,

The same that writ so subtly of the fart,

Whom I will entertaine, still, for that subject.

The few, that would give out themselves, to be

10 Court, and towne-stallions, and, each where, belye

Ladies who are knowne most innocent, for them

Those will I begge, to make me eunuchs of:

And they shall fan me witb ten estrich tailes

A piece, made in a plume, to gather wind.

15 We will he have, Puffe, now we ha’the med’cine.

My meat, shall all come in, in Indian shells

Dishes of agate, set in gold, and studded,

With emeralds, saphyres, hiacynths, and rubies.

The tongues of carpes, dormise, and camels heeles,

2) Boil’d i’the spirit of SOL, and dissolv’d pearle,

(Apicius diet, ‘gainst the epilepsie)

And I will eate these broaths, with spoones of amber,

Headed with diamant, and carbuncle.

My foot-boy shall eate phesants, calverd salmons,

25 Knots, godwits, lamprey’s: I my selfe will have

The beards of barbels, serv’d, in stead of sallades;

Oild mushromes; and the swelling unctuous paps

Of a fat pregnant sow, newly cut off,

Drest with an exquisite, and poynant sauce;

30 For which, Ile say unto my cooke, there’s gold,

Goe forth, and be a knight.

Either, (1) “The characters are too simple to maintain our interest.”  Discuss this view of The Alchemist.

Or, (2) Using the following and other relevant passages, discuss some of the main themes developed by Jonson in The Alchemist.  What part does imagery play in that development?

I-Come on, sir. Now, you set your foot on shore

In novo urbe; here’s the rich Peru:

And there within, sir, are the golden mines

Great Solomon’s Ophir! He was sailing to ‘t

Three years, but we have reach’d it in ten months. (II.i)

II-Nature doth first beget the imperfect; then

Proceeds she to the perfect. Of that airy

And oily water, mercury is engendered

Sulphur of the fat and earthy part; the one

Which is the last, supplying the place of male

The other, of the female, in all metals.

Some do believe hermaphrodeity

That both do act and suffer. (II.iii)

III-The children of perdition are ofttimes

Made instruments even of the greatest works:

Beside, we should give somewhat to man’s nature

The place he lives in, still about the fire

And fume of metals, that intoxicate

The brain of man, and make him prone to passion

Where have you greater atheists than your cooks?

Or more profane, or choleric, than your glass-men?

More anti-Christian than your bell-founders? (III.i)