The Alchemist by Ben Jonson
Characters and Detailed Summary
Introduction
The Alchemist is a comedy by Ben Jonson, first performed in 1610. It is one of the finest examples of Jacobean comedy of humours and satire.
The play is set in London, mainly in the house of Lovewit, while Lovewit is away during an outbreak of plague.
The central idea is simple:
People's greed and foolish desires make them easy victims of deception.
The play presents a group of clever cheats who exploit the desires of people who want wealth, pleasure, social advancement, sexual gratification, or miraculous success.
Important Characters
| Character | Role / Importance |
|---|---|
| Face | Butler of Lovewit; mastermind of the fraudulent scheme |
| Subtle | A supposed alchemist; Face's partner in cheating |
| Dol Common | Their female accomplice; intelligent and adaptable |
| Lovewit | Owner of the house; Face's master |
| Dapper | A lawyer's clerk who wants supernatural help to win at gambling |
| Drugger | A tobacconist who wants success in business |
| Sir Epicure Mammon | Wealthy man obsessed with unlimited riches and luxury |
| Sir Pertinax Surly | Mammon's sceptical friend; tries to expose the cheats |
| Tribulation Wholesome | Puritan minister |
| Ananias | Tribulation's associate; extreme and hypocritical Puritan |
| Kastril | Young man who wants to become a fashionable quarreller |
| Dame Pliant | Kastril's wealthy sister; becomes the object of several men's schemes |
| Captain Face | Name used by Face while pretending to be a different person |
| Jeremy Butler | Face's real identity |
| The Spanish Don | Surly in disguise, attempting to expose the fraud |
| Neighbours / servants / officers | Help create the confusion and eventual exposure |
The Three Main Conspirators
Face
Face is Lovewit's butler, whose real name is Jeremy.
He is the practical organiser of the entire fraud.
When his master leaves London, Face turns the house into a centre of deception.
He works with:
Subtle
Dol Common
Face is:
clever
quick-thinking
adaptable
dishonest
opportunistic
He changes his identity according to the person he is dealing with.
Face's Major Strength
His greatest ability is his skill in improvisation.
Whenever a situation becomes dangerous, he quickly invents another story.
Subtle
Subtle pretends to be an alchemist.
He claims that he can:
transform base metals into gold,
discover the philosopher's stone,
perform magical operations,
predict the future,
produce extraordinary medicines.
In reality, he is a fraud.
Subtle is highly intelligent but greedy and dishonest.
Relationship with Face
Face and Subtle are partners in crime, but they frequently quarrel over money and women, especially Dol Common.
Their relationship shows an important theme:
Greed destroys even relationships between criminals.
Dol Common
Dol Common is the female partner of Face and Subtle.
She plays an extremely important role in their deception.
She is:
intelligent
persuasive
theatrical
manipulative
adaptable
She changes her personality and appearance to suit different victims.
She helps Subtle and Face maintain the illusion that they are performing genuine magical and alchemical operations.
Importance
Dol is not merely a passive female character. She is an active participant in the conspiracy.
She is one of the most resourceful characters in the play.
Lovewit
Lovewit is the owner of the house and Face's master.
At the beginning, he is away because of the plague.
Face therefore uses his master's house for the fraudulent business.
When Lovewit returns, the entire operation is threatened.
However, Lovewit ultimately understands the situation and chooses to benefit from it rather than punish Face.
He allows Face to continue working for him and accepts the wealthy Dame Pliant as his wife.
Importance
Lovewit represents practical self-interest.
He is not morally idealistic. When he sees that he can benefit from the situation, he does so.
Dapper
Dapper is a lawyer's clerk.
He wants to become successful at gambling.
He believes that Subtle possesses magical powers that can help him win.
He is promised access to a supposed Queen of Fairy who will give him supernatural assistance.
What Happens to Dapper?
The conspirators:
blindfold him,
trick him,
imprison him temporarily,
steal his possessions.
He becomes one of their victims.
What He Represents
Dapper represents superstition and greed.
He wants success without relying on ordinary effort.
Abel Drugger
Drugger is a tobacconist.
He wants to make his shop successful.
He believes that Subtle possesses magical knowledge that can help him arrange his shop properly.
Subtle gives him various instructions and makes him believe that these arrangements will bring prosperity.
Drugger is another example of a person who is easily deceived because of his desire for quick success.
What He Represents
Drugger represents the commercial greed and superstition of the rising middle class.
Sir Epicure Mammon
Sir Epicure Mammon is one of the most important comic characters.
He is obsessed with obtaining the philosopher's stone.
He believes that the stone will allow him to transform ordinary metals into gold.
He dreams of becoming extraordinarily rich.
But his desire is not limited to wealth.
He imagines using his wealth for:
luxurious food
expensive clothes
magnificent buildings
beautiful gardens
sexual pleasure
scientific experiments
charity
social status
His imagination becomes increasingly extravagant.
Important Point
Mammon's name itself suggests greed and material desire.
His character is a satire on avarice and excessive luxury.
Sir Pertinax Surly
Surly is Sir Epicure Mammon's friend.
Unlike Mammon, he is sceptical.
He does not easily believe Subtle's claims.
He suspects that the whole alchemical operation is a fraud.
He eventually disguises himself as a Spanish nobleman to investigate the conspirators.
Importance
Surly functions as a partial voice of reason and scepticism.
However, he also becomes involved in the general competition for Dame Pliant.
Thus, even the man who exposes deception is not completely free from selfish desires.
Tribulation Wholesome
Tribulation is a Puritan minister.
He and Ananias want to obtain wealth for their religious community.
They approach Subtle because they want to use alchemy to obtain money.
Satirical Importance
Jonson uses Tribulation to attack religious hypocrisy.
Although the Puritans condemn worldly pleasures and immoral behaviour, they are themselves willing to participate in deception when money is involved.
Ananias
Ananias is Tribulation's associate.
He is a narrow-minded and hypocritical Puritan.
He strongly objects to certain things on religious grounds, yet he is willing to participate in an alchemical scheme if it can make his group wealthy.
He represents religious hypocrisy and fanaticism.
Kastril
Kastril is a young man who wants to learn how to quarrel and fight in fashionable society.
Subtle and Face exploit his desire to become a fashionable gentleman.
He is inexperienced and easily influenced.
Importance
Kastril represents the foolishness of young men who want to imitate fashionable behaviour without understanding it.
Dame Pliant
Dame Pliant is Kastril's sister.
She is wealthy and unmarried.
Because of her wealth, several characters become interested in her.
Both Surly and Face/Lovewit see opportunities in her.
She therefore becomes another object of manipulation.
Her character also contributes to the play's satire of marriage, wealth and social advancement.
Detailed Story / Plot Summary
Opening Situation
The play begins with a conflict between Face and Subtle.
They are partners in a fraudulent business, but they are arguing about who has contributed more to their success.
Face is actually Lovewit's butler.
Lovewit, the owner of the house, has left London because of the plague.
Face has taken advantage of his master's absence.
He has turned Lovewit's house into a place where Face, Subtle and Dol Common deceive people.
Their Basic Scheme
They pretend to possess:
magical powers,
alchemical knowledge,
secret information,
supernatural connections.
They promise people whatever they desire.
In return, they take their money and possessions.
Dapper Arrives
The first major victim is Dapper, a lawyer's clerk.
Dapper wants to become successful at gambling.
Subtle convinces him that he can help him through supernatural means.
He tells Dapper that he can introduce him to a powerful Queen of Fairy.
Dapper believes the story.
The conspirators prepare him for his supposed meeting with the supernatural being.
They blindfold him and eventually keep him confined.
While Dapper is being deceived, the conspirators take advantage of him.
Significance
Dapper is fooled because he wants easy success without effort.
Drugger Arrives
Next comes Abel Drugger, a tobacconist.
Drugger wants to improve his business.
He believes Subtle can provide secret knowledge about the best arrangement of his shop.
Subtle gives him elaborate instructions.
Drugger is delighted and pays for the supposed service.
Significance
Drugger's foolishness comes from his desire for commercial success.
Jonson is showing how easily ordinary people can be exploited when they become obsessed with money.
Sir Epicure Mammon Arrives
The biggest opportunity for the conspirators is Sir Epicure Mammon.
Mammon believes that Subtle can create the philosopher's stone.
According to the false claims, this stone can turn base metals into gold.
Mammon becomes extremely excited.
He imagines himself possessing unlimited wealth.
He describes a luxurious future filled with:
magnificent houses,
gardens,
rich food,
precious objects,
scientific discoveries,
sensual pleasures.
His imagination becomes almost ridiculous.
Jonson's Satire
Mammon is not merely greedy for money.
He is greedy for everything money can buy.
His imagination exposes the corruption caused by excessive desire.
Surly Becomes Suspicious
Sir Pertinax Surly does not believe the alchemical claims.
He suspects that Subtle is a fraud.
He decides to investigate the conspirators.
Meanwhile, Mammon continues believing that the philosopher's stone will soon make him enormously wealthy.
The Puritans Arrive
Tribulation Wholesome and Ananias come to the house.
They want to obtain wealth through alchemy.
Their plan is to use the supposed riches to support their religious community.
They are presented as strict religious people, but they are willing to participate in deception when money is involved.
Satire
Jonson exposes the contradiction between:
What they preach
and
What they actually desire.
Their religious language cannot hide their greed.
Kastril Arrives
Kastril comes because he wants to learn the fashionable art of quarrelling.
He wants to know:
how to insult people,
how to challenge people,
how to behave like a fashionable gentleman.
The conspirators exploit his desire.
They also become interested in his sister Dame Pliant, because she is wealthy.
The Competition for Dame Pliant
Dame Pliant becomes important because she is a wealthy young woman.
Several men see her as a valuable opportunity.
Surly decides that he wants to marry her.
However, the conspirators have their own plans.
This creates another layer of deception.
Surly disguises himself as a Spanish Don.
His intention is partly to investigate the fraudulent operation and partly to pursue Dame Pliant.
The Spanish Don Disguise
Surly enters disguised as a Spanish nobleman.
He hopes to expose Face and Subtle.
However, the disguise itself creates further confusion.
The conspirators are able to manipulate the situation.
Eventually Surly's identity is discovered.
His attempt to expose the fraud fails.
Comic Effect
The man who suspects the fraud becomes caught up in the same world of deception.
The Quarrel Between Face and Subtle
As more victims arrive, the house becomes increasingly chaotic.
Face and Subtle begin quarrelling again.
Their main points of conflict include:
money,
control of the operation,
Dol Common,
Dame Pliant,
who deserves more credit.
Their partnership begins to break down.
Important Theme
The cheats themselves are driven by the same greed that makes their victims foolish.
The Return of Lovewit
The most dangerous moment comes when Lovewit returns.
Face is terrified.
If Lovewit discovers that his house has been used for fraud, Face could lose his position.
Face therefore quickly changes his strategy.
He returns to his real identity as Jeremy, Lovewit's servant.
He tries to convince Lovewit that the strange people entering and leaving the house are connected with an illegal or suspicious operation conducted by others.
Face Saves Himself
Face's quick thinking helps him survive.
Instead of confessing everything, he uses his knowledge of the situation to make a bargain with Lovewit.
Lovewit realises that there is an opportunity for him to benefit.
The wealthy Dame Pliant becomes especially important.
Lovewit eventually decides to marry her.
Thus the master ends up benefiting from the fraudulent activity that took place in his house.
The Fraud Collapses
Eventually the various victims realise that something is wrong.
The promises of:
gold,
magical powers,
supernatural assistance,
wealth,
success
cannot be fulfilled.
The deception collapses.
Subtle escapes.
Dol Common is also forced to flee.
Face remains with Lovewit.
The victims are left angry and disappointed.
The Ending
The play ends with the conspirators' scheme collapsing, but the ending is not a simple moral victory.
Face survives.
Lovewit benefits.
The victims lose their money and illusions.
This creates a deliberately ironic conclusion.
Central Lesson
The cheats succeed because the victims' own greed, vanity, superstition and foolish desires make them easy to deceive.
Major Themes
Greed
Greed is perhaps the most important theme.
Almost every major character wants something:
Mammon → unlimited wealth
Dapper → gambling success
Drugger → business success
Puritans → money
Kastril → social status
Surly → Dame Pliant
Face and Subtle → money and control
The play suggests:
People who desire too much become easy victims of deception.
Deception
The entire plot is based on deception.
Face, Subtle and Dol create different identities and stories for different victims.
They manipulate people's weaknesses.
The play therefore becomes a comedy of deception.
Appearance vs Reality
Almost nothing is what it seems.
Subtle is not a genuine alchemist.
Face is not what he pretends to be.
The supernatural claims are false.
The Spanish Don is actually Surly.
The promised philosopher's stone does not exist.
This is a major feature of the play.
Alchemy and Superstition
Alchemy was associated with the search for the philosopher's stone, supposedly capable of transforming base metals into gold.
Jonson uses this belief to expose people's desire for instant wealth.
The alchemical fraud is therefore not merely about magic.
It is a symbol of human greed and unrealistic ambition.
Religious Hypocrisy
Tribulation and Ananias claim to be religious and morally strict.
Yet they are willing to participate in dishonest schemes for financial gain.
Jonson uses them to satirise Puritan hypocrisy.
Social Ambition
Many characters want to improve their social position.
Kastril wants fashionable behaviour.
Drugger wants commercial success.
Mammon wants enormous wealth and status.
Dame Pliant's wealth makes her attractive to men who want social or financial advantage.
Thus the play satirises a society increasingly concerned with money and social advancement.
Lust and Sexual Desire
Sexual desire is another motivation.
Mammon imagines sensual pleasures.
Surly wants Dame Pliant.
Face and Subtle compete over Dol.
Thus sexual desire works alongside greed as a source of foolishness.
The City of London
The play is set in contemporary London.
Jonson presents London as a place full of:
businessmen,
lawyers,
merchants,
religious groups,
fashionable people,
tricksters,
gamblers,
social climbers.
The play therefore functions as a satirical picture of Jacobean urban society.
Title: Why Is It Called The Alchemist?
The title refers directly to Subtle, who pretends to be an alchemist.
But the title has a deeper meaning.
The false alchemy represents the human desire to transform ordinary things into something more valuable.
Subtle promises to transform:
base metal → gold
But the play also shows people trying to transform:
ordinary lives → wealth, status and pleasure
Thus, the title symbolises greed, illusion and false promises.
Why Is The Alchemist a Comedy?
It is a comedy because it contains:
deception
disguise
mistaken identity
comic characters
exaggerated desires
quarrels
fast-moving action
social satire
an ultimately non-tragic ending
However, it is more than simple entertainment.
It is a satirical comedy.
Jonson uses laughter to expose the weaknesses of society.
Comedy of Humours
Jonson is strongly associated with the Comedy of Humours.
The theory of humours came from ancient medical ideas that the human body contained four fluids:
Blood
Phlegm
Yellow bile
Black bile
An excess of one humour was believed to influence a person's temperament.
In Jonson's drama, characters are often dominated by particular obsessions or personality traits.
Examples in The Alchemist:
Mammon → greed and extravagant desire
Dapper → gambling ambition
Drugger → commercial anxiety
Kastril → quarrelsomeness
Subtle → deception and ambition
Therefore, the play contains strong elements of the comedy of humours.
Face, Subtle and Dol — The Central Triangle
The three conspirators form the dramatic centre of the play.
Face
Practical intelligence
Subtle
False knowledge / intellectual trickery
Dol
Emotional and social manipulation
Together they can deceive almost anyone.
But their greatest weakness is their own greed and jealousy.
The Victims and Their Desires
A very useful exam table:
| Character | Desire |
|---|---|
| Dapper | Success in gambling |
| Drugger | Business success |
| Mammon | Unlimited wealth and luxury |
| Tribulation & Ananias | Wealth for their religious group |
| Kastril | Social status and skill in quarrelling |
| Surly | Truth/exposure + Dame Pliant |
| Face & Subtle | Money and personal advantage |
Key Observation
Every character wants something.
The conspirators simply learn how to sell people's desires back to them.
Important Exam Points
Author
Ben Jonson
Period
Jacobean Age
First Performed
1610
Genre
Comedy / Satirical comedy
Setting
London
Main Location
Lovewit's house
Central Tricksters
Face, Subtle and Dol Common
Main Victim of Greed
Sir Epicure Mammon
Main Sceptic
Sir Pertinax Surly
Businessman
Abel Drugger
Gambling Enthusiast
Dapper
Puritan Characters
Tribulation Wholesome and Ananias
Young Quarreller
Kastril
Wealthy Young Woman
Dame Pliant
Central Object of Desire
Philosopher's stone / gold
Major Themes
Greed, deception, hypocrisy, superstition, appearance vs reality, social ambition and lust
One-Paragraph Summary
The Alchemist is a Jacobean satirical comedy by Ben Jonson. When Lovewit leaves London during the plague, his butler Face uses his master's house as a centre for fraud with the supposed alchemist Subtle and their accomplice Dol Common. They deceive various people by promising to satisfy their desires. Dapper wants supernatural help to win at gambling; Drugger wants success in his tobacco business; Sir Epicure Mammon wants the philosopher's stone and unlimited wealth; the Puritans Tribulation and Ananias want money; and Kastril wants to learn fashionable quarrelling. Sir Pertinax Surly suspects the fraud and disguises himself as a Spanish nobleman, but his attempt to expose the cheats fails. The conspirators eventually face trouble when Lovewit returns. Face quickly returns to his identity as Jeremy and saves himself. Lovewit discovers the opportunity to benefit from the situation and marries the wealthy Dame Pliant. Subtle and Dol escape, while the various victims are left disappointed. The play satirises a society driven by greed, superstition, hypocrisy, lust and the desire for quick wealth.
One-Line Character Revision
Face → clever organiser and trickster
Subtle → fake alchemist and fraud
Dol Common → intelligent female accomplice
Lovewit → practical master who benefits from the situation
Dapper → gambler seeking supernatural help
Drugger → tobacconist seeking business success
Mammon → embodiment of greed and extravagant desire
Surly → sceptic who tries to expose the fraud
Tribulation → hypocritical Puritan minister
Ananias → fanatical Puritan associate
Kastril → young man obsessed with quarrelling
Dame Pliant → wealthy woman pursued for her money/social value**
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