Cynthia's Revels: The Fountain of Self-Love

Name: Cynthia's Revels: The Fountain of Self-Love
Author: Ben Jonson
ISBN: 9781787367333

Author: Ben Jonson
Language: English
Length: 280 pages
ISBN: 9781787367333
Published: 20 August 2023
Imprint: Sovereign

Satirical comedy
Vanity
Selfishness
Social critique
Mockery
Masquerade
Deception
Renaissance theater
London society
Moral flaws

All titles

Description

"Cynthia's Revels: The Fountain of Self-Love" by Ben Jonson is a satirical play that delves into the world of courtly flattery, vanity, and self-indulgence. The court of Queen Cynthia (a representation of Queen Elizabeth I) is populated by characters representing various vices and follies. The central character, Crites, is a young courtier who seeks self-improvement through the Fountain of Self-Love. Through witty dialogues and sharp humor, Jonson critiques the artificiality of courtly life, the pursuit of personal gain, and the consequences of excessive self-love. The play serves as a mirror to society's vanities and excesses, offering a comedic yet incisive commentary on human nature.

Author

Ben Jonson (1572–1637) was the great comic dramatist of Shakespeare's age — a poet of city intrigue, gullibility, and verbal fireworks. The Alchemist, Volpone, and Every Man in His Humour made London itself a stage of schemes and comeuppance. Scholar, satirist, and masque-maker to the court, Jonson wrote classical comedy with a street ear. His seven titles here open a door into Jacobean theatre at its sharpest and funniest.

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