A fast-paced whirlwind of fantasy and mockery confined to a single room, The Alchemist offers a witty culmination of Jonson's experiments with city comedy. The play has been widely recognized as one of the most impressive achievements of the period's theatre; Coleridge famously described it as one of the three most perfect plots in literature. Yet it is a notoriously difficult play: its alchemical language has aged into obscurity, and its insiderly humour can seem impenetrable to students approaching it for the first time. This comprehensively annotated edition translates and illuminates the play's many pleasures and shows how Jonson's cynical, street-wise wit resonates with our contemporary sensibilities. Pollard highlights the play's witty ingenuity, while offering the information and guidance to enable students to understand and enjoy The Alchemist fully.

An annotated edition of a major canonical play by Ben Jonson ideal for students

About the Author
Tanya Pollard is Professor of English at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, USA.


Book Information
ISBN 9781472532596
Author Tanya Pollard
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint The Arden Shakespeare
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC