Though the most corrupt character in the world of any play, Valpone’s vitality and delight in life make him irresistibly attractive to us

It would be almost impossible for the audience of this satiric comedy, Valpone non to be moved, if not shocked by the larger than life, absolutely corrupt contribution of Valpone. He evokes both repel and a perverted sense of admiration as we be presented to someone who is so completely inert in compassion. We atomic number 18 almost in awe of this character who has no fear of punishment for his sins in this world or the next, yet the realisation that his diabolic is so strong and overbearing that he longs to foray the personification of innocence is chilling and deeply disturbing. Remorseless, loveless and careless, Johnson gives us a character not equal any other and sets him in Renaissance Venice, the ideal place and time for such a despot and his parasite to thrive.Valpones gold is his god, and he in turn worships it as suchGood morning to the twenty-four hour period and, next, my goldOpen the shrine, that I may see my saint.This opening speech is drenched with religi ous imagery, this juicy language shows no fear of retribution and this is backed up when he reveals that for him hell would be do heaven if he had gold on that point. Ironically it is the control that money and possessions have over Valpone that bring intimately his downfall, for fleck he is deeply cunning, witty and intelligent he continuously overreaches, blinded and seduced by money. We are immediately appealed and appalled by this foreboding fascination for riches for although it is sacrilegious it shows an amazing strength of character to turn his back completely on religion and its threat of eternal punishment. However his misery and stinginess are unbecoming qualities that fail to lure the audience. Here he shows the familiar characteristics of a fox, in that it is the chase not the kill that brings the thrill, i.e. he takes sheer pleasure in fooling his peers, and has no need for the money that he gains in doing so, except perhaps for looking at.Another unattractive qua lity found in Valpone is his nihility of affection and love, he exploits his freakish bastard children, using them as a source them for entertainment clapperclaw forth my dwarf, my eunuch and my foolAnd let em make me sportJohnson has added these abnormals not only as a comic restbite but to give let us see the result of Volpones inner corruption externalised. nonetheless his seemingly pleasant relationship with Mosca is built solely on flattery and humouring each other, they do not love each other, but instead need each other, their parasite and host relationship is inter-reliant and interdependent.With the attending of Mosca, Valpone sets tabu to bring down each of the other ravenous characters in turn. Although it is Johnsons desire to inform and determine he allows us to become amused by their amoral scheme and their amazing double act of trickery, collectible to the other characters gullibility, as each of them have similarly been infected by the degenerate disease of av arice. Their avarice has given Valpone trine years to enjoy counting with their hopes and their ignorance allows Valpone to continually take pleasure in let the cherry knock against their lipsThese legacy hunters, aware of the effective threat of each other, bring presents, each attempt to outdo the other, naively trusting Mosca as their vector to Valpones treasure. This old Italian tradition encourages such behaviour, and although this play is fictional, it is based on the diseased Italy which was rotten to the core with corruption.In his pretended dying state Valpone lacks the fortune to show off linguistically, his plan requires Mosca to do his lying and deceiving for him. Ironically however the materialisation of Moscas plan sees Valpone masked as a mountebank. In this masque Valpone successfully woes the crowd, his exhibitionist side is exposed, he is persuasive and entertaining, his glaring sales pitch deceives the crowd, making them think that they are buying a great p roduct at a bargain priceI am content to be deprived of it for sixValpone as Scotto of Mantua even manages to accomplish verbally seducing the virtuous Celia into dropping her hanky with his sensual and soft language.Only that Valpone disgustingly tries to pervert and rape the innocent and beautiful Celia he would almost seem heroic. Till this point there is almost a sense of fairness in that he gulls those equally selfish and greedy, in a simplistic term one bad guy taking from another. He is superior to those waiting to farce on his corpse in that he has a sense of dignity, demands a sense of respect and is so warped in arrogance it is humorous. However, in his attempted rape his evilness takes a step too far, while we may have forgiven him for duping the melodramatic Bonario out of his inheritance there is no repentance in his attempt to take Celia without her will.yield or Ill force theeThe sympathy we felt for Valpone in Act three Scene four when confronted with the garrulous grotesque Lady Would-be has been dissolved, her sin was that of being irritating, vain and boring, while all ugly qualities her seduction lacks the malice the violence and pure evil of rape. This is when the laughter stops and the audience is forced to look introspectively at their own moral values.The play narrowly escapes with a happy ending, Johnson ensures that no matter how persuading or entertaining the corrupt were, they are punished, full of vitality and life, or not, while the well-grounded are absolved. It is not the stereotypical good overcoming evil resolve, as neither Celia or Bonario, the only present of innocence throughout the play, carried much characteristic weight being two dimensional and shallow. The result is that evil overreaches and destroys itself.Valpone although a mastermind is left to wither away at an asylum, and without his gold to keep him company he his left to rot in his own hell. The audience was tempted and seduced by his explosive personality a nd the life that oozed out of him, even when feigning sick. Although hyperbolised and exaggerated he was the emphasis of human folly, we are all to a compass point driven by greed, we too are tempted by wrong and dishonesty, and that is the very reason that the character of Valpone appeals to us.