theme of greed in Volpone

Jonson’s presentation of the theme of Greed
Jonson presents the theme of greed in an extremely interesting manner, satirizing the vices of the characters through portraying there hunger for money and human desire. There are many aspects in the play which reveal the theme of greed, as Jonson wasn’t brought up in the wealthiest in house hold, he was surrounded by extremes of poverty and wealth in the earliest years in his life, which highlights a lot about the representations of ‘avarice’.
One of the largest aspects which reveals greed is the concept of wealth and money, we acknowledge the fact that Volpone is extremely wealthy and far from poverty. The beginning of the play, the introduction in which we first come across the protagonist Volpone, he begins by stating ‘ good morning to the day; and, next, my gold: open the shrine, that I see my saint.’. This expressive utterance highlights his obsession and desire for wealth, along with the abstract noun ‘saint’ which is a religious reference which refers to being heaven after death in Christianity. Jonson emphasis the morals and interests of Volpone, by introducing him to the audience with strong references to his ‘treasure’ which is so heavily valued to him. The fact he is already extremely wealthy, portrays his greed as he is constantly on the hunt for more.
Jonson has portrayed the theme of greed through a majority of the character in the play, not just Volpone himself. We come across the strategy in which Volpone raises his wealth, and how proud he is of his cunning plan, ‘I glory more in the cunning purchase of my wealth, than in the glad possession’. Jonson satirizes the vices of the fools by implementing their greed, which is useless, as it is all a scam. Even though these people are educated and extremely wealthy, their greed for more and Volpone’s inheritance is portraying them as being extremely gullible and stupid. Corbaccio for example says ‘ i have brought a bag of bright chequins, will quite weigh