Antitheatricalism and Jonsons Volpone Essay -- Jonson Volpone Essays

Antitheatricalism and Jonsons Volpone    Crossdressing in England was mostly opposed by the Fundamentalist branch of the Protestant Church known as the Puritans. The Puritan dogma, lots like the concept of transvestism, was constantly challenged. Puritans found resistance in the religious authorities of the Church of England and the English government. Before 1536, the Roman Catholic Church was unobstructed and always won over Puritan proposals regarding legislation. Without a cooperative political ear, the Puritans resorted to experimental spiritual expression by changing their social behavior and structuring. ascribable to these changes, a formidable way of attacking the theaters use of crossdressing was developed- public preaching and pamphlets. Other individuals and groups (like the Juvenalians) supported the moral and social reform apparent motion by communicate and writing essays and books on the subject. Due to the nature the actors role in Ben Jonsons Volpone, the play was also implicated in this moral battle. The ideology behind the Puritan baulk was based on biblical sentiment and the patristic literary tradition of Roman writers like Tertullian and St. Augustine. The Puritans religious banner for combatting gender transgression was Deuteronomy 225- The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall a man put on a womans garment (Tiffany 58). In general, pagan myths were also associated with crossdressing. Puritans like William Pryne labeled these actors as beastly male monsters that degenerate into women (Tiffany 59). Further, the Puritans feared that men dressing as women caused the men in the audience to lust for real females and to form homoerotic desires for the male actors (the re... ...goal of the Antitheatrical movement in the Renaissance, was both supported and denounced by Jonson in various ways. However, the general perception is that Jonson (unlike Shakespeare) fueled the fires of degradation- implicati ng women with the weakness, lack of intelligence, and reason they were believed to exude. In the annals of theatrical history, Jonsons metadrama could be said to perpetuate this social stereotype. Nevertheless, Jonsons crossing of the gender line and sexual scenes like Volpones flashing of Celia were enough to have religious, moral, and social commentators screaming blood murder. twain issues demand prominence in the play. While outwardly a play driven by blatant genderless controversy, the inward thematic, character-driven nature of Volpone suggests a conformity and bond certificate to the intellectual and theological moralism of the time.