The Alchemist

Description

The Alchemist is a comedy and a classical play. The play’s illustration for human indiscretion and classicality have made it to one of the few Renaissance plays. The play was shown for 34 years at their first standing public theatre which is called ‘The Theatre’ in London. It is the product of the early maturity of commercial drama in London.

The summary of the play goes like this. Mr. Lovewit leaves the country temporarily because of his plague and he has left his butler, Jeremy, in sole charge of his house in Blackfriars. Jeremy lives in the house with Subtle, the improbable alchemist, and Dol Common, a prostitute. Jeremy got the idea of using the house as the haven for deceitful and fraudulent machinations. Swindlers Jeremy (also known as Captain Face), Subtle, and Dol Common fraudulently deceives a series of numerous innocent casualties or victims. Their victims are Dapper, Drugger, Sir Epicure Mammon, Ananias, Dame Pliant, and Kastril. Mammon’s companion Surly proposes to Dame Pliant. The swindlers pretended to be doctors, astrologers, and alchemists. The tricksters deceive and steal their money, goods and valuables. However, they are caught red handed by Master Lovewit, Jeremy’s boss, who decides not to inflict them if Jeremy agrees to arrange a marriage between him and Dame Pliant. Luckily, Lovewit freed Jeremy from his wrongful acts.

Lovewit wins Dame Pliant, and, in his good amiability, accepts the apology of his crafty butler, Jeremy ‘Capatain Face’. When the victims demand punishment for doing something wrong, they are finally persuaded that they have been chiseled as a result of their own self-seeking, selfishness and greed.

The Alchemist seeks to let the readers realize on what it is to be sought advantage over another person and what are the lessons learned.
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