벤 존슨의 『연금술사』에 타나난 풍자와 환상

Abstract

Ben Jonson is a self-claimed satirist opposed to a fantastic romantic comedy. In the Alchemist, Jonson satirizes the greed of London citizens. Not only the cheaters--Subtle, Face, and Dol--are motivated by greed, but also the cheated--Dapper, Drugger, Mammon and Tribulation--come to 'the alchemist' to satisfy their own greeds. Alchemy becomes the means by which the greeds of both the cheaters and the cheated are exposed. Even though this play is a city comedy satirizing London life and the Renaissance ideas, Jonson never disregards the realm of fantasy, which is beyond the possible. Rather, Jonson actively uses fantasy to explore the nature and the depth of the characters' various desires. For instance, the cheaters persuade the cheated that their fantasy about a better self and a better world can come true through alchemy. Alchemy is used also as a metaphor for the characters' fantasy of transformation. As copper becomes gold through alchemy, the characters try to transform themselves and their world into better ones. In this play, the cheaters actively use different costumes and settings to cheat the victims. The cheaters have multiple identities and act and direct each other through their charades. Satire, fantasy and acting are three pillars of the play co-relating to one another. All three areas reveal Renaissance characteristics. This paper explores the ways in which these three elements are related and pursue how satire and fantasy are balanced in this play. In the last act, the fantasies turns out to be impossible; the alchemist runs away and Face goes back to his old self, the servant Jeremy. Satire seems to make absolute triumph over fantasy. But in the end of the play, Face directly speaks to the audience that he will "invite new quests," which implies that both new victims and new audience will join in his fraud and theater--two fantasy worlds. Fantasy survives.