The Subtlety of Alchemy: Formation of Alchemical Space in Early Modern London Theater
Faculty Sponsor
Heather Clark Easterling, easterling@gonzaga.edu
Session Type
Traditional Paper Presentation
Research Project Abstract
In Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, the laboratory space that is constructed through the play functions as a type of alchemy, working through the operations of capitalism attempting to break through the rigid structures that have defined and ruled feudal London in the early modern period. My argument is that the main stage-space of the play is the metaphorical laboratory where-in the only alchemy that occurs is inflicted on the customers of the con. The characters represent alchemical materials, all attempting to manipulate the space they inhabit.
Session Number
RS5
Location
Weyerhaeuser 203
Abstract Number
RS5-e
The Subtlety of Alchemy: Formation of Alchemical Space in Early Modern London Theater
Weyerhaeuser 203
In Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, the laboratory space that is constructed through the play functions as a type of alchemy, working through the operations of capitalism attempting to break through the rigid structures that have defined and ruled feudal London in the early modern period. My argument is that the main stage-space of the play is the metaphorical laboratory where-in the only alchemy that occurs is inflicted on the customers of the con. The characters represent alchemical materials, all attempting to manipulate the space they inhabit.
