Ben Jonson’s play The Alchemist centers on the practice of alchemy, an ancient form of natural philosophy and early type of chemistry that sought to create the philosopher’s stone, a legendary alchemical substance that could transform base metals like lead and mercury into gold and silver. The philosopher’s stone was also thought to produce the elixir of life, which promised to give whoever consumed it immortal life. Alchemy was considered a legitimate form of science in Jonson’s day and many sought the power of the mysterious stone. With the philosopher’s stone, the poor could be transformed into the wealthy, and the sick and old into the vibrant and youthful. In The Alchemist, Jonson juxtaposes the transformative powers of alchemy against the transformation of his characters. Jonson’s characters are constantly changing, and as the main characters—Face, Subtle, and Doll—dupe unsuspecting victims into believing they have created the philosopher’s stone, they likewise transform into different characters entirely. Through the depiction of transformation in The Alchemist, Jonson argues that all things—people included—are always in flux.
Throughout the play, Jonson makes repeated references to the transformative powers of alchemy and the philosopher’s stone, which promises to bring limitless riches and health to Face, Subtle, and Doll’s victims. When Subtle tells Doll about their victim Sir Epicure Mammon—who believes Subtle is a doctor of alchemy and in possession of the philosopher’s stone—Subtle claims that Mammon wants the stone and the elixir of life. According to Subtle, Mammon is “Searching the spittle, to make old bawds young; / And the highways for beggars to make rich.” Mammon is chiefly interested with the stone’s transformative powers. As Mammon arrives at the house in which Face and Subtle are staging their con, he tells Face that after he purchases the philosopher’s stone from Subtle, he will immediately begin transforming base metals: “This night I’ll change / All that is metal in my house to gold.” Again, Mammon is interested in the stone because it can transform him into a rich man. Of course, Subtle doesn’t actually have the philosopher’s stone, so when Mammon arrives, Face tells him that Subtle has not yet completed the process. “[T]he red ferment / Has done his office,” Face says to Mammon. “Three house hence, prepare you / To see projection.” Here, Face refers to one of the final stages of transmutation, after which the philosopher’s stone will be created and “projection”—the transformation of lead into gold—will be possible.
In addition to the transformations made possible through alchemy and the philosopher’s stone, Jonson’s characters likewise transform, which suggests that people are constantly evolving. Jonson’s main character is a butler and conman known as Face to his criminal associates; however, in the presence of his victims, Face is a respected “Captain” and expert of alchemy. As each of Face’s victims come and go, he is immediately transformed into another character completely. Likewise, Face’s partner, a conman named Subtle, also transforms for the benefit of their victims. When each of their victims arrive, Subtle changes from a lowly criminal to a respected doctor of alchemy, who also happens to have knowledge of the philosopher’s stone. Doll, a prostitute and criminal associate of Face and Subtle’s, is also transformed throughout the play. To pull off their cons, Doll is transformed into the “Fairy Queen”—a keeper of sorts of the secrets of the philosopher’s stone—and the sister of an aristocrat, who also happens to be a religious scholar.
Face is again transformed at the end of the play when Lovewit, the master of the house, returns. Lovewit has been gone to his country home for nearly a month, hoping to escape the plague that has hit London, and Face has been using Lovewit’s London home to stage his schemes. With Lovewit’s return, Face is transformed into Jeremy, Lovewit’s unassuming butler, and his days of swindling gullible Londoners are over, at least for now. The transformative powers of alchemy are mirrored in the transformation of Jonson’s characters, which ultimately suggests that all things, including people, are constantly changing and evolving.
Related Themes from Other Texts
Alchemy and Transformation ThemeTracker
Alchemy and Transformation Quotes in The Alchemist
If thou beest more, thou art an understander, and then I trust thee. If thou art one that tak’st up, and but a pretender, beware at what hands thou receiv’st thy commodity; for thou wert never more fair in the way to be cozened than in this age in poetry, especially in plays: wherein now the concupiscence of dances and antics so reigneth, as to run away from Nature and be afraid of her is the only point of art that tickles the spectators.
And you, too,
Will give the cause, forsooth? You will insult
And claim a primacy in the divisions?
You must be chief? As if you only had
The powder to project with? And the work
Were not begun out of equality?
The venture tripartite? All things in common?
Without priority? ’Sdeath, you perpetual curs,
Fall to your couples again, and cozen kindly
And heartily and lovingly, as you should,
And lose not the beginning of a term,
Or, by this hand, I shall grow factious too,
And take my part, and quit you.
Yes, Captain, I would have it for all games.
Sir, against one o’clock, prepare yourself.
Till when you must be fasting; only, take
Three drops of vinegar in at your nose;
Two at your mouth; and one at either ear;
Then bathe your fingers’ ends; and wash your eyes,
To sharpen your five senses; and cry ‘hum’
Thrice; and then ‘buzz’, as often; and then, come.
Methinks I see him entering ordinaries,
Dispensing for the pox; and plaguy houses,
Reaching his dose; walking Moorfields for lepers;
And offering citizens’ wives pomander-bracelets
As his preservative, made of the elixir;
Searching the spittle, to make old bawds young;
And the highways for beggars to make rich.
I see no end of his labours. He will make
Nature ashamed of her long sleep, when art,
Who’s but a stepdame, shall do more than she,
In her best love to mankind, ever could.
If his dream last, he’ll turn the age to gold.
For I do mean
To have a list of wives and concubines
Equal with Solomon, who had the stone
Alike with me; and I will make me a back
With the elixir that shall be as tough
As Hercules, to encounter fifty a night.
I will have all my beds blown up, not stuffed;
Down is too hard. And then mine oval room
Filled with such pictures as Tiberius took
From Elephantis, and dull Aretine
But coldly imitated. Then, my glasses
Cut in more subtle angles, to disperse
And multiply the figures as I walk
Naked between my succubae.
Pray you, sir, stay.
Rather than I’ll be brayed, sir, I’ll believe,
That alchemy is a pretty kind of game,
Somewhat like tricks o’the cards, to cheat a man
With charming.
Good brother, we must bend unto all means
That may give furtherance to the holy cause.
She now is set
At dinner in her bed, and she has sent you
From her own private trencher, a dead mouse
And a piece of gingerbread, to be merry withal,
And stay your stomach, lest you faint with fasting;
Yet, if you could hold out till she saw you (she says)
It would be better for you.
Sweet Madame, let me be particular—
Particular, sir? I pray you, know your distance.
