As I was reading through Volpone and witnessing Mosca’s intelligence and position, I wondered why wasn’t Mosca’s already rich himself? From the start of the play I could tell Mosca held the reins of the whole scheme; all Volpone had to do was think of a plot and lie in bed. Mosca had to be the one on his feet, thinking of minute details in a short amount of time while Volpone acted like a blubbering mess. So why was Mosca still under Volpone’s roof or control for so long if it is clear Mosca’s aware of how a con-artist works? Sure, it could have been because Volpone already had an insurance of wealth that he could live well on for the rest of his life, but if he was so driven to act out Volpone’s antics, it could not have been all too difficult to start his own act? Well then, maybe it was loyalty? However, as the play progressed I could tell Mosca did not want to be under Volpone’s wing forever.
I feel Mosca would never have turned on Volpone if the course of events did not happen in this play. It is partly Volpone’s fault for giving Mosca the opportunity to turn against him, providing Mosca with such a large foothold on his treasures with the will. I believe as Volpone’s tricks started to lose their traction, Mosca started thinking of a way out. The way Jonson planned out the timeline of Volpone, it all worked out perfectly where the bad guys get their punishment and the good remain free. With such a clean ending, I wonder what would have transpired if Mosca could have gotten away with Volpone’s riches and how far the immoral could succeed.
It’s true that the bad guys get their punishment and the good remain free, but what kind of future does Celia have? She gets sent back to her father, but her marriage to Corvino is not dissolved. If she has to have any kind of freedom, it will require Corvino’s death to make her a widow, and he doesn’t seem to be a very old man.