Ben Jonson 
Every Man out of His Humour 

Every Man out of His Humour Ben Jonson – ‘Jonson’s *Every Man Out of His Humour* is a comical satire about envy and aspiration among the ambitious middle classes, who seek happiness in fame and material fortune. This first critical edition of the play conveys early modern obsessions with wealth and self-display through historical contexts. The book offers an intriguing look at the course of urban comedy, and a wealth of information about social relationships and colloquial language at the end of the Elizabethan period.Ben Jonson’s career began in 1597 when he held a fixed engagement in the ‘Admiral’s Men’, and although he was unsuccessful as an actor, his literary talent was apparent and he began writing original plays for the troupe. Jonson had a knack for absurdity and hypocrisy, a trait that made him immensely popular in the 17th century Renaissance period. It is known that Shakespeare’s company produced several of Jonson’s plays, Shakespeare himself appearing in ‘Every Man in His Humour’ (1598). The play was Jonson’s first major success, written in the style of ‘humour plays’, a genre of comedy originated by George Chapman. In it, Jonson targets some of his favorite topics for satire: education, love, poetry, and social classes. As each major character represents a different issue, the play transforms into a depiction of everyday Renaissance life, and a scathing social commentary on the problems that plagued it.

A propos de l’auteur

Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems. A man of vast reading and a seemingly insatiable appetite for controversy, Jonson had an unparalleled breadth of influence on Jacobean and Caroline playwrights and poets. A house in Dulwich College is named after him.