Volpone
/vɒlˈpəʊneɪ/
/vɑːlˈpəʊneɪ/
- a comedy play (1606) by Ben Jonson. The main character, Volpone, is a rich Italian businessman who pretends that he is dying so that people give him gifts. Finally he is betrayed by his closest friend and punished. All the characters in the play are named after animals, and Volpone means 'fox'.