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Act 3, Scene 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Alchemist, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Alchemy and Transformation
Religion
Sex and Greed
Deception and Gullibility
Summary
Analysis
Face enters, and Subtle asks if he was successful. No, Face says. He walked the whole Temple Church and there was no signs of the “costive cheater.” Subtle is disappointed—to dupe Surly would be extremely satisfying. Face tells Subtle to forget Surly. He met a “Don of Spain” at the church, who has come to England “for his conscience.” He is rich and on his way over. Face told him all about Doll, and he is very interested. Face looks around for Doll. “She must prepare perfumes, delicate linen, / The bath in chief, a banquet, and her wit,” Face says. “For she must milk his epididymis.”
Face is obviously referring to Surly as the “costive cheater,” which is ironic since it is Face and Subtle who are cheating everyone. Spain is a Catholic country, which is why Face says the Spaniard came to England, a mostly Protestant country, “for his conscience.” Again, Doll is a prostitute, and Jonson is very descriptive in this respect, as Doll is expected to “milk [the Spaniard’s] epididymis.”
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Subtle sends for Doll, and then he tells Face all about his “John Leidens.” He was able to get 100 marks from Ananias and Tribulation, Subtle says and exits. Face can’t believe how lucky he is. He took 10 pounds from Mammon and three from Dapper. That sum added to what he took from Drugger, plus whatever he manages to get from Dame Pliant and Kestrel—Face can’t image his share will be anything less than 40 pounds. Doll enters, and Face tells her about the Spaniard, and then he asks her if either Dapper or Drugger have returned. No, Doll answers.
Subtle’s mention of Ananias and Tribulation as “John Leidens” refers to the Anabaptists followers of Johann Buckholdt of Leiden, who was the leader of a radical group of Puritans in Germany. Face stops and takes stock of all the money he has conned out of his victims thus far, which again underscores his greed and deception.
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Subtle returns and says Ananias and Tribulation are gone, and he has added their money to the bank. Subtle says he hopes Dame Pliant comes soon, but Face says he hopes everyone stays away until he finishes his business with the Spaniard. Subtle asks Face how he came to meet “this secret Don.” Face says he found him while looking for Surly, and then he tells Doll to “go tune [her] virginal.” She must give the Spaniard “good action, Face says. That way, he will be more easily “cozened.” There is a knock at the door. It is too early for the Spaniard, Face says.
Again, Jonson draws attention to Doll’s job as a prostitute, as she must “tune [her] virginal” and give the Spaniard “good action,” so they can steal all his money. This again underscores their deception and, in bluntly and repeatedly referencing sex that society considers inappropriate, implies that this kind of behavior is far more common than people would like to think.
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Doll goes to the window. It is Dapper at the door, she says. In that case, Face says, it is time for Doll to be the “Queen of Fairy.” Doll agrees and exits. Face tells Subtle to put on his robes and follow his cues. Face looks out the window and notices a second man. It must be Kestrel, Face says, the man who wants to quarrel. Dame Pliant, Subtle says, isn’t with them.
This passage again underscores the character transformation that takes place in the play. Upon Dapper’s arrival, Doll, Subtle, and Face must transform into completely different people, and they must maintain these identities with Kestrel and Dame Pliant, too.
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