Epicoene or The Silent Woman

by Ben Jonson, Roger Victor Holdsworth

'A silent and loving woman is a gift of the lord'

This 'excellent comedy of affliction' enjoyed enormous prestige for more than a century after its first performance: for John Dryden it had 'the greatest and most noble construction of any pure unmixed comedy in any language'. Its title signals Jonson's satiric and complex concern with gender: the play asks not only 'what should a man do?', but how should men and women behave, both as fit examples of their sex, and to one another? The characters furnish a cross-section of wrong answers, enabling Jonson to create riotous entertainment out of lack, loss and disharmony, to the point of denying the straightfowardly festive conclusion which audiences at comedies normally expect. Much of the comic vitality arises from a degeneration of language, which Jonson called 'the instrument of society', into empty chatter or furious abuse, and from a plot which is a series of lies and betrayals (the hero lies to everyone and Jonson lies to the audience). The central figure is a man named Morose, who hates noise yet lives in the centre of London, and who, because of his decision to marry a woman he supposes to be silent, exposes himself to a fantastic cacophony of voices, male, female and - epicene.

This student edition contains a lengthy Introduction with background on the author, date and sources, theme, critical interpretation and stage history.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Classics, School, British Literature, 17th Century, Read For School

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1616

About the author

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.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Jonson

Reviews

[Stephen Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not surprising that there are no reviews for this play. What could a modern reader really have to say about it? This is a city comedy about changing customs, idiosyncratic behaviors, unusual events, and laughable tropes happening in London in the first decade of the seventeenth century. It's like a Jacobean episode of "Family Guy." Just as the average episode of "Family Guy" is so packed with inside jokes, pop culture references, current events, and cultural absurdities that it won't make any sense in twenty-five years, so is this play, which requires heavy reliance on footnotes and an extensive editorial introduction in order to be accessible at all. Just as an example, most of the jokes in the final scenes of the play are in Latin.

Usually I see in reviews of Elizabethan plays on goodreads concessions such as, "At least the poetry was nice." Well, Epicene wasn't written in meter, so it doesn't even have that going for it. What is there that the modern layman can still enjoy? The Morose character, who abhors all noise except the sound of his own voice, is a clever enough creation, and one can imagine that a scene in which he forces his servant to communicate with him through a series of intricate head wags and leg motions (like a horse counting by tapping his hoof, perhaps?) was quite funny on stage. But those amusing moments become fewer as the play progresses.

If you're interested in a Ben Jonson play that can still be appreciated today, read The Alchemist, a comedy about London in 1610 that doesn't rely so heavily on evanescent fashions.

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

principal antagonist is a 'man who prefers no noise,' which is an apt description of my wife.

latin scene is one of the best scenes in the period.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

genuinely what is wrong with these people

[Hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Maybe closer to 3.5-3.75) Such an odd play that needs an EMoTrans reevaluation (if that hasn't already been done). Mountains of concern about the simultaneously overly painted and overly masculine women. And then, Epicoene, who, after her "reveal," has no lines. Much to consider.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly little comedy!

[Ruby Saggers · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the HECK is wrong with these people… why is Latin in every line… YouTube pranksters have nothing on these guys.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

😴

[Ruth Came · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-
As far as revenge comedies go- I found it quite original! Sadly it’s no longer really appropriate to be performed in front of a modern audience as a result of the continuous use of Latin phraseology and 17th century ‘pop-culture references’. I always find the New Mermaids editions are great for their footnotes. I may have given it 4 stars if it wasn’t for Morose disappearing into oblivion at the end! Considering how whiny of a character he is I was expecting something glorious from him. Otherwise delightfully funny! The penultimate scene with the Latin probably had the most merit in terms of comedic value. And great fun to see male sexuality being made the butt of the joke once in a while (but of course there are still some rather fruity speeches from Truewit throughout so best to take that with a pinch of salt).

[Erin BookNut · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this play. I was dreading reading this for class but really it is very enjoyable for the modern reader If you can get past the language.

[daydreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn´t enjoy Epiceone very much. Tons and tons of sexism about how women are sex animals and will sleep with anyone. *eye roll*
Probably my least favourite Jonson play so far.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as funny as The Alchemist, but a lot of the verbal play you can expect from Ben Jonson. Jonson has made a supremely witty comedy that lampoons many of the conventions of his day, but still resonates today. In particular, what Jonson has to say about men courting women, and about foolish marriage and relationships in general is quite phenomenally written and delivered.

Jonson's use of almost stock characters in this play was effective, especially since the characters had a good deal more personality even as they conformed to conventions. Sir Amorous La Foole, Captain Otter, Sir Jack Daw, and Cutbeard are all comic characters, but each has a very different role to play and has some deal fo personality or development that brings particularity to their role.

The use of Truewit as a sort of moral or humorous center was good, and not as overbearing as I thought it might be. He has some of the funnier speeches in the play, and would recommend some of his dissection of wooing for a comedic actors monologue as much as any.

Overall, I was looking for something a little more related to the history and practices of the city, like The Alchemist. There is something of it there because of Jonson's familiarity with the city and his tendency to place plots in London, but overall it felt rather general. The lampooning was definitely towards ridiculous, 'fashionable' city culture however, so it had its moments.

Overall, a very good and funny Ben Jonson play. I would certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the comedies of Shakespeare, as I believe Jonson gives him a rival in some of his plots and wits. This is an absolute must text for anyone interested in Ben Jonson on his own, as it is one of his more famous plays.

[Yorgos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonson & his fans are sooo pretentious bro almost makes me feel bad for liking this play so much. Had a LOT of fun with this. Possibly the only time I've ever been impressed by a dedication & preface, but every time I read Jonson's poetry I like it more. Jonson flexing classical knowledge in this one: some of this is ripped from Ars Amorica, some from Juvenal--even some refs to (relatively) obscure Anc. Grk. people. While I was reading it this play reminded me of nothing so much as Menander's Dyskolos--which Jonson couldn't have read b/c it had not been found yet--but I came to find out that he had read Libanius' orations XXVI & XXVII (Foester) which are spoken by men referred to as O Dyskolos, haha (& which are a major inspiration for the play). Also remined me some of A Trick to Catch the Old One, in the whole fighting for inheritance from an uncle & a love subplot, but obviously this is much less overtly new comic than that one. Not sold to be honest on the sexual ambiguity stuff critics are making so much hay about but maybe that's just because I haven't read as much criticism on this as on Gallatea (which rn I think is more interesting).

But that's all for the heady stuff; honestly I had a really really good time with this play. It made me laugh a lot, and I found it clever and fun, and I think the people giving this low stars are probably too deep in the EME lit pool, or perhaps have not considered that they should just cry about it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Read in the nice The Alchemist and Other Plays Oxford edition.
!!!! DO NOT READ IN THE OXFORD FIVE PLAYS EDITION. THAT EDITION SUCKS. !!!!

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful assortment of a comedy of humours, a comedy of manners and absolute farce has Morose (literally meaning ‘miserable’, glum’ etc.) for its principal character. He is an egoistical old unmarried man. His special humour is his penetrating repugnance for noise. He lives in a blind alley and involves in fighting against all who cry their merchandises in the street. He has got his front door muffled, his shutters closed, and his staircase quilted. His servants answer him only by signs; he tolerates only his own voice. In order to disinherit his nephew, Sir Dauphine Eugene, Morose proposes to beget an heir by marrying the most silent woman he can find. Then a trick is played upon him by his nephew and his barber, Cutbeard. A boy in camouflage is introduced to Morose as Epicoene, a woman with an unusual gift of silence. Morose marries her only to find her, after the nuptial, "a perfect tornado noise." The hysterical Morose appeals to his nephew and his friend Truewit to acquire a divorce. His nephew hurriedly discloses the truth, and the farcical denouement is accomplished with many an ingenious turn and sparkling entertainment. Dryden designated the play as the archetype of a well-made comedy. Here the dramatist is less intent on ethical reprimand and aims more at producing gaiety. Its nature is resembling that of farce, as its leitmotif is a whim or an idiosyncrasy and not immorality.

[Kārlis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it sometimes felt a bit dragged out, this was a lovely comedy, and it would've been even lovelier were I to understand even a tenth of it because of the intellectual humour. Latin knowledge (or translatory notes) is a must, not even mentioning the classical references and themes all throughout, with which this play is brought to a higher amalgamation of classic and Renaissance culture. Got a chuckle even at the end because of the removal of the divide between audience and play; however, the most fun was had with the characters and their interactions, which could be aptly described as intellectual pranks.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary play: if you think slut-shaming, trans issues, toxic masculinity, Trumpian "locker room talk", gaslighting, false-flagging, intra-feminist rivalry etc are new phenomena, look no further. This play written in 1609 has all of them and, it being Ben Jonson, it is very funny (and shocking) too.

[Katheryn Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always a little wary of reading Jonson, and Epicoene was a somewhat arduous read, but it was also surprisingly funny. There's a lot of interesting ideas being explored in this play, so now that I've got a handle on the plot, I want to reread it and see what I can get from it.

[Ted J. Gibbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the fuck

[Isabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Silent women indeed

[Annso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love city comedies.

[Amarah H-S]

i don’t rlly feel qualified to give this a rating but like honestly i was entertained

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of gender commentary in the time in which it was written. If a comedy, maybe a little progressive, but not progressive by today’s standards.

[bethan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good god

[vera · Rating 2 out of 5]

did not enjoy x

[Taylor Manookian · Rating 1 out of 5]

so bad! everyone is stupid and crazy!

[Jiang Yuqi · Rating 5 out of 5]

More queer than Shakespeare could ever be.
Also, please use scholarly annotated version. It’s indeed very annoying that you need to look at notes to get the jokes, but it’s worth the trouble.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like this play. Overall the story was okay but maybe it was just the wording that made me not like it. It could also be just that I read it for class.

[Federico · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps I was in the wrong mood, but this one was underwhelming.

[Emma McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

very silly, I enjoyed. Picturing men dressed as women and talking shit about men makes me giggle

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly simple comic plot but odd characters and some confusing subplots

[aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

the end was funny but very convoluted don’t think he’s as good as shakespeare plus too much latin