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Act 4, Scene 6
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 with Kestrel, and, pointing him in the direction of Surly, tells Kestrel it is now his chance to quarrel. Kestrel is up to the challenge and quickly takes to insulting Surly. Face tells Kestrel that Surly has come to cheat Subtle, and Surly tries to explain himself. He even asks Dame Pliant to talk some sense into her brother, but Kestrel won’t listen. Kestrel tells Dame Pliant to leave at once, and Dame Pliant obeys her brother without complaint. Just as Surly begins to tell Kestrel all about Face and Subtle’s scam, Drugger enters.
Face encourages Kestrel to test out his fighting skills on Surly so Face and Subtle can get rid of Surly and try to salvage their scam. Again, as tension mounts and the play builds toward the climax, Face and Subtle must deal with multiple victims at once and try to juggle each of their individual cons and disguises at the same time.
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Face quietly tells Drugger to follow his lead and says that Surly has scammed the “honest Drugger” out of money and tobacco. It is true, Drugger says, and Surly has promised three times to pay. Surly protests, but Face continues. He asks Drugger if Surly owes him for “lotium,” and Drugger confirms he does, in addition to “six syringes.” Face quietly tells Kestrel he must quarrel Surly right out the door, so Kestrel continues insulting and threatening him.
Here, Face uses Drugger to further deceive Kestrel and make him believe that Surly is the real con. This entire scenario is incredibly far-fetched, but Kestrel and Drugger, of course, are gullible, and they fall for it easily enough. They mock Surly and claim he owes Drugger for “lotium” (hair tonic made from urine) and “six syringes,” which implies Surly also has a problem with drugs, likely laudanum (a type of opium).
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Suddenly, Ananias enters and tells Face that the brethren have concluded that casting dollars is lawful. Subtle tells Ananias to be quiet, and Kestrel asks if Ananias is a constable. Face assures Kestrel that Ananias is no constable, and Ananias instantly notices Surly’s Spanish clothing. Ananias says the Spanish “are profane, / Lewd, superstitious, and idolatrous breeches,” and Kestrel kicks Surly out of the house. Surly rushes out the door, and Face tells Kestrel to chase Surly down the street, so he doesn’t’ come back. Kestrel agrees and exits.
Subtle and Face’s scam is obviously starting to unravel. This section also reflects the strong anti-Catholic sentiments of Jonson’s time, and it further implies that the Anabaptists are immoral, since they have no problem counterfeiting money. Ananias assumes by Surly’s Spanish clothing that he is Catholic, and Ananias quickly takes to insulting him and implying he is unchristian simply because he doesn’t look Protestant.
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Face explains to Drugger that Surly has kept them from most of their business, and he asks Drugger if he can get his hands on a Spanish suit. “Hast thou no credit with the players?” Face asks. “Yes, sir,” Drugger says, “did you ever see me play the fool.” Face says he hasn’t, and then he says that “Hieronimo’s old cloak” will do just fine. Drugger exits, and Ananias says again that casting money has been deemed lawful. Fine, says Subtle, but they cannot do it here. If they are caught, Subtle says, they will all be go to prison. Ananias exits, and Doll enters.
Face still has to convince Dame Pliant and Kestrel that someone is Spanish if he is to pull off his scam, which is why he asks Drugger for a Spanish suit. Face asks Drugger if he knows any actors, or “players,” with costumes, such as “Hieronimo’s old cloak” from The Spanish Tragedy (Jonson himself played Hieronimo in Thomas Kyd’s play). When Drugger says yes and asks if Face saw him “play the fool,” this is a bit of theater humor for Jonson’s contemporaries. The actor who was first cast to play Drugger also played the Fool in a recent production of Shakespeare’s King Lear.
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Doll is in a panic and says they are all caught. Face’s master, Lovewit, is back from the country and is just outside. Face and Subtle are shocked and equally panicked. Face tells them both to calm down. He orders Subtle and Doll to pack up all their profits and stash them in the basement. They should run down to the docks, and Face will meet up with them later and bring their profits. But first, Face must become “Jeremy the butler” again and shave off his beard.
Face again transforms into another character upon Lovewit’s arrival. Presumably, “Jeremy the butler” is Face’s “real” identity, and his identity as Face (a name that also gestures to his ability to disguise himself and take on different faces or identities) is just for criminal purposes.
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