Tribulation Wholesome Character Analysis

A pastor and Anabaptist. Tribulation and his brethren have also hired Subtle to create the philosopher’s stone, and after Subtle kicks Ananias out when he comes to barter for Mammon’s metal without any money, Tribulation must go to Subtle and smooth things over. Tribulation doesn’t like Subtle or Face, and he even says that Subtle is “antichristian,” but he is willing to do whatever he must to get his hands on the stone. Tribulation and the other Anabaptists are planning to use the stone to further their religious cause, even if they must resort to unchristian means to secure it. Subtle tells Tribulation that he is still two weeks away from creating the stone, but he offers to teach the Anabaptists to cast Dutch money in the meantime. Tribulation claims he will have to take it before the brethren to see if casting money is lawful, and, after giving Subtle more money, he promises to return. The brethren decide that casting money is indeed lawful, but when Tribulation returns to Subtle and Face’s, it is with the police after he learns they are conmen. Tribulation is ultimately turned away by Lovewit, Face’s master, and so he never receives justice for the Anabaptists. Like Ananias, Tribulation Wholesome represents religious fanaticism, namely radical Protestantism, within Jonson’s play. Tribulation is greedy and hypocritical, and he is willing to sacrifice his morals to ensure the spread of his radical religious convictions.