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Voltore
Corbaccio’s name means “raven.” Another bird of prey figure, he is a doddering old man who, like Voltore and Corvino, hopes to be named Volpone’s heir. Corbaccio doesn’t hear well, and he is old and infirm, so his hope is only to live longer than Volpone. Whenever he receives news of Volpone’s (false) illness, Corbaccio openly expresses joy, even saying that hearing that Volpone is dying fills him with youth and energy. Part of Corbaccio’s desire for wealth seems altruistic, as he wants to leave his own fortune to his son Bonario. However, Mosca is easily able to manipulate Corbaccio into disinheriting Bonario. While Corbaccio initially does this in the hope of increasing the wealth he’ll eventually leave to his son, Corbaccio ultimately becomes corrupted and caught up in Mosca’s schemes, and the court forcibly transfers all of Corbaccio’s assets to Bonario.
Corbaccio Quotes in Volpone
The Volpone quotes below are all either spoken by Corbaccio or refer to Corbaccio. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 4
Quotes
Mosca: This is true physic, this your sacred medicine;
No talk of opiates to this great elixir!
Corbaccio: ‘Tis aurum palpabile, if not potabile.
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What a rare punishment is avarice to itself!
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Act 5, Scene 2
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True, they will not see 't.
Too much light blinds 'em, I think. Each of 'em
Is so possest and stuft with his own hopes
That anything unto the contrary,
Never so true, or never so apparent,
Never so palpable, they will resist it—
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Act 5, Scene 12
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Heaven could not long let such gross crimes be hid.
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Corbaccio Quotes in Volpone
The Volpone quotes below are all either spoken by Corbaccio or refer to Corbaccio. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 4
Quotes
Mosca: This is true physic, this your sacred medicine;
No talk of opiates to this great elixir!
Corbaccio: ‘Tis aurum palpabile, if not potabile.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
What a rare punishment is avarice to itself!
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Act 5, Scene 2
Quotes
True, they will not see 't.
Too much light blinds 'em, I think. Each of 'em
Is so possest and stuft with his own hopes
That anything unto the contrary,
Never so true, or never so apparent,
Never so palpable, they will resist it—
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Act 5, Scene 12
Quotes
Heaven could not long let such gross crimes be hid.
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