Many critics of Ben Jonson's Volpone have argued that it is not a true comedy but rather a mixture of tragedy, comedy and satire. Many have also claimed that it follows the traditional beast fable found in Aesop's tales. Although Volpone exhibits some characteristics of tragedy, he seems to fall closer to the conventions of comedy. But this is not the traditional form of comedy. It is a play that takes the form of a comic satire as well as a morality play. It also adapts the characteristics of a fable in that it strives to teach a moral. Yet this play, even though it adopts these traditions, puts a different spin on what people would expect from a comedy or morality play. Jonson presents his audiences with an unconventional way of approaching the topics he satirizes by creating a new form of comedy that embodies aspects of all three genres. Since we consider Volpone to be a comedy, what type of comedy is it? Rather than the urban comedies that were popular at the time, I think this play is more of a satirical comedy. Why satire? Because he criticizes his age and his social atmosphere. He also has as main influence in his play the satirical works of Juvénal. Like Juvenal, Jonson satirizes his entire country. Whether it's the corruption of the court found in Voltore or the immorality of the inheritance hunters, Jonson satirizes the importance of money in his time. But there is a striking difference between Volpone and the traditional idea of ​​comic satire. The contrast between Volpone and the comic satire are immediately apparent. Gone is the static spokesperson, the conveniently formulated ideal, and the easy dispensation of comic justice from a lofty vantage point... middle of paper... apart from others. It is this combination of the moral and the satirical that makes this play so unique for its time. The use of the fable allows the reader to deal with the subject of moral action in a detached manner while the comic action entertains the audience. In Volpone, Jonson successfully combined three genres to create a new form of comedy. Works Cited Barish, Jonas A. Ben Jonson: A Collection of Critical Essays. Prentice-Hall Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1963. Baum, Helena Watts. The satirical and the didactic in the comedies of Ben Jonson. The University of North Carolina Press, 1947.Dessen, the moral comedy of Alan C. Jonson. Northwestern University. Press, 1971. Watson, The Parodic Strategy of Robert N. Ben Jonson: Literary Imperialism in Comedies. Harvard University Press, 1987.White, TH The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts. GP Putnam & Sons, New York. 1960.