57 pages 1 hour read

Ben Jonson

The Alchemist

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1610

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Character Analysis

Face/Captain Face/Ulen/Jeremy

Face is the protagonist of the play, but the audience never learns which of his many personas is his real identity. His name indicates that he is an expert of disguise, as well as that his sanguine temperament leads him to be outgoing, boisterous, and persuasive. His role in the conman trio is that of a salesman, and his purpose is bringing in new customers for the group to deceive. Face’s physical appearance, body language, and speaking voice must change dramatically across his personas—a complex task for the actor portraying him—as he is not recognized by any of the other characters when he changes into the bearded Captain Face, clean-shaven Jeremy, bedraggled Ulen, or the military Captain.

Thus, Face’s ability to transform depending on the situation is his strength and defining characteristic. To Surly, he is the mastermind of a sex work operation; to Dol and Subtle, a capable companion; to Mammon, a dedicated servant; and, most importantly, to Lovewit’s neighbors, “Jeremy / Is a very honest fellow” (338). This multivalent identity means that Face is primarily a performer—a fact underscored by his employer’s appraisal of his servant’s wit as the primary reason for employing him.

Related Titles

By Ben Jonson

Plot Summary

logo

Bartholomew Fair

Ben Jonson

Bartholomew Fair

Ben Jonson

Plot Summary

logo

Every Man In His Humour

Ben Jonson

Every Man In His Humour

Ben Jonson

Study Guide

logo

Still to be neat, still to be dressed

Ben Jonson

Still to be neat, still to be dressed

Ben Jonson

Plot Summary

logo

The Masque of Blackness

Ben Jonson

The Masque of Blackness

Ben Jonson

Study Guide

logo

To Penshurst

Ben Jonson

To Penshurst

Ben Jonson