The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a comedy written by Ben Jonson and performed for the first time in the year 1610. It is considered one of the best comedies of the English playwright.

Lovewit is a London gentleman who, faced with an outbreak of plague in London, leaves his house and moves temporarily to the country. He leaves the house in charge of his servant, Face, to look after it while he is away. However, Face takes the opportunity to invite some unsavory friends for fraudulent activities.

These friends are Subtle, the alchemist and swindler, and his partner and prostitute Dol Common. They trick fools by promising to offer them the Philosopher's Stone. The play begins with an argument between Face and Subtle over the management and distribution of all the wealth they are earning.

They deceive a good number of people, from different classes and trades, until they run into Surly, who discovers the fraud and accuses them of being thieves, trying to unmask the fraud.

In addition, several of Lovewit's neighbors notice the numerous visits that are passing through his house and notify him of the problem. He confronts Face to see if it's true, which he denies... but it will be really difficult to hide the lie.