Money is one of the key themes in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, with all of the characters appearing to be affected in some way by the promise of wealth. The scammers, Face and Subtle, consider money very important, as they trick all the other men into giving them money. The deceived men pay Face and Subtle for the promise of greater wealth via the Philosopher's Stone. The most important characters in exploring the theme of the importance of money in the play are Sir Epicure Mammon, Subtle, and Face. Subtle and Face's greed serves as the driving force of the work, as they continue to delve deeper into a world of misdirection and lies to steal money from willing victims. Sir Epicure Mammon is an elderly man deluded by illusions of grandeur and ideas of spectacular riches that he talks about incessantly. We also see that money is vitally important to other characters, such as Dapper, who is willing to make a fool of himself for the "Fairy Queen", so that he can possess a spirit that will allow him to cheat at gambling . This shows how he places obtaining money above his morals and dignity, as he embarrasses himself and is thus willing to deceive others, while ironically being deceived himself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The importance of money to both Face and Subtle is evident throughout the game, with the problem they both face being an accurate representation of the importance of money to them. They could easily deceive any of the men they deceive throughout the show, yet they try to deceive them all, often at the same time, to earn more and more money. There are constant situations that require Face and Subtle to think on their feet and improvise to keep the con going, such as when Dapper has to be ushered, blindfolded and on his knees, into the restroom to avoid detection by Mammon. When they think about where they should hide Dapper, Dol very crudely says, "In the outhouse", followed by Subtle quickly dressing up to look more glamorous, "Come, sir, I must show you Fortune's private quarters." This shows who Subtle is able to continue the charade to get more money from Dapper, while the reason for hiding it, that Mammon is coming in and giving him more money, shows the extent of his and Face's greed. The prioritization of money over morality and contempt for other people can be seen in the two-line exchange between Subtle and Face after the "private" speech, as Face asks Subtle, "They're scented and his bath is ready ?" to which Sottile wittily replies: "Everyone: only the fumigation is a bit strong." This comedic line shows more than just Subtle and Face's wit and quick thinking, but also the manipulative qualities they possess and the utter disregard for dignity they show to all men while robbing them. The character of Sir Epicure Mammon shows the extent to which money can be important to characters, as this is Mammon's key characteristic. There are various examples throughout the play where he shows that the importance of money to him takes priority over other needs and influences his judgments. When Mammon is introduced to Dol, of whom he is told she is a graceful noblewoman, he compares her to noble figures known to be unattractive, "I think she looks like one of the Austrian princes." He continues thus when he says: "The house of Valois had just such a nose and such a forehead as the Medici of Florence boast of." The fact that Mammon compares her to these people is important to show him.