On The Theme Of Transgression In Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist From The Perspective Of Power Operation

The Alchemist is generally considered Ben Jonson’s most vivid and characteristic city comedy.The development of capitalism in England’s economy in the 17 th century and the spread of humanistic thoughts,made people pursue their inner desires more boldly.The characters in the play subverted the fixed description of class identity in hegemonic discourse and the essential definition of inferior identity of the lower class by the upper class,the definition of the woman’s image as the “Angel in the House” in patriarchal culture,and the restraint of religion on human desire.Thus,enforced them to resist ideology,formed by the power-centered social norms and hierarchical structure.However,their subversion is a failed attempt.The fundamental reason is that they only indulge in the pleasure of subversion and lose the positive meaning of transgression.Throughout the play,there is a paradox between the contempt for the subversion of social order and the pursuit of transgression at the same time.As a classicist,Ben Jonson has fulfilled the classical unity and attacked the subversion of the social norms in feudalism,male power and Christian doctrines at the end of The Alchemist.This dissertation aims at studying the failure of the characters in the play,in order to,express a humanistic and reflective care for individuals.They all give enlightenment to the successors who cross the border and have a significance for constructing an inclusive,integrated and diversified world advocated by the connotation of transgression.