Cynthia's Revels; Or, the Fountain of Self-Love

Ben Jonson's cunning comedy takes place in the enchanted grove of Gargaphie, where the moon goddess Cynthia holds court and the legendary Fountain of Self-Love flows. When Cupid abandons his divine responsibilities to pursue the nymphs in disguise, the stage is set for a deliciously satirical romp through the follies of vanity. Into this magical setting come Amorphus, Crites, and Asotus, each a portrait of self-admiration run amok, convinced of their own unparalleled brilliance. Jonson, that master of wit and classical learning, uses these ridiculous figures to dissect the universal human tendency toward self-love while masking it as virtue. The play alternates between playful mythological banter and pointed social commentary, revealing Jonson's sharp eye for the way people fool themselves. Nearly four centuries old, Cynthia's Revels remains viciously funny because the targets of Jonson's satire have never gone extinct: the vain, the self-important, and those who mistake admiration of themselves for actual worth.