Volpone is a play written by Ben Johnson in the seventeenth century and it portrays the seventeenth century society through Johson's depiction of Volpone as a corrupt, greed and a hedonist character. The significance of the Argument in the play is to introduce the audience to Volpone and his plan with the help of Mosca and to give a brief summary of the play that will be thoroughly introduced in the first act. In the Argument, Johnson introduces the audience to Volpone's character who is a rich, Venetian nobleman who "feigns sick." Throughout the play, Volpone pretends that he is terminally ill and on the verge of death. As a result, Voltore, Corvino and Corbaccio who are Volpone's "several heirs" vie for his estate and offer precious golds and Venetian coins as "presents" to Mosca. Volpone also "despairs" at the end of the play as a result of his actions and gets punished. "Lies languishing" in the Argument is a pun; it means either Volpone lies in bed pretending his sickness or lies to his heirs by deceiving them. Johnson refers to Mosca as a "parasite" which connotes that Mosca is a dependant servant who is servile to Volpone. However, Mosca pretends to be honest and obsequious to manipulate Volpone. Mosca plans to turn the heirs against each other and to betray Volpone and that is when Mosca takes control over the action in the play and "weaves other cross-plots."In the play there are many cross-plots, many incidents and anecdotes. An example of a cross-plot is when Mosca brings Bonario to see his father disinherting him and when he tells Lady Would-be that Sir Politic Would-be is betraying her with a courtesan, who is Peregrine. Volpone also wants to achieve safety through deception; for example, when Voltore demands from Celia and Bonario to forgive him in the court, Volpone seeks "new tricks for safety." He dresses as a Venetian guard claiming that Volpone is still alive and gives Voltore new hopes that he might become Volpone's sole heir. At the end of the play, Mosca and Volpone are both tempted by money and they are all punished for their actions. Johnson refers to Mosca and Volpone's downfull saying "and all are sold."

From the play, there are evidences that prove the Argument. For instance, in the first act, Volpone pretends that he is bedridden and when Voltore comes to offer his gift to Mosca, Volpone tells Mosca "my pillow now, and let him enter. Now, my feigned cough, my phthistic, my apoplexy, palsy and catarrhs." In the Argument, Johnson introduces to the audience Mosca as a parasite and he has proved to be a parasite in the play. Mosca takes advantage of Volpone's trust in him and he ends up betraying him. Mosca's soliloquy, in Act III, shows how proud he is of being a parasite by praising the job of a parasite saying "all the wise world is little else, in nature, but parasites and sub-parasites." In addition, Mosca "assures" the heirs that they will inherit Volpone's fortune by flattering and deluding them; for example, in Act I, Mosca tells Corvino "he still calls on you, nothing but your name." Mosca tries to manipulate the heirs by promising each one that he will inherit Volpone's estate and this reveals Mosca and Volpone's greedy character. Regarding the cross-plots in the play, in Act III, when Mosca tells Bonario "I must reveal it. This very hour, your father is in purpose to disinherit you."The plot in Volpone is multi-layered; there are always several plots within the main plot of the play and this example, Mosca informing Bonario of his father's action, shows how Mosca begins to control the conflict in the play and reveals the plot twist in Volpone. In the final act, Volpone seeks safety through intrigues when he says "unscrew my advocate, upon new hopes." Again, Volpone's deceptive character is revealed even when he wants to hide his intentions. In Act V, Mosca and Volpone pay for their actions and that is how" they are all sold." The 1st Advocatore tells Volpone "since the most was gotten by imposture, by feigning lame, gout, palsy and such diseases, thou art to lie in prison, cramped with irons." Also, the 1st Advocatore tells Mosca "live perpetual prisoner in our gallies." Finally, like Johnson's words at the end of the Argument, they are all ruined and punished for their excessive greed. In the Argument, Johnson mentions some of the dramatic techniques and features in the play. For example, Johnson uses dramatic irony as he introduces the audience to Volpone and Mosca's plan which the heirs do not know about. Therefore, the audience watches the play knowing that Corvino, Corbaccio and Voltore are being deceived while they are not aware. From the Argument, the audience notices that as a comedy, the play has an unconventional end. Johnson ends the argument saying "and all are sold," which foreshadows the character's downfall at the end of the play and that is the combination between a moral and an entertaining play. In brief, the Argument at the beginning of the play is regarded as an introduction that introduces the main idea of the play. This Argument makes the audience notices the didactic purpose of the play as a comedy. Johnson sums up the play's main conflict and makes the audience aware of the characters' main traits which are greed and deception. Finally, Johnson displays how the society deals with corrupt figures and how this corruption's consequences can cause great losses.