Ben Jonson

Born in London around June 1572, Ben Jonson became an English playwright, poet, and actor whose reputation has long stood just behind Shakespeare’s. He was educated at Westminster School and brought a deep knowledge of classical literature into his writing, blending scholarship with a lively sense of the stage.

Jonson is best known for plays such as Every Man in His Humour, Volpone, Epicoene, and The Alchemist. His comedies are famous for their satire, their eye for vanity and greed, and their delight in exposing human folly. He also wrote court masques and lyric poems, showing a range that went well beyond the public theater.

His influence lasted far beyond his lifetime. Jonson helped define what it meant to be a serious professional author in English, and his works continued to shape poetry, criticism, and comedy for generations. He died in 1637, but his voice still feels brisk, intelligent, and unmistakably alive.