Subtle In Ben Johnson's The Alchemist

The main symbol in Ben Johnson’s The Alchemist is the Philosopher’s Stone – the epitome of what alchemy stands for. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the Philosopher’s Stone as “a mythical solid substance, supposed to change any metal into gold or silver and (according to some) to cure all wounds and diseases and prolong life indefinitely” (“Philosoper's Stone”, deff. n. 1a). Johnson plays upon the use of the stone and the character’s inner desires, as a symbol of the greed and selfishness that lives in the heart of humans and the use of the name Subtle is no accident. The word Subtle means crafty, or sly, according to the OED, (“Subtle”, deff. adj. 2.a), and he appears to be just that.
In The Alchemist, the character of Subtle (the titular “alchemist”) is portrayed as a kind of bumbling yet supposedly intelligent person who poses as the “Doctor”, a learned …show more content…
Mammon is essentially the most selfish of the people to be tricked. Mammon wants the stone so that he can have all the gold and silver he could dream of, and everything in between. Once it is in his ownership, he believes all of his wishes will come true, his every impulse will be accommodated, and his thirst and hunger will be forever fulfilled. Mammon’s true ambition, however is to use the stone to become an all-mighty, godlike archetype. He of course, lies and promises that his intentions are pure, but they are, in fact inherently selfish, and the stone is then used as a symbol for his greed. Unfortunately though, in the end Mammon is left completely empty handed. Avaricious gluttony completely makes him blind, thus he loses everything to the sly Subtle, who lives up to his name, and his two