The Alchemist

The Alchemist is a play in five acts by Ben Jonson. Of his plays, this is most commonly considered the best, though some prefer Volpone or Bartholomew Fair.

The play is set in contemporary 17th century London, and concerns the adventures of three low characters who have set up a fraudulent alchemical workshop in order to swindle gullible townspeople.

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The Alchemist is also a best-selling novel by Paulo Coelho, originally written in Portuguese and translated into many languages, including English.