Ben Jonson published 17 plays and 4 other books, beginning with Every Man in His Humour (1601). The best-known is The Alchemist (1612).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Ben Jonson
Plays in order
Every Man in His Humour (1601)
Sejanus His Fall (1605)
The London Prodigal (1605), with Michael Drayton and Thomas Dekker
Volpone (1606)
Catiline His Conspiracy (1611)
The Alchemist (1612)
Volpone and Other Plays (1631)
Mortimer His Fall (1641)
Poetaster (1905)
A Tale of a Tub (1913)
Bartholomew Fair (1960)
The Staple of News (1975)
The Devil Is an Ass (1994)
Epicœne, or the Silent Woman (2006)
Epicoene (2007)
Every Man Out of His Humour (2013)
Cynthia's Revels (2018)
Other books in order
The English Grammar (1640)
The Divell Is an Asse (1641)
The Sad Shepherd (1905)
The Alchimist
Film and TV adaptations
- Volpone (1941)Film · from Volpone
Free to read
All free classics
About Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour (1598), Volpone, or The Fox, The Alchemist (1610), and Bartholomew Fair (1614), and for his lyric and epigrammatic poetry. He is regarded as "the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I."
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ben Jonson FAQ
- How many books has Ben Jonson written?
- Ben Jonson published 17 plays and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Ben Jonson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Alchemist.
- What is Ben Jonson's last book?
- Volpone and Other Plays (1631).
- What is Ben Jonson's most famous book?
- The Alchemist (1612) is Ben Jonson's most widely read book.
- Which Ben Jonson books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Volpone (film, 1941).
- Can I read Ben Jonson's books for free?
- Yes. 12 books by Ben Jonson are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Ben Jonson
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.