Cynthia's Revels; Or, The Fountain of Self-Love

by Ben Jonson

"Cynthia's Revels; Or, The Fountain of Self-Love" by Ben Jonson is a satirical stage play first performed in 1600. Part of the famous War of the Theatres, the play unfolds at a gathering where courtiers drink from Narcissus's spring, becoming consumed with vanity and self-love. Through elaborate competitions and masques, goddess Cynthia eventually reveals that vices have masqueraded as virtues. Rich in music and mythological references, this comedy explores the follies of courtly ambition and the corrupting nature of excessive self-regard.