The Alchemist · Character

Sir Epicure Mammon

A wealthy knight whose appetite for pleasure is matched only by his credulity, he dreams of infinite gold and the sensual paradise the philosopher's stone will buy him.

major

Also known as Mammon, Sir Mammon, Epicure

First appearance: act ii

As a major figure in The Alchemist, Sir Epicure Mammon is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Sir Epicure Mammon in act ii Book page

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Mammon arrives at the house convinced he is about to possess the philosopher's stone, and his fantasies of luxury pour out in some of the play's most extravagant poetry. He courts Dol Common with promises of diamonds…

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The fuller portrait of Sir Epicure Mammon sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Sir Epicure Mammon in act ii

Character Web

14 connections

A slice of how Sir Epicure Mammon sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Psychological

Character groups

Protagonist
Alchemical Con Victims

+9 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This scene is the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak where all the maj…

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Relationships

Face
professional · ambivalent
Face, as a servant, manipulates Mammon into believing he can achieve alchemical… How this plays out →
Subtle
professional · ambivalent
Dol Common
psychological · ambivalent
Dapper
professional · ambivalent
Abel Drugger
professional · ambivalent
Kastril
professional · ambivalent
Pertinax Surly
rivalry · negative
Ananias
professional · ambivalent
Don Diego
professional · ambivalent
Subtle
professional · ambivalent
Dol Common
psychological · ambivalent
Face
professional · ambivalent
Face, as a servant, manipulates Mammon into believing he can achieve alchemical… How this plays out →

Face
Face, as a servant, manipulates Mammon into believing he can achieve alchemical transmutation for profit.
Subtle
Mammon hires Subtle as his alchemist, believing in his fraudulent promises of the philosopher's stone.
Dol Common
Dol Common is used by Face and Subtle to seduce and distract Mammon as part of their con.
Dapper
Dapper is a gullible client who pays Mammon and Subtle for a supposed alchemical charm to win at gambling.
Abel Drugger
Abel Drugger, a naive tobacconist, seeks Mammon's alchemical advice to improve his shop's fortune.
Kastril
Kastril, a quarrelsome young man, hires Mammon and Subtle to learn the art of quarreling and to arrange a marriage.
Pertinax Surly
Surly is a skeptic who openly mocks Mammon's gullibility and tries to expose the alchemical fraud.
Ananias
Ananias, a Puritan deacon, negotiates with Mammon for alchemical gold to fund his sect's activities.
Don Diego
Don Diego, a Spanish nobleman, seeks Mammon's alchemical services to win a lady's favor.
Subtle
Mammon hires Subtle as his alchemist, believing in his fraudulent promises of the philosopher's stone.
Dol Common
Dol Common is used by Face and Subtle to seduce and distract Mammon as part of their con.
Face
Face, as a servant, manipulates Mammon into believing he can achieve alchemical transmutation for profit.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Sir Epicure Mammon in act ii