ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author pays attention to Ben Jonson's court masque for the New Year celebrations of 1617, The Vision of Delight. While this masque exploits some outlandish trappings of fantasy, including surreal dream visions, it is deeply materialist as Jonson demonstrates the creative artist's ability to check and question the nature of monarchical rule. The author summarizes certain aspects of fantasy theory and their Jonsonian applications to put theory into practice with an analysis of that most fantastic of court entertainments, The Vision of Delight. Jonson roots literary wonder and fantasy in the body, siting them in the antimasque, and deflates the lofty, intellectual claims of the masque by bringing our attention back to the body and its effects. The court masque developed as a combination of early ballet, opera, and visual display in costumes and setting, with Jonson's most important contribution to the form being the addition of dramatic dialogue.
