Ben Jonson was an English dramatist, poet, and actor of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, as well as for his lyric poems and epigrams. Jonson's influence on English literature has been significant, and he is often referred to as the second most important Renaissance dramatist after William Shakespeare. His given name was Benjamin Jonson, but he is commonly referred to as simply BEN Jonson.