Tis Pity She's a WhoreLike Shakespeare's Juliet, Annabella, accompanied by her down-to-earth nurse, is introduced to a series of suitors to her hand. Like Juliet, she finds all of them unsatisfactory - and rightly so, for the audience know that the nastiest of them is having an affair with her domineering aunt. Like Juliet, Annabella is wooed by a sensitive and passionate young man whose love she returns - but this young man happens to be her own brother, Giovanni. When they consummate their love and she, to avoid the scandal of extramarital pregnancy, agrees to marry her aunt's lover, the tragic outcome is inevitable. John Ford, writing his psychologically powerful and intellectually challenging tragedies in the early years of King Charles I's reign, is a playwright of the first rank, as 20th-century directors have shown both in the theatre and on film. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actors andthe ANNABELLA atthe aWhore BANDITTI beauty BERGETTO BERGETTO and POGGIO blood brother CARDINAL characters cunning d’ee daughter David Lan David Leveaux dead death Director Doctor dramatic edition Enter FLORIO Enter GIOVANNI Exeunt Act Exit father for’t Ford’s FRIAR GIOVANNI FLORIO give GRIMALDI hast hath heart Heaven Here’s HIPPOLITA honour husband Ihave incest inthe is’t Italian John Ford Jude Law kiss know’t lineation literally live London Lord Soranzo Love’s lust marriage marry means mistress murder ofhis ofthe on’t Parma Perkin Warbeck PHILOTIS play play’s pray production prose punctuated PUTANA Renaissance repent revenge RICHARDETTO RICHARDETTO disguised Roland Joffé Saskia Reeves Scene servant seventeenthcentury sexual Shakespeare shame Signor Donado sister soul speak stage suitors tell Theatre thee theplay Thomas Dekker Tis Pity tobe tothe tragedy Troth twas uncle VASQUES weep wench What’s Whore wilt woman word young youth