John Ford `Tis Pity She's a Whore
Study Questions
Act 1
1. What arguments does Giovanni use defending his right to love his sister? How does he use his rhetorical skills to manipulate the truth and argue his own case? His character - a learned man led astray by his own intellect - is reminiscent of another famous tragic hero - which one?
2. What suitors compete for Annabella's hand and what qualities do they personify?
3. What words of Giovanni in Scene 3 foreshadow the ending of the play?
4. Why is the fact that the lovers swear their mutual love “by our mother's dust” particularly significant/ironic?
Act 2.
1. The whole ensemble: the lovers, the girl's nurse who acts as an enabler and a Friar who means well but is rather ineffectual is strongly reminiscent of an earlier and very famous English play. What are the differences and what is the effect of these intertextual echoes reverberating in Ford's play?
2. Who's Hippolita and what does she accuse Soranzo of?
3. Who Richardetto and Philotis turn out to be?
4. Why does Richardetto suggest falsely to Grimaldi that Annabella is in love with Soranzo?
5. In Scene 5 Giovanni argues that beautiful body signifies virtuous mind and therefore his love for his sister is but admiration of her virtue. What philosophical views popular in the 17th c. does this argument reflect?
Act 3.
1. Again, the foreshadowing of the play's end in the scene of Soranzo's courtship - can you spot it?
2. What are the results of Annabella's confession?
3. Bergetto is slain and we can finally ask - what was the point of putting this character in the play?
4. How does the Cardinal respond to the news that his nephew is a murderer?
Act 4
1. Annabella stands up to Soranzo and is not cowed by him even when he threatens her with death. What makes her relent?
2. Why is Putana's horrific punishment a particularly appropriate one for her crime? (hint: Greek mythology)
Act 5
1. The scene in which jealous Giovanni exhorts Annabella to pray before he kills her is strongly reminiscent of another play by Shakespeare - which one?
2. The stage is strewn with bodies and the Cardinal delivers the final line of the play which is also its title. How do you interpret it? Is the Cardinal the appropriate person to pass moral judgements? You may find it useful to know that the Protestant writers called the Roman Catholic Church (after the Revelation of St. John) “the Great Harlot” or “the Whore of Babylon” as a matter of course.
Additional questions:
1. Some critics called Ford's play “the last tragedy in the English language”. Can you think about possible reasons for that statement? When thinking about this, consider the definition of tragedy. Remember: tragedy is something more than just a play about terrible things.
2. This is a play written by a (presumably) Protestant author for Protestant audience. How does the Roman Catholic Church come across in this text? Think about the Friar, the quality of his advice, the results of the confession (for Ford's audience, an exotic, old-fashioned rite), and about the Cardinal and the role he plays.