'Tis Pity She's a Whore (Routledge English Texts)
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Review
Grisly, over the top and blackly funny. --Arts Hub on Cheek by Jowl's 2012 production.
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Number fifty eight in NHB's Drama Classics Series, providing the world's great drama at a great price.
The introduction to this edition of 'Tis Pity She's A Whore includes a short biography of John Ford and chronology of his work; a guide to what happens in the play; a short history of the play and its context; and a brief guide to staging and themes.
The play tells of the tragic story of incestuous love between Giovanni and his sister Annabella. When Annabella is found to be pregnant by her brother, she agrees to marry her suitor Soranzo. But when the lovers' incestuous secret is discovered, vengeance and bloody murder follow.
The introduction to this edition of 'Tis Pity She's A Whore includes a short biography of John Ford and chronology of his work; a guide to what happens in the play; a short history of the play and its context; and a brief guide to staging and themes.
The play tells of the tragic story of incestuous love between Giovanni and his sister Annabella. When Annabella is found to be pregnant by her brother, she agrees to marry her suitor Soranzo. But when the lovers' incestuous secret is discovered, vengeance and bloody murder follow.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'Tis Pity She's a Whore is a play which centres around the incestuous love of its to protagonists - Giovanni and Anabella, brother and sister. The controversy of its topic have been much discussed since it was first performed in the 17th century, with different critics and different audiences taking to it very differently.
I thoroughly enjoyed my read - it is fast moving and has a wide range of characters with a variety of sub plots. I particularly enjoyed the adulterous Hippolita, and her lover Soranzo's servant Vasquez. Indeed, the depth and time given to the supporting cast in some ways brings into doubt which are the main characters in the play. However, the story revolves around Giovanni and Anabella and their love affair. It calls into question religion, society, and of course the taboo itself (although it is doubtful that John Ford was condoning the incestuous relationship, neither are Giovanni and Anabella presented in an unsympathetic light). As a spectacle, there are doubtlessly a wide range of ways to stage the play. I found the language easier than the majority of Shakespeare, and although the plot in parts bares similarity to Shakespeare and perhaps Johnson, I will be looking out for a production. The brutality and intrigue of the play would, I am sure, make for interesting viewing.
This edition I have mixed feelings about. The introduction is good enough - it is easy to read, and gives an overview of themes and past stagings of the production, as well as a good selection of possible extra reading. However the commentary to accompany the text was too sparse for me - although it gives definitions of most of the words you could not find in a dictionary, it gives little context or explanation, and at no point links in with the issues discussed in the commentary.
I must admit I am a fan of the Arden editions of Shakespeare, and because of that have grown used to in-depth explanations, context, wordplay and connotations being noted and brought to my attention throughout the text; this does not happen here. In this way, this Revels Student Edition falls down - perhaps this is because it is expected that for students class work would cover the text in detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed my read - it is fast moving and has a wide range of characters with a variety of sub plots. I particularly enjoyed the adulterous Hippolita, and her lover Soranzo's servant Vasquez. Indeed, the depth and time given to the supporting cast in some ways brings into doubt which are the main characters in the play. However, the story revolves around Giovanni and Anabella and their love affair. It calls into question religion, society, and of course the taboo itself (although it is doubtful that John Ford was condoning the incestuous relationship, neither are Giovanni and Anabella presented in an unsympathetic light). As a spectacle, there are doubtlessly a wide range of ways to stage the play. I found the language easier than the majority of Shakespeare, and although the plot in parts bares similarity to Shakespeare and perhaps Johnson, I will be looking out for a production. The brutality and intrigue of the play would, I am sure, make for interesting viewing.
This edition I have mixed feelings about. The introduction is good enough - it is easy to read, and gives an overview of themes and past stagings of the production, as well as a good selection of possible extra reading. However the commentary to accompany the text was too sparse for me - although it gives definitions of most of the words you could not find in a dictionary, it gives little context or explanation, and at no point links in with the issues discussed in the commentary.
I must admit I am a fan of the Arden editions of Shakespeare, and because of that have grown used to in-depth explanations, context, wordplay and connotations being noted and brought to my attention throughout the text; this does not happen here. In this way, this Revels Student Edition falls down - perhaps this is because it is expected that for students class work would cover the text in detail.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this play over a week ago. Incest was a dark subject during the seventeenth century and remains such in modernity, therefore to describe it as an enjoyable read would be perverse. The protagonists are Giovanni and Anabella (brother and sister respectively), who are indulging in a sexual relationship. Readers may assume that equal responsibility for the brother and sister's inappropriate relationship ought to be allocated to Giovanni and Anabella. However Ford gives appraisal to Giovanni, but attributes a harsh and biblical attitude towards female characters of the play, namely Putana who is Anabella's tutor/governess, who has knowledge of the inappropriate relationship encourages it and says nothing but ends up admitting what she knew and is treated in typical biblical, barbaric fashion (without giving too much information!). Anabella is blamed for 'giving into her lusts', and meets a tragic end. For readers of Greek tragedies, 'tis Pity She's a Whore is not so dissimilar to Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy (all of which I have read!! This play is not humourous, but it has depth and illustrates most painfully the fragility of life. 'Tis Pity She's a Whore is a most sensible and worthwhile read and I have no hesitation in recommending it. This play was and remains controversial. All that remains to be written is that the play concludes with the title 'Tis Pity she's a Whore, guess who it is aimed at!!!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this play, my first foray into Jacobean literature. Revenge, incest, etc. this play has everything to keep you hooked. I don't as a rule read many plays (Shakespeare excepted) but I thoroughly enjoyed it, now I want to see it on stage it was so good.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very Small
Much smaller than I expected, and the printing is of poor quality. Some of the wording is also wrong compared to other more expensive versions.
Published 16 months ago by gcmr
Good for A level
This book is easy to follow and has explanations of words and language on the page. The foreword and introduction is helpful for extra notes as well as revision and there is ample... Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2009 by Jada James
Stark, dark and bloody
Writing in the 1620s, well after Shakespeare and Marlowe, John Ford is now little read and rarely produced. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by Roman Clodia
Brilliant!
This play is one of the best I have read in a long time. I'm not usually a fan of classical work, but this kept my interest and left me wishing there was more after each page. Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2009 by Livingston Green
A brilliant play
This a a brilliant and unique play which deals with a theme which many playwrights would not. It is a classic story of revenge, betrayal and love with disastrous consequences. Read more
Published on 5 May 2007 by J.E.T
great revenge play
Ignore the above review, what this reviewer and i think many people get wrong about these jacobean revenge plays is that you don't have to take the side of a paraticular character... Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2005 by crosby casey, 16
A disturbing play on a forbidden theme.
Perhaps the most shocking of Ford's plays, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore tackles one of society's greatest taboos. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2001
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