Critical Outline Tis' Pity She's a Whore

Grant Langdon
Dr.Carolyn Colbert
English 1080
September 26, 2012
Critical Outline for ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore
Introduction:
Love is something that is experienced by most human beings sometime throughout life. It can vary from a small feeling to a full-fledged wave of emotions that takes over. In the excerpt from John Ford’s “’Tis Pity She’s a Whore” it is clear that Giovanni is so in love with his sister
Anabella, that he will say whatever it takes to have her. In what starts as flattery quickly turns into desperation as Giovanni uses his intelligence to manipulate Anabella into thinking their forbidden incestuous love is accepted.
Point Summary:
I. Lots of imagery and allusion is used by Giovanni to show Anabella how highly he thinks of her beauty.
-“That Juno for her forehead did exceed all other goddesses: but I durst swear your forehead exceeds hers, as hers did theirs” shows that he thinks her beauty surpasses all humans and even gods.
-“Such lips would tempt a saint” indicates that even the most holy of people could be seduced by her beauty.
II. The pace of the plot is quickly to change when Giovanni reveals the hardships he’s endured by not being able to love Anabella. -“My tortured soul hath felt affliction in the heat of death” indicates that Giovanni loves his sister so much that not being able to love her feels the same as being emotionally tortured. -“That you must either love, or I must die” shows that if Anabella turns down Giovanni’s love that he might as well be dead as she is his one desire.
III. It is very apparent that the theme of religion and approval of society play a major role in how unacceptable and risky this incestuous relationship really is.
-“I have asked counsel of the holy Church, who tells me I may love you” shows how much approval of the Church means to Anabella as it is the final words that lead to her accepting Giovanni’s love. It also shows how desperate Giovanni really is as he is lying to get her love.
-“Sister, even by my mother’s dust, I charge you, Do not betray me to your mirth or hate” indicates that swearing by his mother’s spirit is the ultimate way to vow or promise his love to Anabella and further drags his religion into the sin of incest.
Conclusion:
The love Giovanni has for Annabella is strong enough to be the one and most important thing in his life. His desperation leads to him abandoning the Church and his religion. He goes from flattery, to telling of his pain and ends up having to resort to lying to get his one desire.