'Tis Pity She's a Whore

by

John Ford

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on 'Tis Pity She's a Whore makes teaching easy.

Giovanni Character Analysis

Giovanni is one half of the central couple of the play, along with his sister Annabella. A young man (his name literally means “young man” in Italian) who excelled at school and is very well-read, he is struck by a sexual passion for his sister. At first he is upset by this development, knowing that his feelings violate various social and religious moral codes, and he tries to seek advice from the Friar. Eventually, however, he stops resisting his passion and tells Annabella of his love, which she returns and they in turn proceed to consummate. The situation becomes more and more dire for Giovanni and Annabella as people begin to find out about their relationship, causing Giovanni to become more and more desperate. Eventually his lustful passion turns to bloodlust, and he kills Annabella in order to try to save her reputation. He carries her heart on a dagger into a feast for her new husband Soranzo’s birthday. With this action, he breaks their father Florio’s heart (causing him to die), and then quickly kills Soranzo, thereby ensuring his own death. Thus Giovanni becomes a prime example of a character who is caught between his desire (whether for his sister or for revenge) and his social duties. Ultimately, his passions lead to his own destruction when he is killed by Vasquez and the Banditti to avenge Soranzo.

Giovanni Quotes in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore

The 'Tis Pity She's a Whore quotes below are all either spoken by Giovanni or refer to Giovanni. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Passion, Lust, and Bloodlust Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

O Giovanni, hast thou left the schools
Of knowledge to converse with Lust and Death?
For Death waits on thy lust. Look through the world,
And thou shalt see a thousand faces shine
More glorious than this idol thou ador’st.

Related Characters: Friar (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 1.1.57-61
Explanation and Analysis:

All this I’ll do to free me from the rod
Of vengeance; else I’ll swear my fate’s my god.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella, Friar
Page Number: 1.1.84-85.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

Oh, that it were not in religion sin
To make our love a god and worship it!

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Related Symbols: The Golden Calf
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 1.2.145-146
Explanation and Analysis:

On my knees,
Brother, even by our mother’s dust I charge you,
Do not betray me to your mirth or hate:
Love me, or kill me, brother.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Page Number: 1.2.247-250
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Nay, what a paradise of joy have you passed under! Why, now I commend thee, charge. Fear nothing, sweetheart. What, though he be your brother? Your brother’s a man, I hope; and I say still, if a young wench feel the fit upon her, let her take anybody: father or brother, all is one.

Related Characters: Puttana (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Page Number: 2.1.41-45
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 5 Quotes

Marriage? Why, that’s to damn her; that’s to prove
Her greedy of variety of lust.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella, Friar
Page Number: 2.5.41-42
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

Yet know –
Thus far I give you comfort – if mine eyes
Could have picked out a man, amongst all those
That sued to me, to make a husband of,
You should have been that man.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni, Soranzo
Page Number: 3.2.49-53
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 4 Quotes

‘Twas well done, Giovanni: thou herein
Hast shown a Christian’s care, a brother’s love.

Related Characters: Florio (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella, Friar
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 3.4.32-33
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

There stands these wretched things,
Who have dreamt out whole years in lawless sheets
And secret incests, cursing one another.
Then you will wish each kiss your brother gave
Had been a dagger’s point.

Related Characters: Friar (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 3.6.24-30
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 4, Scene 3 Quotes

Yet will I not forget what I should be,
And what I am: a husband. In that name
Is hid divinity. If I do find
That thou wilt yet be true, here I remit
All former faults, and take thee to my bosom.

Related Characters: Soranzo (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella, Vasquez
Page Number: 4.3.135-139.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 1 Quotes

My conscience now stands up against my lust
With depositions charactered in guilt,
And tells me I am lost.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni, Friar
Page Number: 5.1.6-10.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 2 Quotes

VASQUEZ: Let not your pity betray you till my coming back:
Think upon incest and cuckoldry.
SORANZO: Revenge is all the ambition I aspire;
To that I’ll climb or fall. My blood’s on fire!

Related Characters: Soranzo (speaker), Vasquez (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Page Number: 5.2.22-25
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 5 Quotes

Kiss me. If ever after-times should hear
Of our fast-knit affections, though perhaps
The laws of conscience and of civil use
May justly blame us, yet when they but know
Our loves, that love will wipe away that rigour
which would in other incests be abhorred.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Page Number: 5.5.68-73
Explanation and Analysis:

ANNABELLA: What means this?
GIOVANNI: To save thy fame, and kill thee in a kiss.
Stabs her [as they kiss].
Thus die, and die by me, and by my hand.
Revenge is mine, honour doth love command.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Page Number: 5.5.84-87
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire 'Tis Pity She's a Whore LitChart as a printable PDF.
'Tis Pity She's a Whore PDF

Giovanni Quotes in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore

The 'Tis Pity She's a Whore quotes below are all either spoken by Giovanni or refer to Giovanni. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Passion, Lust, and Bloodlust Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

O Giovanni, hast thou left the schools
Of knowledge to converse with Lust and Death?
For Death waits on thy lust. Look through the world,
And thou shalt see a thousand faces shine
More glorious than this idol thou ador’st.

Related Characters: Friar (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 1.1.57-61
Explanation and Analysis:

All this I’ll do to free me from the rod
Of vengeance; else I’ll swear my fate’s my god.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella, Friar
Page Number: 1.1.84-85.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

Oh, that it were not in religion sin
To make our love a god and worship it!

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Related Symbols: The Golden Calf
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 1.2.145-146
Explanation and Analysis:

On my knees,
Brother, even by our mother’s dust I charge you,
Do not betray me to your mirth or hate:
Love me, or kill me, brother.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Page Number: 1.2.247-250
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Nay, what a paradise of joy have you passed under! Why, now I commend thee, charge. Fear nothing, sweetheart. What, though he be your brother? Your brother’s a man, I hope; and I say still, if a young wench feel the fit upon her, let her take anybody: father or brother, all is one.

Related Characters: Puttana (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Page Number: 2.1.41-45
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 5 Quotes

Marriage? Why, that’s to damn her; that’s to prove
Her greedy of variety of lust.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella, Friar
Page Number: 2.5.41-42
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

Yet know –
Thus far I give you comfort – if mine eyes
Could have picked out a man, amongst all those
That sued to me, to make a husband of,
You should have been that man.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni, Soranzo
Page Number: 3.2.49-53
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 4 Quotes

‘Twas well done, Giovanni: thou herein
Hast shown a Christian’s care, a brother’s love.

Related Characters: Florio (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella, Friar
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 3.4.32-33
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3, Scene 6 Quotes

There stands these wretched things,
Who have dreamt out whole years in lawless sheets
And secret incests, cursing one another.
Then you will wish each kiss your brother gave
Had been a dagger’s point.

Related Characters: Friar (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 3.6.24-30
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 4, Scene 3 Quotes

Yet will I not forget what I should be,
And what I am: a husband. In that name
Is hid divinity. If I do find
That thou wilt yet be true, here I remit
All former faults, and take thee to my bosom.

Related Characters: Soranzo (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella, Vasquez
Page Number: 4.3.135-139.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 1 Quotes

My conscience now stands up against my lust
With depositions charactered in guilt,
And tells me I am lost.

Related Characters: Annabella (speaker), Giovanni, Friar
Page Number: 5.1.6-10.
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 2 Quotes

VASQUEZ: Let not your pity betray you till my coming back:
Think upon incest and cuckoldry.
SORANZO: Revenge is all the ambition I aspire;
To that I’ll climb or fall. My blood’s on fire!

Related Characters: Soranzo (speaker), Vasquez (speaker), Giovanni, Annabella
Page Number: 5.2.22-25
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 5, Scene 5 Quotes

Kiss me. If ever after-times should hear
Of our fast-knit affections, though perhaps
The laws of conscience and of civil use
May justly blame us, yet when they but know
Our loves, that love will wipe away that rigour
which would in other incests be abhorred.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Page Number: 5.5.68-73
Explanation and Analysis:

ANNABELLA: What means this?
GIOVANNI: To save thy fame, and kill thee in a kiss.
Stabs her [as they kiss].
Thus die, and die by me, and by my hand.
Revenge is mine, honour doth love command.

Related Characters: Giovanni (speaker), Annabella
Related Symbols: Swords and daggers
Page Number: 5.5.84-87
Explanation and Analysis: