John Ford’s play 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore (published in 1633) is a Carolinian Revenge Tragedy. It is similar in style to its dramaturgical predecessors: the Elizabethan and Jacobian tragedies. The popularity of the revenge tragedy as a genre may be traced to Thomas Kyd’s 16th-century play The Spanish Tragedy.
Some general elements of the revenge tragedy drama that are present in this play include: a hero’s quest to avenge themself or a loved one; gruesome acts of violence and vivid imagery to enhance the impact of such moments; bouts of madness or insanity that are experienced or otherwise feigned by characters; and the higher relative morality belonging to the object of the protagonist’s revenge, rather than to the hero themself. Notably absent from Ford’s play is the presence of ghosts or other portentous omens, as well as the typical play-within-a-play device that mirrors key points of the overall narrative and often appears in similar works.
In 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore, Giovanni functions as a tragic, almost uncomfortably sympathetic protagonist who, despite his extreme inner conflict between the push-and-pull of duty and desire, nonetheless is objectively full of moral failings. Ford’s non-condemnation of the relationship between Giovanni and Annabella was a striking point of controversy for his contemporary audiences and remains so to this day. The playwright’s ambiguity on this matter cements the tragedy of the play, insisting upon a nuanced portrayal of these characters as whole, complicated people.
