John Ford’s 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore is a play divided into five acts, with each act consisting of a varying number of scenes: three scenes in Acts 1 and 4, six scenes in Acts 2 and 5, and nine scenes in Act 3. The drama’s dialogue is written in a mix of prose and verse, with the assignment of each style of speech dependent on the class and status of the speaker.
Ford’s more serious, higher-class characters such as Annabella, Giovanni, the Friar, and Soranzo generally speak in verse, while the comedic and lower-class characters like Puttana, Bergetto, and Poggio speak mostly in prose. However, these designations are somewhat fluid, and certain characters in particular switch between verse and prose depending on their circumstance and conversation partners, like Hippolita and Richardetto.
Thus, Ford’s dramaturgical style subtly examines the fact that one's status and identity can be fluid depending on one’s behavior, reputation, and social surroundings. Additionally, throughout the play Ford uses vivid imagery, flowery figurative language, personification, and allusions to biblical texts—as well as to figures and legends from classical mythology—to reinforce the high-stakes nature of the very real, human conflict unfolding at the center of the drama.
