The tone of John Ford’s 17th-century play 'Tis Pity She’s a Whore is extremely serious for the duration of the drama. The subject matter Ford explores includes themes of extreme existential import, including the importance of religious piety; systems of justice and the desire for vengeance; gendered societal expectations and the role of female sexuality; and the conflicts that can occur between individual desires and one’s duty to others (or society more broadly). Ford treats each of these themes with delicate sincerity while still refraining from turning any particular situation into an excessive spectacle.
This restraint is particularly remarkable considering the fact that the play’s main cause for conflict is the incestuous relationship between its central couple, Giovanni and Annabella. Although the events of the play themselves are objectively obscene and extreme, Ford does not turn either half of the couple into a caricature: Giovanni is portrayed as sympathetic and likable, while Annabella is likewise depicted as tragic and deserving of forgiveness. Ford’s non-condemnation of the incest that takes place, and his choice to instead explore the struggles of two figures drawn together by an unstoppable, unfortunate force, makes for an engaging, nuanced play that grips the audience from the very first scene to the final line of dialogue.
