Abstract

First published in London in 1633, " 'Tis Pity She's a Whore" by John Ford, with its tales turning on the incestuous love of a brother and sister, is an overwrought and bloody story. This essay aims to reassess this tragedy by examining its protagonist, Giovanni. Wicked, evil, lustful, he is one of a multitudinous brotherhood of villains, both preceding and subsequent. Within this identity, though, there is perhaps a specific model of which he can be considered a reflection or variation. Precise textual and lexical clues suggest a new hypothesis that could offer a different reading of the play and of its main character.