‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore

Tis’ a Pity She’s a Whore was written by John Ford during the reign of King Charles I. During this time, England faced decline in its economy and mannered society. The theatre was less attended and theatre companies were surviving at the mercy of their patrons. The government censorship was pushing theatre productions to follow the neoclassic rules once again. However, Ford was able to manage fashioning the last few Jocabean, Carolinean masterpieces before the Reformation took place. He challenged the English society to view scandalous events and characters he neither condoned nor condemned, especially in his most famous play ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore.

English playwright John Ford was born during the year 1586 in Ilsington, Devon, England. Ford lived through the Jacobean and Carolinean Period (1603-1660) as well as the Renaissance Period (1500-1660). On March 26, 1601, before Ford’s sixteenth year, he was admitted to the Exeter College, Oxford. When he was sixteen, Ford attended the Middle Temple, an institution known to have a prestigious law school as well as a strong focus on literary and dramatic activity. He was expelled from the Middle Temple due to financial difficulties in 1606. Ford was able to overcome this dilemma with the success of his first published works Fame’s Memorial and Honour Triumphant. He secured enough money to be readmitted to the Middle Temple by June 1608 and continued to publish his works.

Ford focused on writing non-dramatic literature prior to becoming a playwright in 1620. After 1620, Ford collaborated with experienced playwrights including Thomas Dekker, William Rowley and John Webster to produce dramatic literary pieces including The Witch of Edmonton and The Sun’s Darling. He later moved on to wo...

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... reveals Ford was able to successfully give past as well as future audiences a very unique show that is on par with the great playwrights.

John Ford managed well during England’s transitioning eras. He modeled himself after the great writers and playwrights who came before him during the Elizabethan era. However, he turned himself into a unique literary figure by mixing his interests in abnormal psychology into his plays. His tragic play ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore demonstrates through five acts how a brother and sister’s fixation to reach an unattainable love leads to everyone’s ruin. Ford’s name continues to gain popularity as audiences seek to understand the psychological truths of human nature revealed through his characters Giovanni and Annabella. Thus, ‘Tis a Pity She’s a Whore still remains a classical, controversial beloved piece of Carolinean era literature.