ABSTRACT
This chapter presents John Ford's monologue Tis Pity She's a Whore, follows the fortunes of two star-crossed lovers who happen to be brother and sister. The monologue focuses on Annabella, who is the beautiful daughter of Florio and sister to the brilliant Giovanni. She has several suitors. However, her brother has become infatuated with her, and she too has found herself attracted to him. They become incestuous lovers. When Annabella realises that she has become pregnant she decides to marry one of her suitors, Soranzo, to save her honour. The monologue is accompanied by editors' commentaries and textual notes that point the beginner and the experienced actor towards the riches. Annabella is not a fierce rebel like her brother Giovanni and the full impact of the incest seems to weigh on her alone. As the play proceeds, the greater the pressure she bears the less capable she becomes of acting.
