Tis Pity Characterisation

Characterisation

Giovanni

• Italian translation for 'young man', described as a youth already in decline
• By defending incest, a practice strictly against the laws of man and of God, his reason directly undermines his faith
• Dangerously misapplies both his intellect and his eloquence in order to satisfy his lust
• Not only does he invent arguments to justify incest, he also asserts a woman's loss of chastity are not serious matters
•  His incestuous desire seems to warp Giovanni's intellectual prowess so that he begins to force arguments that are illogical, also distorting his capacity to love
• Becomes increasingly jealous, possessive and paranoid
• Turns inwards, looking to the womb that gave him birth to provide him with a lover

Annabella

• ·         Struggle between sin and virtue is most clearly shown through Annabella as she continually tries to decide between God and Giovanni however her true feelings are almost impossible to judge
• ·         Annabella in the final scene is reduced to a single piece of flesh with her body being kept offstage
• ·         Ford dedicates the final line of the play to her, where she is blamed for everything, commenting on cultural stereotypes of women and the oppression they face
• ·         Traditionally women in regards to love in literature are portrayed as both powerful and weak
• ·         Sexual and passionate women are shown to be dangerous e.g. Hippolita and Putana 

Friar

• ·         Ford's Friar is clearly borrowed from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, similarly he is a confidant to the male protagonist, offering philosophical guidance and…