‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore

Abstract

In comparison with The Broken Heart, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore has been less consistently praised by literary critics but has a much stronger stage history. A note at the end of the 1633 Quarto speaks of ‘the general commendation deserved by the actors in their presentment of this tragedy’ and in 1639 it was included in a list of plays belonging to the Cockpit theatre which its new manager William Beeston, son of Christopher, wished to protect from other acting companies. This was presumably a mark of its continued commercial viability and its reputation was enough to ensure it at least two revivals soon after the Restoration. The absence of any further productions until the twentieth century is attributable more to moral objections to its subject matter than to doubts about its theatrical effectiveness. The liberalisation of moral attitudes in the 1960s has resulted in a steady stream of both amateur and professional productions since 1968, including heavily adapted versions for film and television. Writing before he had the benefit of seeing many of these, the editor of the Revels edition was nevertheless confident that ‘few Jacobean tragedies outside Shakespeare stand up so well to revival’.¹ The opportunity to see and compare a number of ‘subsequent performances has helped to confirm the play’s theatrical power, which now seems beyond dispute, and to clarify some unexpected strengths, such as the effectiveness of the scenes involving Bergetto and the importance of other ‘minor’ characters like Vasques.