‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore: An Abridged Summary

            Below is an abridged summary of the events of ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore.  In typical revenge tragedy fashion, there are lots of moving parts.  As such, this chart* of the various characters may be useful in keeping the names straight.

  • Act I
    • Scene 1: Giovanni and Bonaventura discuss the merits of Giovanni’s wish to raw-dog his sister.  Bonaventura rebuts with “Hey, what if you didn’t do that?  Maybe prayed a little?”  Giovanni reluctantly agrees to try that.
    • Scene 2: Vasques and Grimaldi enter, mid-fight, and Vasques thoroughly trounces him.  Awoken in the middle of their beauty rest, Florio and Donado come out to see what all the racket is about.  Soranzo pops out of nowhere and explains that, because he was doing a better job of wooing Annabella, Grimaldi had started slandering him.  As such, he sent Vasques beat up Grimaldi.  Grimaldi scurries off and the rest of the gang go inside for drinks.  Meanwhile, Annabella and Putana have seen this all go down and discuss her suitors.  In comes Bergetto and Poggio, who are then ribbed by Annabella and Putana.  Out of the corner of her eye, Annabella spies a weeping, handsome man, Giovanni, and approaches him.
    • Scene 3: Annabella approaches Giovanni and asks him what’s wrong.  He explains that he’s sick, that he loves her.  “Well, duh”, she response, assuming this to be nothing more than familial love.  Giovanni has the very healthy response of pulling out his knife, telling her that she must love him or he must die.  Fortunately for Giovanni, Annabella has the same feelings and the two sneak off to do the deed.
    • Scene 4: We transition to Florio and Donado in conversation.  Donado is trying to make the case for Bergetto’s marriage to Annabella, if unsuccessfully.  Florio gives Bergetto a chance, but tells Donado he won’t force Annabella to marry him if she doesn’t want to.  Florio leaves and Donado bemoans her fate of having to woo on Bergetto’s behalf.  Speaking of, Bergetto and Poggio enter and are en route to a local show.  Donado tells him to go home so Bergetto doesn’t screw up all the work Donado’s done.  Bergetto promptly ignores this.
  • Act II
    • Scene 1: We begin with a post-coital scene between Giovanni and Annabella in which the two swear to be together (while remaining fuzzy on how).  Giovanni leaves while Putana enters and ensures Annabella that everything’s totally fine and that it wasn’t a supremely bad idea to have sex with her brother.  Florio then enters and introduces Annabella to “the doctor” Richardetto and Philotis, as Annabella has apparently been sick.
    • Scene 2: Now there is a transition to Soranzo, who is reading love poetry.  Hippolita enters and berates him over his broken marriage promise.  Vasques enters to mediate, but Soranzo has had enough and leaves.  Hippolita takes the moment to try and seduce Vasques, offering to marry him if he helps her kill Soranzo.  Vasques agrees so he can keep an eye on her.
    • Scene 3: Richardetto explains to Philotis his plan to get back at Soranzo and Hippolita.  In comes Grimaldi, seeking the “new doctor” and asks if he has any potions that would make Annabella love him.  Richardetto says he doesn’t, but regardless it doesn’t matter as long as Soranzo’s in the way.  Richardetto gives Grimaldi poison to use against Soranzo.
    • Scene 4: Another comedic relief scene between Donado, Bergetto and Poggio.  Donado explains he will do all the wooing work for Bergetto if he’d please just stay home.   Bergetto says he’s written her a love letter.  To the shock of nobody, it is an extremely bad letter, promising to marry her “in spite of [her] teeth”.
    • Scene 5: Giovanni tells Bonaventura he raw-dogged his sister.  Bonaventura is, unsurprisingly, upset by this and says he will try to talk her out of doing this again.  Giovanni basically responds “good luck, we’re in love”.
    • Scene 6: Donado approaches Florio and Annabella with the hopes of helping Bergetto’s case.  Donado gives Annabella a love letter (supposedly from Bergetto, actually from Donado) and a jewel and asks if she’s inclined to Bergetto.  Annabella kindly refuses, prompting Donado to give Annabella the jewel because of her kind, honest treatment of Bergetto.  Much to Donado’s dismay, Bergetto enters the scene with a bandage around his face.  He reveals that he got beaten up in the street by a commoner (the nerve!).  But, he explains, it was ultimately for the best because that allowed him to meet the pretty doctor’s niece, Philotis, who has a face “worth twenty of you, mistress Annabella”.  Donado, thoroughly embarrassed, drags Bergetto off.  Giovanni enters, becoming slightly jealous that Bergetto gave his sister a jewel, before the siblings sneak off to (you guessed it) get it on again.
  • Act III
    • Scene 1: Bergetto tells Poggio that he’s fed up with Donado telling him what to do and that he’s decided he will marry Philotis.
    • Scene 2: Another suiting scene, this time featuring Soranzo!  Florio, quite excited at the prospect, gives Soranzo access to Annabella.  Soranzo does a hilariously bad job wooing Annabella, his self-esteemed wit failing him.  Annabella is derisive of Soranzo, more so than Bergetto.  Suddenly, Annabella sickens, prompting the family to rush in and take her to her bed.
    • Scene 3: Giovanni is pacing when a deeply worried Putana enters.  When Giovanni is able to shake Putana from her panic, she informs him that Annabella is not sick but pregnant.  She warns him that if a doctor were to see Annabella, her pregnancy would be revealed.  Giovanni puts Putana in charge of ensuring no doctor sees her while he goes to deal with other matters.
    • Scene 4: Florio and “the doctor” Richardetto enter discussing Annabella’s health.  Richardetto reports that she seems alright, but that she may have an “overflux of the blood”.  This refers to “virgin’s disease”, a (obviously non-existent) disease thought to effect female virgins past a certain age.  Depending on interpretation, this line could be either sarcastic or genuine (due to the fact Richardetoo isn’t actually a doctor).  Florio announces he will have Annabella married to Soranzo to ward this off.  Due to her sickness, Florio plans to have them married tonight at Bonaventura’s cell (monastic, not prison).
    • Scene 5: Richardetto meets up with Grimaldi and informs him of Soranzo and Annabella’s imminent marriage.  Richardetto then gives Grimaldi poison and informs him that if he doesn’t kill Soranzo tonight, his chances with Annabella are lost.  Grimaldi exits and Philotis enters.  Philotis informs her uncle that Bergetto wishes to be married tonight, to which Richardetto agrees.  He decides they too will go to Bonaventura’s cell to get married (“Hmm, I wonder how this could go wrong”).  Bergetto enters and has an adorably awkward flirting scene with Philotis before … getting an erection and being pulled off-stage by Richardetto.
    • Scene 6: Bonaventura puts the fear of god in Annabella and tells her she must marry Soranzo to avoid hell.  She agrees and Bonaventura announces to her, Soranzo and the rest of the family that they will be married tonight.
    • Scene 7: In the darkness of night, Grimaldi has hidden himself near Bonaventura’s cell, waiting for Soranzo.  Bergetto enters, speaking lovingly with Philotis, prompting Grimaldi to assume it’s Soranzo.  Grimaldi stabs Bergetto, killing him, before running off.  Richardetto is unable to save Bergetto because he’s still not a doctor.
    • Scene 8: A short scene, Hippolita and Vasques discuss their plan to murder Soranzo at his wedding with poisoned wine.
    • Scene 9: Donado, Florio and Poggio go to the cardinal’s home seeking justice, as they hear that Grimaldi has holed himself up there.  The cardinal enters and immediately chastises them for disturbing his peace.  More than that, the cardinal refuses to turn over Grimaldi and takes him into the protection of the pope.  He justifies this by saying Grimaldi is Roman and he feels really bad for accidentally killing Bergetto.  The act ends with Donado and Poggio weeping.
  • Act IV
    • Scene 1: We transition to Soranzo’s wedding party.  A glum-looking Giovanni offends Soranzo by refusing to drink in his honour.  This potential faux-pas is overlooked, however, as Vasques announces that there is going to be a surprise performance from some local women.  After the performance, one of the women removes her mask to reveal herself as Hippolita, immediately shocking the guests.  But, Hippolita claims, she’s not here to interrupt, but to congratulate Soranzo on his marriage.  She proposes a toast, thinking Vasques will give Soranzo the poisoned wine.  Vasques switches the drinks, poisoning Hippolita who promptly dies.  The wedding party is then called off.
    • Scene 2: Richardetto warns Philotis that shit is getting crazy and that she should probably just join a nunnery.  She does so.
    • Scene 3: Soranzo has found out Annabella is pregnant by another man and begins to physically and verbally abuse her, demanding she tell him who he is.  She refuses, culminating in Soranzo threatening to kill her.  Fortunately, Vasques intervenes and prevents him from killing Annabella.  This was not for her sake though, as Vasques simply wants to take a different approach to getting the info out of her.  Soranzo and Annabella exit, leaving Vasques to ponder the situation.  In comes a crying Putana, a perfect opportunity for Vasques to get some info!  He seduces her and ultimately convinces her to give up the name of the man who impregnated Annabella.  After revealing Putana reveals it was Giovanni, Vasques has Putana brutalized, her eyes put out and stored in a box so that she can serve as witness.
  • Act V
    • Scene 1: Annabella, weeping, is writing a letter in her own blood to Giovanni renouncing their relationship and encouraging him to find safety.  Bonaventura overhears Annabella, speaking her letter aloud and offers to take it to Giovanni.
    • Scene 2: Vasques starts to gas Soranzo up, telling him to stick to their plan to A: humiliate the House of Florio by revealing the incest, B: disavow Soranzo’s marriage to Annabella and C: kill Giovanni.  Soranzo is easily convinced.
    • Scene 3: Bonaventura delivers the letter to Giovanni.  He is shocked by its contents and blames Bonaventura for manipulating her.  Before they can finish, Vasques enters and invites Giovanni to Soranzo’s birthday party.  Giovanni accepts despite Bonaventura’s protests, knowing Soranzo intends to kill him at the party.  Bonaventura swears off the whole situation and returns to his home in Bologna.
    • Scene 4: Vasques and Soranzo are making the final preparations for their plan.  Giovanni enters and Soranzo and Vasquese encourage him to say hello to Annabella in her room while they greet their guests.
    • Scene 5: Giovanni enters Annabella’s room and asks about the letter.  Annabella informs Giovanni of Soranzo’s plan (which he is not surprised by) and encourages him to run before he is killed.  He changes the subject, ominously asking if they will see each other in the afterlife.  Annabella responds in the affirmative.  Giovanni asks for one last kiss before he leaves.  They kiss, and as they do, Giovanni kills Annabella.
    • Scene 6: The party is in full swing and Soranzo asks where his brother-in-law Giovanni is.  Giovanni enters, covered in blood and wielding a sword with a heart impaled on it.  Giovanni informs the guests that he was sleeping with Annabella for months and that he has now killed her to deny her to Soranzo.  This information is too much for Florio who has a fatal heart attack.  Soranzo attacks Giovanni but is struck a mortal blow by Giovanni.  This spurs Vasques into action who manages to strike down Giovanni.  The party is in a panic at this point, but Vasques assures them the violence has ended.  The cardinal demands to know what’s happened here, which Vasques explains and backs up with testimony from the blinded Putana.  Richardetto then reveals his identity and role in getting revenge on Hippolita.  The cardinal, the ultimate authority here, takes control of the situation.  He lays claim to the House of Florio’s wealth, has Putana burned and Vasques exiled (as he is a Spaniard, not an Italian).  Ultimately, the cardinal laments that all this could have been avoided but “’tis pity she’s a whore”.

*Note: I would have created a chart with lines charting all the relationships between the characters, but …

Per a mathematically-inclined friend of OSG, it may be literally impossible to diagram these relationships without having some lines overlap!

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