Wilde woman
10-14-2010, 07:46 PM
One of the funniest plays I've ever read, this Renaissance drama focuses on two siblings, Giovanni and Annabella, who fall in love with each other. This was one of the first English plays that deals seriously with incest, even though it veils it with a veneer of humor. The siblings' father, Florio, is trying to marry Annabella off to the best of three suitors and is completely unaware of his son's infatuation. The lovers are pitted against Soranzo, the preferred suitor, and his truly evil (think Iago-level evil) servant, Vasques. Though this main storyline is pretty serious, the subplots provide lots of laughs. The servant figures are all either lecherous or really REALLY stupid, which makes for funny stuff. (Annabella's nurse is named Putana - which is Italian for "whore". :D) Annabella's doctor is also divorced and, unbeknownst to him, his wife wants revenge. And Ford crafts these subplots to comment on the main plot in very interesting ways. Though the play (and its title) is highly entertaining, it only partially masks a truly horrific ending, which is surprisingly modern in its implications.
If the only Renaissance plays you've ever read are Shakespeare or Jonson, this is a breath of fresh air.
If the only Renaissance plays you've ever read are Shakespeare or Jonson, this is a breath of fresh air.