A Tragedy Of Women:the Influence Of Patriarchy On The Characterization Of Female Characters In ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore

This thesis interprets the female characters in John Ford’s ’Tis,Pity Sity She’s a Whore from a feminist perspective.Although literary criticism of ’Tis Pity She ’s a Whore in recent decades has become diversified,the exploration of female characters in this play is far from enough.The prevailing opinion of the existing feminist criticism is that the heroine,Annabella,is a courageous woman who fights against the patriarchal society and pursues the right of equality.Based on previous studies of female characters,this thesis conducts a comprehensive study of the four female characters in the play to figure out the influence of patriarchy on the characterization of females.Based on the theory of feminist literary criticism and the conception of patriarchy,this thesis argues that the female characters in ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore are weak victims under the influence of patriarchal ideology,despite their rebellion or obedience.The thesis firstly analyzes the character of the four females in the play,and it indicates that under the influence of patriarchal aesthetic and moral standards,the females lose their real character and are depicted as angels and monsters,Then,the analysis of the oppression the four females suffer from external patriarchal society further confirms that females are weak victims.Finally,an in-depth exploration of the females’ speeches and behaviors reveals that females’ internalization of patriarchal ideology is the ultimate cause of their weakness.This thesis hopes that its interpretation of female characters as weak victims can enrich the present feminist study of ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore and attract more domestic scholars and readers’ attention to this work.