Syntax within Tis Pity Shes A Whore What

Syntax within “Tis Pity She’s A Whore”

What is syntax? • “Syntax is the way in which language techniques are combined together to form phrases or structures. ” • In simple terms, Syntax is basically sentence structure.

Examples • How many times have you been typing away on word trying to finish an essay last minute and seen the message “syntax error”. • This message means that you haven’t ordered the words in your sentence logically • “I saw that she a cookie ate” • This is a syntax error! Fix up bruh

Syntax within the play • The sentence structure within the play is unlike any text we have studied in English thus far. • Although the play is obviously laid out like Equus was, but the language and structures of the two texts contrast each other. (check my comparison to another text right there) • The language used within Tis Pity is colloquial to Jacobean era Italy. For example, words such as “Signor” are used to identify male characters. • The structure of the sentences are different to what we would consider the logical way of structuring them. For example; “what, though, he be your brother”

Observations • I noticed in the play that characters only ever directly communicate with one character whilst talking, and there are rarely stage directions directing them to switch who they are directly talking to. • I also noticed that when characters are angry, they speak in run on sentences, forming large paragraphs (think Hippolita addressing Soranzo). However when they are sad they talk in shorter sentences. (think Giovanni and Annabella discussing her needing a suitor who isn't Giovanni)