'Tis Pity She's a Whore is one of the most controversial plays ever staged in the English theatre. In this illuminating Handbook, Martin White:

- Offers an in-depth, moment-by-moment analysis of the play, looking at how it might be performed on stage

- Provides vital contextual material on John Ford's social and literary influences

- Reconstructs the play's performances in Ford's own time and examines later stage, television and film productions

- Guides the reader through the often heated critical and theatrical responses to the dramatic work