SUMMARY OF A WOMAN KILLED WITH KINDNESS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE: John Frankford, Anne Frankford (his wife), Wendoll (Friend of Frankford), Sir Charles Mountfort, Susan Mountford (his sister), Sir Francis Acton, Cranwell (friend of Frankford), Malby (friend of Sir Francis), Old Mountford (uncle of Charles), Tydy (cousin of Charles), Sandy (former friend of Charles), Roder (former Tenant of Charles), Shafton (False friend of Charles), Nick, Jenkin, Spiggot, Sisly, Brickbat, Jack Slime, Joan Miniver, Jane Trubkin, Isbel Motley (servants), Sheriff, Keeper, Sergeant.

PROLOGUE: The prologue consists of fourteen lines in which the author excuses himself for the lack of stage props and for the "clumsiness" of the play, asking the audience to use their imagination to make up for the poverty of technical effects.

SCENE I: There is a wedding. Sir Francis' sister, Anne, marries John Frankford. They are having a feast. Everyone is happy, and the guests congratulate Frankford for the excellence of the bride. Everyone is praising Anne. Francis and Charles, both attending the feast, arrange a match on their hawks for the following day, after having boasted about their hounds and hawks. They bet some money.

SCENE II: This is a "servants scene". Nick, Jenkin, Slime, Brickbat, some musicians, and country wenches. They are feasting, too. They speak about what kind of tune they prefer for their dance and end up by dancing onstage.

SCENE III: Charles, Francis, Malby, Cranwell, Wendoll, Falconers and huntsmen. Sir Charles Mountfort and Sir Francis Actons do not agree on the result of the falconry contest. They start a quarrel in which their servants and attendants get engaged as well. Sir Charles kills two of Sir Francis' men. When Charles realises his deed, he falls into grief and feels remorse for the deadly consequences of his rashness.

At this moment enters Susan (Charles’ sister), alarmed by the news of the brawl and eager to see if his brother is sound and save. He says he has received a wound in his heart, which turns out to be a moral one, for he now deeply regrets his own violence. Susan urges Charles to flee because Sir Francis Acton is a very influential man and no doubt he will seek his punishment. Too dejected, Charles refuses to flee leaving his sister alone. Enter Sheriff and officers and arrest Charles, who offers no resistance.

SCENE IV: Frankford is in his private rooms, happy, thinking aloud of his luck in life, since he has got all a man can wish: love, wealth, intelligence etc. Enters Nick, announcing the visit of Wendoll. Enters Wendoll and Anne bringing the news of the falconry betting. In an aside Nick, the loyal and cunning servant of Frankford, expresess his disliking of Wendoll. The young man has been taken up and offered hospitality and support by Frankfort.

SCENE V: Sir Charles and his keeper. Sir Charles has paid a suit of pardon in order to acquit himself of the killings. But for this purpose he has spend all the fortune his father had left him.

At this moment appears Shafton, a false friend of Charles, falsely celebrating his freedom. Shafton offers Sir Charles some money free of interest, to help him in his economic straits. Charles readily accepts the money.

SCENE VI: There is a speech by Wendoll in which he voices out the sudden and irrepressible love for his host’s wife. He appears self-divided between his violent passion and his concern for the gratitude and respect owed to his host. Jenkin listens to Wendoll's speech, though he can not make out what the young guest is really talking about.

Enters Anne and Jenkin exits. Frankford has to set off on a sudden journey. Anne talks to Wendoll repeating her husband offer to make use of his house and possessions as if they were his.

Wendoll declares his love to Anne. She is surprised at the ill reward that Wendoll gives to her and his husband. Wendoll feels then ashamed of his actions, but, when he is beginning to regret it, Anne, moved by his words, yields to him. At this moment Nick enters and sees Wendoll and Anne kiss each other. Nick thinks of killing them for the betrayal to his master, but on second thoughts decides to turn himself into a spy.

SCENE VII: Sir Charles and his sister are in their house, the only property they keep from their previous wealth. Shafton comes with a Sergeant of the Law, demanding the restitution of his money. Shafton knows Charles will not be able to give it back in his present conditions. The Sergeant seizes the house to give it to Shafton as a payment for his loan. Charles is arrested again.

Enter Sir Francis and Malby and witness Charles’ arrest. Sir Francis rejoices in his enemy’s disgrace but tells Malby that he has not got full satisfaction. He wants now the ignoble satisfaction of abusing and dishonouring Susan, Charles sister. She perceives his intentions and flees.

SCENE VIII: Enter Jenkin, Spiggot and Nick, all serving men. Nick stays alone and expresses all the rage he feels towards Wendoll and Anne. In this moment enters Frankford.

Nick tells Frankford what he has seen. Frankford is wounded at heart for a double treason: the virtuous wife’s and the true friend’s.

Enter Wendoll, Anne and Cranwell to play cards with Frankford. The whole game of cards is played in terms of double sense by Frankford, who wants to try the reactions of his wife. Frankford is becoming surer and surer of her infidelity. He pretends to be ill and goes up to his chambers. He asks Nick for help to set a trap for the lovers.

SCENE IX: Susan is talking to her relatives and friends, Old Mountford, Roder, Sandy and Tidy. She is asking for money and arms to free her brother but none of them is willing to help her.

Enter Malby and Sir Francis. Malby offers gold to Susan if she consents to make love to Francis. She refuses the money and flees away. Francis, impressed by the girl’s attitude, decides on his own accord to free Charles to gain the favour both of sister and brother.

SCENE X: Charles is in prison. The gaoler comes to free him. Charles is really surprised because he does not know who has done such a good action for him. He thinks that it must be one of his relatives, but the keeper tells him the real identity of his benefactor. Charles refuses to be freed by Acton. Susan comes and tells him that Acton wants her to yield her honour as the price for his release from prison.

SECENE XI: Frankford's house. Nick gives Frankford a set of keys they have copied and a false letter requesting them to come to York. During a banquet (held by Frankford, Anne, Wendoll and Cranwell), Nick enters with the feigned letter. Frankford goes out with Nick, assuring they are not going to spend the night at home. When they go out, Wendoll and Anne make plans to pass the night together.

SCENE XII: There is a conversation between Spiggot, Jenkin, Sisly and other servants. They suspect that "When the cat is away, the mice may play". Anne asks the servants to lock the doors and to get to bed.

SCENE XIII: The house is silent. Nick and Frankford go back to the bedroom where the couple are making love. Fankford's heart is broken at the sight. Wendoll flies away, and Frankford lets him go, calling him traitor and Judas, but avoiding to attack him.

Anne appears ashamed and crying for forgiveness. She is full of self pity, begging the husband to kill her. The husband treats her in a stern way, but without resorting to physical violence.

Frankford withdraws to deliberate for a time. When he comes back, he announces his decision of not punishing her wife with physical mistreatment, but in a milder ways, killing her with kindness.

The first step he takes is to cast her out and to estrange her from their children. She leaves.

SCENE XIV: We find Charles and Susan. Susan is dressed like a bride and asks Charles about his intentions. Charles is ready to yield his sister’s honour to his foe as a payment for his debt. When Francis appears, he is, however, moved by this act of huge sacrifice and decides to forgive their debts and to marry Susan.

SCENE XV: Frankford, Nick, Cranwell. Frankford is looking for he personal properties of his wife in the house, since he wants to get rid of all things reminding him of her at home. They find her flute. The husband grows melancholic.

SCENE XVI: Nick sets off in order to deliver her the flute and Cranwell goes to tell Sir Francis what his dear sister has done. Nick reaches Anne in the wood, and gives her the flute. In a very sentimental scene, everyone is moved with tears when she makes open his intention of starving herself to death. From now on, she says, she will spend his time crying and waiting for the wished-for death, such is her sorrow. She also asks Nick to communicate her decision to Frankford. Wendoll, who has being despondently wandering in the woods, appears and tries to talk to Anne, but she flees as if she had seen the devil.

SCENE XVII: In this scene all the characters meet in Anne's dwelling in the woods. Francis, Charles, Susan, servants... They join there because they want to say goodbye to Anne, who is agonizing in bed. Francis Acton is astonished about his brother-in-love’s action, so wity and well-plotted, since the usual reaction would have been to kill his wife on the spot. Anyway, she is about to die now. Her greatest sorrow is to die in shame, like a whore, not as an honest mother and wife, and estranged from her beloved husband.

Frankford, moved to compassion by her repentance and imminent death comes in the last moment, embraces her and forgives her to the general arousing of tears and pity among those present. She then dies in a happy state, and Frankford pronounces her epitaph: "Here lies She, whom her husband's kindness killed".

EPILOGUE: The author ends up by stating that since the tastes of the audience are different, some of the spectators may have found the play too trivial, and some too grave.

He remarks that the only purpose of the crew of actors is to amuse the audience. The epilogue ends with the following lines: "Excuse us, then; / Good wine may be disgraced / When every several mouth hath sundry taste".

SUMMARY OF EL CASTIGO SIN VENGANZA

DRAMATIS PERSONAE: El Duque de Ferrara, Casandra, El Duque Federico, Aurora, Albano, Lucrecia, Rutilio, Batín, Floro, Cintia, Lucindo, Febo, El Marqués Gonzaga Ricardo.

FIRST ACT: This play starts with the The Duke of Ferrara, Febo, and Ricardo in a street of Ferrara. After identifying themselves in the night, they start to chat and Ricardo, a rascal and friend of the Duke, informs him of the place where a very beautiful, sweet and dark-skinned married girl lives. She would be a good prey for the Duke. They go to the place where she lives and ask to be let in, because the duke wants to talk to her. She does not believe that such an important personage is really at her door and does not open the door.

After this, they go home to rest. In this first scene, the Duke of Ferrara is presented as a wanton, who, being still unmarried at a late age, is too prone on whoring, drinking and gaming. The Duke has no children to inherit his fortune, except an illegitimate son who, having become motherless some years ago, went to live with his natural father. This illegitimate son is the main male character of the play, Federico, Count of Ferrara. The Duke is now going to marry a young woman, since he wants to clear his reputation by starting a new life. He also wants to have a legitimate heir. Federico does not like this idea, since being no legitimate heir to the Duke's fortune, he loose any chance to remains the Duke’s heir. Federico is sent to go on the road to welcome Casandra, a young woman from Mantua, who is the Duke's bride and his future stepmother.

Federico hears voices screaming for help from the forest next to the road. The cries come from Casandra, Lucrecia (her maid and confidant), the Marquis of Gonzaga (Casandra’s warden), and Rutilio (servant to the Marquis). The cart in which they were travelling has fallen into the river. Federico and Batín (his loyal and clever servant) rescue them.

Federico immediately falls in love with Casandra, and so does she. Batín also falls in love with Lucrecia. They have a conversation asking each other for advice in the matter of their love. Federico is afflicted when he learns that Lucrecia is going to be his stepmother.

At the same time, in Ferrara, the Duke is talking to Aurora, his orphan niece who has always lived with him and his son, the Count. He is explaining the reasons for his wedding. He doesn’t wants to marry, but he is hard-pressed by his counsellors. The Duke knows that his son is not very happy about the matter. Aurora, in love with Federico, gives him a solution: she will marry Federico, and the situation of both at the court will be regular. The Duke agrees to it. Aurora has made this proposal out of personal interest because she and the Count are in love with each other.

The travellers from Mantua arrive followed by Federico and Batín. The Duke and Aurora receive and welcome them.

After they have been introduced, Count Federico and Batín stay and have a conversation about Federico's love towards Casandra.

SECOND ACT: Casandra and Lucrecia are talking about the Duke. His interest for his young wife seems to have waned after the first night of marriage. Now, choked by the tie of marriage, the Duke becomes even wilder and more dissolute than before, leaving his young bride alone and going to visit the country wenches every night. After that, Casandra talks to Lucrecia about his love for Federico. Federico and Batín are also confiding in a different room. Later, the Duke talks to Federico about his intention of marrying him off to Aurora. Federico, feeling uncapable of rejecting the Duke's desires, accepts her.

In the following scene Count Federico and Casandra speak to each other. They give hints of their mutual love, but they do not still declare it openly. She confesses that the Duke is not her cup of tea, and Federico does the same about Aurora.

Aurora, feeling that Federico grows lukewarm to her, begins to feel jealous and suspicious about Federico and his young stepmother. She decides to make the Count jealous by giving hopes to the Marquis of Gonzaga, who is in love with her.

The Duke receives a letter from Rome. The Pope is in war and needs the help of his ally, the Duke. He is forced then to leave to Rome. Federico offers to join the expedition, but his father prefers him to stay and look after his wealth and family.

Aurora is still playing her game with the Marquis, but Federico seems not to notice, such is his love for Casandra. There is a conversation between both lovers in which they finally disclose their love. Their love is clean and restrained, and they do not betray the Duke physically. The betrayal lies only in their minds and hearts not in the act, but it is not the less engaging. As Federico finally summarizes: "En fin, Señora, me veo/ Sin mi, sin vos y sin Dios;/ Sin Dios, por lo que os deseo;/ Sin mi, porque estoy sin vos;/ Sin vos, porque no os poseo (“I find myself / deprived of self, of you, and of God; / of God because I desire you so much; / of self because you are not by my side / of you because I do not possess you”).

THIRD ACT: In this act we find out how Aurora is falling in love with the Marquis. She tells him her suspicion about Federico and Casnadra’s love, and the Marquis opines that, if this is true, death should be the most suitable punishment for both. Aurora talks to Federico, and expresses to him her intention to marry the Marquis. There is a lot of tension between Federico and Casandra, because both know that the Duke's arrival is imminent, and, once he has arrived they will not be able to enjoy the intimacy they have had so far.

The Duke comes and says that he has missed both his wife and son during the war campaign. Aurora asks the Duke for permission to marry the Marquis, and the Duke finds it quite odd. Aurora gives him some hints about Casandra and Alejandro’s love affair, but the Duke seems not to catch them.

The Duke, after his arrival, decides to read all the correspondence he had received while he was abroad. Among the letters, he finds an anonymous one advising him to open his eyes, and to keep watch on his wife and his son because they were having a love affair in the Duke's absence. He is wounded at heart, though, in the beginning, he does not trust this accusation.

The Duke decides to observe closely his wife and son, to talk to them with double-entendre, and observe their reactions while telling stories similar to what is actually going on between his son and Casandra. Doing so, he confirms the deceit (a deceit only in intention) and, finding himself dishonoured, claims for a "righteous justice": “A un pecado sin vergüenza, / Un castigo sin venganza” (“To a shameless sin, / a punishment without revenge”).

The Duke plans and carries out a well-plotted trap. First, he has Casandra tied up and muffled, so that she can neither speak nor be recognized. He, then, calls out his son Federico and informs him that a dangerous conspirator has been detected in the palace and arrested. He adds that the felon remains in the adjacent room. Now it is necessary that somebody dispatch him at once as he is an impending danger for the state. Federico does not hesitate to revenge his beloved father: he goes into the room, draws his sword and kills Casandra believing her to be the conspirator. As soon as the killing has been executed, the Duke calls in everyone in the adjoining rooms and publicly accuses his son of the murder of his wife, drawn by his ambition to remain sole heir. The Marquis of Gonzaga, Casandra’s warden and protector, kills Count Federico straightaway, so being the unwitting instruments of this “punishment without revenge”.

Batín delivers the epilogue: “Aquí acaba, Senado, aquella tragedia / Del castigo sin venganza, / Que siendo en Italia asombro, / Hoy es ejemplo en España” (“And with this noble audience ends that tragedy / called “The Punishment withour revenge / which being a wondrous sight in Italy / is a timely lesson for Spain”.