Ford wrote darkly about sexual and political passion, thwarted ambition, and incest. This selection also shows his ability to portray the poignancy of love as well as write entertaining comedy and create convincing roles for women. Setting Ford's earliest surviving independently-written play, The Lover's Melancholy; alongside his three best-known works, this edition includes an introduction with sections on each play, addressing gender issues, modern relevance, and staging possibilities.

The Lover's Melancholy
The Broken Heart
'Tis Pity She's a Whore
Perkin Warbeck

John Ford

Marion Lomax is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Language and Literature, St Mary's University College, Strawberry Hill.