The Insatiate Countess

Comedy and tragedy would not seem to mix well, as they have opposite conclusions of happiness or sadness. To have comic and tragic plots within one play, then, can be argued as being too distinct to be coherent. In The Insatiate Countess, however, it is the differences between the tragic plot of the countess, Isabella, and the comic plot of Abigail and Thais, that strengthen the play’s message supporting loyalty in friendship.

Written by John Marston, Lewis Machin and William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess’ differing plots might be attributed to the presence of multiple authors. Critic Giorgio Melchiori states the play is based on Marston’s draft, while “Barksted’s hand is more apparent in the tragic scenes, Machin’s in the comic” (16). With several authors, the emulsification of comic and tragic is even more impressive. Interspersing scenes of comedy with tragedy throughout the play not only consolidates them, but also helps the reader draw parallels between them to reach the common theme of loyalty. The weddings in Act 1 involve the tragic character of Isabella as well as the comedic characters of Thais and Abigail, each getting married; and they are all present again for executions in Act 5, although by this time Thais and Abigail are preventing the deaths of their husbands, whereas Isabella is being executed. The distinctions in these plots serve to show Isabella’s divergence from the path of Abigail and Thais: albeit an odd happiness, in saving foolish husbands, the comedic alternative is certainly preferable to being the one on the chopping block, and indeed one who is not saved from that fate. In the severity of their divergence, the comic plot reinforces the message lost on the tragic plot: to be loyal in friendship.

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...ds’ idiocy and their own cleverness (something Lady Lentulus just doesn’t understand).

With one another’s help, they are able to prevent their husbands from havoc and disaster, and likewise keep their own lives happy. The faults in the Insatiate Countess are attributed to her insatiability, which comes from over-investing in men and devaluing friendship. Were she to follow the paths of Abigail and Thais, she would not only have someone to channel her energy into, but also have someone to talk her out of revenge, which would then prevent her from both orchestrating murder and being hanged herself. If we can learn from both the comedic and tragic plots, let us first understand them to have the same message: to observe a moderate one’s investment in one’s lover, a greater investment in one’s friends, and, when balanced by friendship, an utmost investment in oneself.