Arden of Faversham

Choose two characters who do immoral things for personal gain and compare them. Why do they do these things? Are certain types of immoral behavior more acceptable than others in the text?

Discuss female autonomy in the play. Is this a text in which women are empowered?

Alice and Mosby might traditionally be considered the antagonists of this story. Write an essay about why they are not the antagonists.

What is the real “moral” of the story? Consider Franklin’s denouement in the Epilogue as well as the characters’ last words in the final scene. Be sure to use textual support from throughout the play.

Discuss the power of words in the play. Do words and oaths mean anything to the characters?

Compare Alice’s relationship with Arden to Alice’s relationship with Mosby. Did Alice seem to love Arden once? Does her love for Mosby justify her actions?

Research the real murder of Thomas Arden and its early modern retellings. How is this story affected by the fact that is it closely based on a real-life murder?

Read the broadside ballad “The complaint and lamentation of Mistresse Arden of Feversham in Kent” and write an essay comparing it to Arden of Faversham. How does the story change when it’s told from Alice’s point of view?