Venus

The Overture begins the play with the end of the Venus’s life, and it is largely repeated in Scene 1, at the end of the play. Why does Parks choose to begin the play with the Overture? How does this purpose explain the reverse ordering of the scene numbers? What effect might this have on a live audience?

Why is it important that the Brother pretended to marry the Girl when he was 12 years old? How does the idea of a pretend marriage carry throughout the play, influencing the different kinds of relationships the Venus has with European men?

The Venus agrees to go to Europe to make money, but she quickly realizes that her living conditions are what she was promised. Use evidence from the text to illustrate the conditions in which the Venus lived. How do these conditions reflect the issues in English society at the time?