A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1843
- Form
- Tragedy
- Language
- English
- Length
- Short · 60 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Harvard Classics, Volume 18, Modern English DramaP. F. Collier and Son, 1909The play is out of print on its own; this volume, freely available online, is where it is assigned.
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A verse tragedy in three acts, first staged by Macready at Drury Lane in 1843. Lord Tresham, proud of his family's unstained honour, agrees to give his fourteen-year-old sister Mildred to the young Earl Mertoun, not knowing that the two are already secret lovers. A servant reveals that a man has been climbing to Mildred's window at night. Tresham confronts and kills the disguised Mertoun before learning his identity, Mildred dies of grief, and Tresham poisons himself. The play takes place in the eighteenth century and turns on the code of honour it depicts.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns A Blot in the 'Scutcheon are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
