Queen's Men Dramaturgy: Narrative Over-Determination (Sc. 14)

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Ragan says here that she already believes that Leir has abused her sister (TLN 1141-1143), effectively rendering the arrival of Gonorill's message redundant. Once again, the company seems less interested in creating a surprising turn of events than in stoking fearful anticipation of a predictable course of events. This dramaturgical strategy could possibly be a reflection of the protestant philosophy of divine providence. In the following scene, her reaction to Gonorill's letter (TLN 1172), while amusing, seems a little extreme given what she tells us here.

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