SOURCE: Adams, Charles L. “The Structure of The Cenci.” Drama Survey 4, no. 2 (summer 1965): 139-48.

In the following essay, Adams defends Shelley against charges that The Cenci is structurally defective and argues that understanding Orsino's role in the first two acts is vital to an appreciation of the play.

In the conclusion of their article “The Stage History of Shelley's The Cenci,” Kenneth Cameron and Horst Frenz summarize their findings (“… there is sufficient evidence to show that it is a genuine acting drama.”) and ask the question, “Why … has the misconception that it is a closet drama so long persisted?”¹ An important reason for this “misconception” concerns the structure of the play. Critics have long maintained that the play is structurally defective. Theatre-goers, on the other hand (as pointed out by Cameron and Frenz), have apparently not felt this deficiency. I would like to present a possible explanation of...