Summary
Annabella appears by herself on the balcony, holding a letter written in her own blood. She speaks at length of her penitence for her “false joys” with Giovanni and holds herself up as an example for others to avoid. She also mentions her sorrow that Giovanni has entangled himself with her. The Friar has entered below, and hears most of this monologue. Annabella, unaware of his presence, goes on to praise the Friar and vows to die after giving her penitent letter to a passerby. At this point the Friar steps in to tell Annabella that heaven has heard her penitence. Annabella responds by throwing the letter down to him and asking that Giovanni read it and repent, as she has. She mentions her suspicion of Putana as she does: she seems to suspect that Putana has revealed the incestuous relationship to others. The Friar says he will get the letter to Giovanni, and both express their belief that Annabella will die soon.

The scene shifts to Soranzo and Vasques, with Vasques denouncing Annabella for her cuckoldry and spendthrift ways. Soranzo responds to Vasques’ taunting by resolving to have some banditti ambush his wife even as he behaves lovingly toward her. He tells Vasques to “invite the states of Parma to my birthday’s feast,” as well as Giovanni and Florio. Soranzo and Vasques exit planning to carry out this plot.

Giovanni enters alone, savoring the fact that his sister’s marriage has not reduced the pleasure of his love. He praises their pleasant union, then sees the Friar enter, and tells him hell is merely a superstitious fear. The Friar gives him the letter, which Giovanni unseals and reads. Giovanni changes color and denounces the Friar for trying to stop the love between the two siblings. Yet he recognizes that Annabella has written the letter, and that they are discovered. Immediately after this, though, he maintains that the letter is in fact forged.

Vasques enters to invite Giovanni to Soranzo’s birthday feast, and Giovanni tells him he will come. Vasques exits, and the Friar warns Giovanni that the feast is a plot to ruin him. Giovanni declares that he will go despite the danger and vows to kill those who plot against him at the feast. The Friar exits after warning Giovanni again about the feast. He is departing to Bologna to avoid the dangerous feast, and leaves Giovanni to depression. Giovanni repeats his intent to courageously kill those around him at the feast even though he will die there too.

Analysis
Annabella’s talk of her false joys with Giovanni suggests that she was deceived into enjoying her incestuous relationship, but now recognizes that those pleasures were deceptive and illusory. The Friar’s description of the afterlife she would suffer in hell if she failed to repent has apparently convinced her that her earlier pleasures were deceptive and temporary if they could cause her to suffer for an eternity in hell. Her repentance has led her to try to convince Giovanni to repent as well. Yet she and Giovanni have become separated after her marriage and penitence, so she cannot actually go to Giovanni to convince him. As the two grow apart physically, they are also growing apart emotionally: Annabella awaits her death, but Giovanni believes their old relationship has not yet ended and still has the same desire for his sister.

Giovanni’s monologue at the start of scene three shows that he retains this belief and, indeed, is even more intent on pursuing the pleasures of his relationship with Annabella. This focus has led him to dismiss the Friar and...