Antonina, Or, the Fall of Rome

Then there's the drama. Oh! My darlings! The drama! I weep to recall it! At first, our heroine is placed in such a lamentable position by her father Numerian in his religious zealotry; her would-be seducer the wealthy Vetranio; and the scheming servant Ulpius, that I found myself shuffling in my seat with all the discomfort piling on. It was all-too painful, and felt like kitten-kicking. However, acquaintance with Antonina didn't last long before I felt like kicking her myself. Classically pathetic in her situation, she was colloquially pathetic in her response. Had she had a little gumption at least she'd have held my sympathy, but as the pure victim she was characterless, a mere cipher, a plot device.