The original full title, The Rover; or, The Banish'd Cavaliers, indicates that the play was a tribute to the formerly exiled cavalier and newly reinstated king, Charles II. The importance of wit within The Rover may be exaggerated compared to the real social world of that time, but it is undoubtedly true to the values of the time period. WILLMORE, the "rover" to whom the title refers; a naval captain who spends most of his days roaming around. 107-23. Enraged against women, he attempts to rape her, and asks Frederick to help. Comparative Criticism addresses itself to the questions of literary theory and criticism, to comparative studies in terms of theme, genre movement and influence Belville recognizes the ring as the one he gave Florinda when they exchanged vows. ?:0FBx$ !i@H[EE1PLV6QP>U(j LUCETTA, a "jilting wench" who steals the clothes and belongings from Blunt. The women, not approving of these plans, dress up for Carnival in an attempt to avoid their chosen fates. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Restoration Comedy also brought with it the first appearance of actresses on the modern English stage (as opposed to the cross-dressing men of Elizabethan theater); in fact, one of Charles IIs mistresses was the famous Restoration actress Nell Gwynn. With Angelica in love with Willmore, she has lost the ability to make money, because she will no longer sleep with her clients. [2] Kemble's version featured three acts instead of the normal five. The play itself is a frank, witty commentary on the highly sexualised elements of Restoration society.. Belvile, imprisoned in Antonios house, is surprised when the Spaniard gives him a sword. I vow next to loving him my self, twill please me most that you do so, for he is so gay and so handsome. [1], The play was later adapted by Mr. John Phillip Kemble in 1790 in a production called Love in Many Masks. Belvile reminds Willmore of the gypsy girl he had liked earlier (Hellena in disguise), but the Rover protests that he does not want to think of any other woman. The Rover essays are academic essays for citation. Willmore believes he has killed Antonio and runs off. Angelica orders one of her servants to follow Hellena and discover her identity. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. She sends a page to find out where they go. When she turns out to be a prostitute and thief, he is humiliated and attempts to rape Florinda as revenge against all women for the pain and damage that Lucetta has caused him. Don Pedro enters and announces that their father wishes Florinda to marry the elderly, wealthy Don Vincentio; he, however, wants his sister to marry his friend Don Antonio. Paperback. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Angelica, displeased at having lost a potential customer, commands Willmore to come up and face her in person. Willmore offers to pay her for her services; she refuses. /Filter /FlateDecode Hellena also exits, and Willmore vows to find her. With the help of Sancho, and her lover Philippo, Lucetta steals his belongings and exit. A page enters with a convenient priest, and the four leave to be married, with Willmore remaining behind to guard the house. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Joyful and victorious, Willmore still seems to have forgotten about his seemingly strong feelings for Hellena. She makes Willmore promise never to see Angellica again. The Rover by Aphra Behn Shakesqueer Theatre Company 32 subscribers Subscribe 19 Share 1.2K views 2 years ago Please donate to the Equal Justice Initiative if you can, either through our Facebook. Thomaso or the Wanderer is mid-seventeenth-century stage play a two-part comedy written by Thomas Killigrew The work was composed in Madrid c. 1654. Willmore stays behind to guard against Pedro's return. Florinda's letter contains instructions for Belville to come to her garden at ten that night and carry her off. Don Pedro asks why Don Antonio missed the duel; Antonio tells him what happened, and leaves in a huff. The two agree that Belvile will duel disguised as Antonio. Belvile and Frederick enter, also masked, and pull Willmore off of Florindaenraged, he draws his sword. Willmore, as usual, attempts to charm her back. Belville runs in, fearing that it is Willmore who has been hurt. Pedro believes that this is a sign of Antonios love for Florinda, and gives his now unmasked sister to his opponent. Hellena enters disguised as a man. A Feminist Patron Saint. Blunt enters, dirty, unclothed, and cursing not only Lucetta, but all women. throws himself into Bed, and expects you in his foul Sheets, and eer you can get your self undrest, calls you with a Snore or two and are not these fine Blessings to a young Lady? Ah Rogue! the Koran, the Kalevala), authors (e.g. Although she died poor, and suffering terribly from rheumatoid arthritis, her fame was so great that she was buried in Westminster Abbey. Florinda ducks into a door to avoid Willmore; it turns out to be Belville's house. Florinda stops them again just as Belville disarms Pedro. Department of Theater, University of Minnesota, BFA Seniors Production, 2012, Directed by Joel Sass. The two men duel; the Englishmen part them, but the Spaniards resolve to fight the next day at a public square, the Molo. Valeria, meanwhile, reveals that she fancies the English stranger (Frederick) whom she met earlier. It is a revision of Thomas Killigrew 's play Thomaso, or The Wanderer (1664), and features multiple plot lines, dealing with the amorous adventures of a group of Englishmen and women in Naples at Carnival time. Original publication. Struggling with distance learning? While Angelica grieves, he begs Hellena to reveal more about her mistress. Thinking Cap Theatre, Fort Lauderdale. The Rover or The Banishd Cavaliers is a two part Restoration Comedy written by British playwright, Royalist, libertine, and occasional spy Aphra Behn. Once she leaves, Belvile begs his friends to help rescue her, while Blunt leaves with Lucetta. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Theater Arts at the California Institute of Technology, "Ithaca College Theatre Presents 'The Rover', The Widdow Ranter, or, the History of Bacon in Virginia, The Younger Brother, or, The Amorous Jilt, Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister, Agnes de Castro; or, The Force of Generous Love, Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rover_(play)&oldid=1095454238, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox play with unknown parameters, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from March 2017, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Articles needing additional references from December 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Carnival time in Naples, Italy during the. Willmore and Belville almost fight, but Frederick intervenes. That April, we remounted the production for a live television broadcast on KOCE, Orange County's PBS affiliate. She agrees, despite the warnings from her maidservant Moretta. The embrace makes Belville drop his mask. Unfortunately, payments are no longer supported by Mastercard in your web browser In contrast to the witty Willmore, Blunt has no power over the prostitute who has seduced him. Instant PDF downloads. Pedro enters. Aphra Behn was England's first female professional playwright and a strong voice in early feminism. Inside the house, Willmore scolds Angelica for putting a price on love, and the two begin to flirt. The duel proceeds. Antonio wishes the Englishmen to fight in his place in his duel against Pedro (since he is wounded). Aphra Behn (1640?1689) combined dramatic genius and training with personal experience that gave her rare insight into manners and roles. By Aphra Behn - Oroonoko, the Rover and Other Works (Penguin Classics) by Aphra Behn | 27 Jul 1999. 'For when the act is done and finish't cleane, what should the poet doe, but shift the scene?': propaganda, professionalism and Aphra Behn Virginia Crompton; 8. She tells his fortune, and their exchange becomes flirtatious. what is the role of women in Aphra Behn's the rover? Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. When he enters Lucettas chamber, she uses the darkness to slip out and open a trapdoor, through which Blunt falls. Don Pedro enters, sees the pictures, and resolves to pay Angelicas thousand-crown price. The Rover roamed the English stage for a century and has been rediscovered in our own time as a theatrical masterpiece of wit and daring. This essay is the second of four distilled from a lecture series on Aphra Behn given by Dr. Abigail Williams of the University of Oxford and adapted for the Great Writers Inspire project by Kate O'Connor. Belville is confused as to why Florinda would defend his rival but they push her away and fight. Wilmore greets him by embrace. Belvile reenters and Don Pedro congratulates him; the two exit to tell Florinda the happy news as Hellena enters, disguised again in boys clothes. 2023 to lie in a wide Moth eaten Bed Chamber with Furniture in Fashion in the Reign of King, Valet to uncase his feeble Carcass, he desires you to do that Office Signs of Favor. Angelica: Dost thou not know thy Life is in my power? Poetry: 6. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Hellena knows this fact, and uses it to mock him. Modern Critical Views. This edition takes account of recent critical approaches as well as of the play's recent stage history. The system of marriage, within the setting of The Rover is a representation of the commonwealth and the societal structure described in Hobbes' Leviathan. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Still, Behn faced sexism, and was often accused of bawdiness and unfemininity both because of her work and the mere fact that she was a women writer. The original full title, The Rover; or, The Banish 'd Cavaliers, indicates that the play was a tribute to the formerly exiled cavalier and newly reinstated king, Charles II. [3] Even though this version of Aphra Behn's The Rover was much more polite and politically correct, it still received criticism that "the ideas are constantly indelicate, and the language frequently gross. Florinda reenters, still being chased by Willmore. Florinda waits in her garden for Belville wearing a nightgown. She grants it, and Frederick and Valeria decide to marry each other as well. 5. I wrote a new adaptation of The Rover and directed it for The Chance Theater in Anaheim; the production ran in January and February of 2005. Virginia Woolf praised Aphra Behn in the book A Room of Ones Own, whom she believed earned [women] the right to speak their minds, and paved the way for all female authors who followed her. Willmore appears to switch his focus from Angelica back to Hellena, while Belvile yet again does not realize that he has been talking all along to his beloved. Sisters Hellena and Florinda's fates have been decided for them by the men in their life, mainly their brother and father. and natural philosopher, a creator of modern algebra, and the inventor of the universal joint. 2. Aristocrats, too, assessed each other based on wit, each striving to be the quickest and the cleverest. A very determined woman, Florinda refuses suitors due to her devoted love to Colonel Belville. Willmore and Blunt enter and break them up. FLORINDA, Sister to Don Pedro, and Hellena. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Our Teacher Edition on The Rover can help. The other men, unaware that the girl is Florinda, decide to let her out and have their way with her. Aphra Behn's raucous comedy The Rover, was first published in 1677 at the height of King Charles II's reign, in the heyday of libertinism. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." most subsequent Behn studies and supported the view of Behn as a "public woman" whose role is structured by the logic of the marketplace and her own commodification.3 However, this focus on Behn as performer and public commodity neglects the countervailing theme of private retreat in Behn's self-portrayal. Performed in 1677, Aphra Behn 's play, The Rover, speaks to this double standard, which limited her female peers' sexual desires to the realm of convent, brothel, or home. Florinda, Hellena, and Valeria, disguised as gypsies, enter with Callis and Stephano, accompanied by a group of revelers including Lucetta and Sancho. endobj Ed. The ladylike Florinda is in love with the noble but impoverished British cavalier Belvile while witty Hellena is supposed to become a nun, but longs for love. Just as he forgot about Hellena when he was with Angelica, now Willmore seems to forget about the courtesan, swearing that he will remain faithful to Hellena. Pedro, Belville, Florinda, Frederick, and Valeria enter. . Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. {{{;}#tp8_\. Blunt exits to meet his tailor, and Angelica enters, masked. @~ (* {d+}G}WL$cGD2QZ4 E@@ A(q`1D `'u46ptc48.`R0) Willmore: I should have changed my Eternal Buff too: but no matter, my little Gypsy woud not have found me out then: for if she should change hers, it is impossible I should know her, unless I should hear her prattleA Pox ont, I cannot get her out of my Head: Pray Heaven, if ever I do see her again, she prove damnably ugly, that I may fortify my self against her Tongue. Note how love has made her possessive of Willmore, how there is some truth to the idea that love puts ties around those who fall into it. Frederick fears that she might be a lady of some worth and asks Blunt to wait. As Willmore begins to flirt with her again, Angellica enters, masked, and sees Willmore betraying the vows he made to her. Expressing a wish to see his own beloved again. Teachers and parents! Frederick locks Florinda in a room. Cromwell had banned all theater during his reign, and Restoration Comedy stood in direct defiance to his austere, severe beliefs, embracing extravagance, vulgarity, and immorality. Valeria reveals that she has contacted Belvile, and that he will stall Pedro. Belvile: Because whatever Extravagances we commit in these Faces, our own may not be obligd to answer em. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Hellena: A Maid so young, so innocent Willmore: Ah, young Devil! Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Belville enters, disguised as Antonio. Although Angelica was reluctant to love, she now has strong feelings for Willmore. Fordham Theatre Company, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (2008) Edited and directed by Michael Goldfried. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. Unlike Hellena, Angelica cannot react carelessly and wittily to Willmores promiscuity because she has already given herself to him. Reservations required. The play stood for three centuries as "Behn's most popular and most respected play."[1]. << Pedro soon enters from one side of the stage, and Antonio enters from the other; both men are masked. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Hellena falls in love with Willmore, but difficulties arise when a famous courtesan, Angellica Bianca, also falls in love with Willmore. Then she reveals the lover to be Willmore. Angellica is outraged with Willmore and vows to take revenge and sends Willmore away. 2 0 obj Like Hellena, she remains faithful to Willmore even as he seeks out and seduces other womena huge difference between the promiscuous Willmore and the women who love him. Hearing his sisters name, Pedro is upsethis friend is his rival for Angelicas affections, and does not care for his sister. T he Rover is a play by Aphra Behn, first staged in 1677. Willmore believes her to be the gypsy girl, but quickly realizes his mistake when she unmasks and threatens him with a pistol, calling him a traitor. WITS, like Physicians, never can agree, When of a different Society; And Rabel's Drops were never more cry'd down By all the Learned Doctors of the Town, Than a new Play, whose author is unknown: Nor can those Doctors with more . Belville lays his sword at Florinda's feet and swears his love to her. The three of them encounter Willmore, the Rover for whom the play is named; he is overjoyed to see Frederick and Belvile, and the two introduce him to Blunt. Weitzenhoffer Theatre, University of Oklahoma (2008). Hellena is to enter the convent after Carnival has ended. Ist thus you pay my generous Passion back? Angelica has not only slept with Willmore, but also given him moneya double victory for the penniless, lusty cavalier. About the project The Rover: An introduction Aphra Behn's The Rover engages with the social, political and sexual conditions of the 17th century, as well as with theatrical traditions of carnival and misrule. Angellica asks Willmore to speak with her inside as she was initially very excited and impressed by him. The noise however, brings Pedro and his servants to the garden. Angelica: Now thou art silent, Guilt has struck thee dumb. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. He attempts to extricate Florinda without alerting Pedro, but cannot. FREDERICK, English Gentleman, Friend to Belville and Blunt. Behn uses traditional poetic language and form to capture the modern hope of equality for women. Department of Theatre, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia (2010) Directed by Grant Mudge. Over the next two decades, Behn wrote and had staged 16 plays, gradually moving away from tragi-comedies and towards vivacious farce. The Rover; or, the Banish'd Cavaliers. As this plot unravels, Hellena's older sister, Florinda, attempts to avoid an unappealing arranged marriage to her brother's best friend, and devises a plan to marry her true love, Colonel Belvile. Actor Joseph Millson describes the story of Aphra Behn's play, The Rover, Photos and biographies of the cast and creatives of The Rover, Watch the feature trailer for Aphra's Behn's The Rover, Photos from Loveday Ingram's production of The Rover, Photos of the cast of The Rover in rehearsal, The RSC is a registered charity (no. Antonio is also struck by Angellica's portrait and wonders out loud if he could get away with sleeping with Angellica and still marry Florinda. LitCharts Teacher Editions. of the translation history of specific texts (e.g. The two married couples enter, along with Pedro, who is dismayed by but resigned to Hellenas union with Willmore. She refuses and, realizing that she is his gypsy girl, Willmore resolves to torment her. Meanwhile, Blunt is tricked out of his money and clothes by Lucetta. By using this site you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device.
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