1. The Rover -
The Banish’d Cavaliers
Yesha Bhatt
Department of English, M. K. Bhavnagar
University
2. Aphra Behn 1640-1689
English playwright, fiction poet, writer,
translator of Restoration Era
First English woman – earning from writing
Wrote under the pastoral pseudonym Asters
She was acknowledged as a part of the circle
of the Earl of Rochester
She is remembered in Virginia Woolf's A
Room of One's Own
3. The Rover (Play) - 1677
It is a revision of Thomas Killigrew's
play Thomaso, or The Wanderer (1664) and
there are similarities in some plotlines.
Adventures of a group of Englishmen and
women in Naples at Carnival time.
According to Restoration poet John Dryden, “it
lacks the manly vitality of Killigrew's play, but
shows greater refinement of expression." The
play stood for three centuries as "Behn's most
popular and most respected play.“
4. Restoration Comedy – Comedy of
manners
Aristocratic Comedy – 1660 – 1680
- Personal interest of Charles II
- Jacobean – Caroline – Greek – Roman Classical
- William Wycherley, The Country Wife (1675)
Decline of Comedy - 1678 – 1690
- Comedy to serious political drama
- Aphra Behn – Whig dramatist Thomas Shadwell
Comedy Renaissance – 1690 – 1700
- Softer comedies
- Arena of intrigue into that of marriage - love-chase
- Love for Love (1695) and The Way of the
World (1700) - John Vanbrugh, The Provoked
Wife (1697)
End of Comedy – 17th Century
7. Florinda and Hellena are sisters. Don Pedro is
their cousin brother.
Hellena wants to become a nun and wishes to start
the process after the carnival.
Florinda’s father wants her to get married with
Don Vincentio and Pedro wants her to get married
with Don Antonio.
Florinda is in love with Belvile (An English
colonel)
All dress up for Carnival - Belvile, Blunt,
Frederick, and Willmore also join the carnival and
all meet there.
Willmore flirts with Hellena – Lucetta seduces
Blunt – Florinda saw Pedro and gave letter to
Belvile to meet her in garden at ten to take her off.
Plot- Act I
8. Angellica (the most beautiful prostitute) – Belvile, Frederick and
Willmore went to see her. Portrait – Price – Englishmen left
because of lack of money – Pedro saw the portrait and money –
went to buy her.
(Angellica was worried because of her price) Antonio is also there
and saw Pedro (both are masked) – Antonio wants Angellica as
well as Florinda which Pedro heard and both started fighting –
Willmore and Blunt stopped them – Pedro challenged him for dual
and Antonio accepted it for Angellica.
Willmore steals the picture of Angellica – Antonio stopped him –
started fighting – Angellica is angry with the fight – took Willmore
with her inside – impressed by him – He asked her to sleep with
him for free – she agrees – Frederick and Belvile are worried for
Willmore because Angellica was angry.
Plot- Act II
9. Hellena rejects the idea of love but thinks about Willmore all the time
- Belvile, Blunt and Frederick are worried because Willmore is inside
for two hours – women came there – Willmore came and told that he
slept with her for free – He saw Hellena and started flirting again –
She is aware of his character now – revealas her face to him – he
admires her – Angellica is angry and sent a servant to find about
Hellena.
Florinda and Valeria tests Belvile’s loyalty – he passed – they left –
Lucetta tricked Blunt
Florinda waits in garden – drunk Willmore enters and persuade her
by mistake – attempts to rape her - Frederick and Belvile saved her –
Florinda run away – Pedro came and fight begin – Belvile left to find
Florinda – Willmore apologised
Antonio for Angellica – Willmore fights with Antonio and wounded
him – He thought Antonio died – he left – Belvile entered to rescue
Willmore – got arrested – Antonio took him to his house.
Plot- Act III
10. Plot- Act IV
Antonio does not believe Belvile – offers him to dress like him and go for dual
with Pedro – He accepts it for Florinda
Florinda thought Belvile did not come as plan – Pedro and Belvile fights –
Florinda requests Belvile and he put down her sword and confessed his love –
Pedro is impressed and promise their marriage – he is Masked as Antonio
Willmore and Frederick entered – Belvile’s mask fell down – Pedro denied for
marriage – Belvile is angry on Willmore and Angellica also came with servants
as she found that Willmore is in love with Hellena – Willmore charms her
back – Hellena is disguised as man – she tells her story to Angellica –
Willmore identifies her – abuses Hellena for Angellica – Angellica vowed
revenge – Willmore tries to win her back.
Florinda Valeria in disguise to save themselves from Pedro – Pedro and
Belvile talks serious – Willmore follows Florinda by mistake again – Hellena
sees this – Florinda by mistake entered in Belvile’s house – Blunt is in the
house – attempts to rape her – she gave her jewellery to them and asked for
Belvile – They locked her in room
11. Plot- Act V
Belvile, Willmore, Frederick, and Pedro break into Blunt's room and
laugh at him – He show the ring – Belvile recognized it – Pedro entered
and took swords – they fought and Pedro won – he took away Florinda
(unknown to him) – Valeria came and told Pedro that Florinda is hiding
somewhere and servant found her – He left and Valeria told Belvile and
Florinda to marry – Frederick and Valeria also decides to marry – Blunt
and Frederick apologized to Florinda – Willmore guards them.
Angellica entered with gun – Antonio took the gun and decides to kill
him – Angellica forgives Willmore – Pedro entered and asked why
Antonio missed dual – he told the truth – Pedro is ready for marriage
and Willmore told that marriage has already happened.
Hellena enters as man – Willmore wants to sleep with Hellena but
doesn’t want to marry – she convinced him – Pedro approves – play
ends with their engagement
13. Gender Roles and Female Agency
Hellena and Florinda’s disobedience towards their
parents – in 17th Century
‘Chaste’ – ‘virgin’ has more daring – Hellena –
Contemporary writers (Courtesans)
Hellena – Bold, brave, manipulative,
confident, independent and outspoken of all
female characters
Lucetta cheats Blunt
Florinda takes a step further for her and Belvile’s
destiny
14. Florinda + Belvile – efforts to stay togather (Informal
love)
Hellena’s efforts for Willmore (Informal love)
Willmore to Hellena (Formal)
Frederick + Valeria (Informal love)
Willmore + Angellica (informal love)
Don Pedro’s efforts for his sister Florinda (Formal
matrimony)
Don Antonio + Angellica ( Formal deal with informal
interest)
Don Antonio + Florinda (Formal matrimony)
Love versus Lust
Love, Courtship and Marriage
15. Hellena and Florinda – Matrimony – to
get settled – for stability
Angellica – One thousand Spanish crown
for one month – selling love – physical
pleasure
Don Pedro is impressed with Don Antonio
because of his class and money
The cavaliers constantly complain the fact
that they do not have sufficient funds
Class and Money
16. Carnival time – Masks and disguise
Gypsy costumes to hide themselves
Hiding identity – revealing identity
Helps in exploring person’s true self (Hellena –
Willmore)
Deceit helps Florinda and Belvile
Hellena smartly used all her abilities to act and
disguise
Hidden observer
No moral concern – Moral and immoral both
characters use this in a same way
Disguise and Deceit
18. Italian cities such as Venice and Naples
No rules during Carnival time
Inverted values – Social world with freedom – Without restrictions
Noblewoman can roam – cavalier can court them – propose them
Willmore and Blunt takes advantage of this freedom to assault woman
Duelling on street
Dark sides of Carnival in reference to
Restoration comedy
Carnival
19. All characters are wearing masks
Confusion of identity
Hiding the true self
Willmore + Hallena
Belvile is not recognizing Florinda
Willmore, Blunt and Fredrick attempt to
rape Florinda
Identity is not stable
Mask – stands for deception – trick
Characters are as observers – behind the
mask
Hiding themselves to find others
Masks
20. To show off her beauty – people can
notice and admire her
After falling in love with Willmore she
stopped doing this
Portrait – Vanity + Sense of self
Willmore’s actions with the picture is the
symbol of herself
Willmore done the same with her – as he
done with her portrait
Portrait – pride + value + she herself
True love for Willmore – from portrait it
started
Angellica’s portrait
21. Swords – Masculinity + violence + Power + Bravery
Belvile – True man + Power in a positive way + Fighting for purpose
Don Pedro – Having Spanish blade which is more sharp and long than English
Willmore – Use swordplay to impress others + symbol of intercourse
Masculinity -> Violence = tradition
Play supports this tradition of Restoration comedy
Swords
22. Title -The Rover – The banish’d Cavaliers
The Rover - A pirate, A person who travels from place to place
without fixed route or destination, esp. over a wide area; a
wanderer, a roamer; a nomad.
The banish’d Cavaliers - tribute to the formerly exiled cavalier and
newly reinstated king, Charles II
Willmore – Captain of Ship – suggests the title of the play –
Mentally also he is wandering – cannot give commitment to a
single woman – Makes other wander too
Hellena – The Rover says Blunt – perfect match for Willmore –
Manipulative – Wants freedom – stability
23. Female representation – Rape and Sexuality
Aphra Behn has presented Rape with buffoonery elements – seducing very casual
– physical pleasure as something important – playing with emotions – all women
as whore – whore as women
Male observers are unable to differentiate noble women with prostitute
‘Rape’ as something trivial and can done by male with a certain right (Florinda got
attacked three times)
Authoritative attitude of male fraternity towards female fraternity
Florida as rebellious noble woman – Angellica as Self-construction in (for)
patriarchal world – Hellena’s rejection to society and then acceptance of that for
love
Male power – Charming (Willmore), Sword-masculinity (Belvile – Pedro)
Female power – Rebellion (Florinda), Confidence and Mind (Hellena), Beauty
(Angellica)