Aphra Behn's The Rover - Book Report/Review Example

Aphra Behn's The Rover The English female dramatist Aphra Behn’s (1640-1689), The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers, written in two parts, has been one of the most popular Restoration comedies and the play clearly reflects the author’s political and literary concerns. First published and produced in 1677, The Rover has been realized as the most successful play by Aphra Behn who was a Royalist and the first English professional female writer. Significantly, the original full title of the play suggests that it was a tribute to Charles II who was the formerly exiled cavalier and newly reinstated king of England and there are several instances in the play which indicate that Behn repeatedly treat Puritans and democracy roughly. In a reflective analysis of The Rover, it becomes lucid that the play incorporates several pertinent themes such as prostitution and rape which are treated with comic buffoonery. It is also evident that the play reflects Behn’s strong the vulnerability of women during the Restoration period. A close reading of the text of the play also confirms that The Rover has been designed in a way to fascinate the popular interests of the Restoration society by placing the female characters in morally compromising situations. The popularity of the first part of the play which appeared on the stage in the year 1677 helped Behn in producing a second part in the year 1681 and the author was able to make a considerable income from it. Most significantly, a close reading and explication of The Rover with regard to the word choice, rhetorical function, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects of the play is essential in appreciating the great work by Aphra Behn and this paper intends to undertake a reflective analysis of these elements in the play. Whereas there are many important cultural issues addressed by the author in The Rover, the position of women in the Restoration society, especially with regard to marriage and courtship, has an important focus, and the word choice, rhetorical function, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects etc help Behn in effectively conveying her ideas about women. In a close reading of the play The Rover, it becomes lucid that the success of the play is not a surprise at all as there is something for everyone in it and the playwright has been able to incorporate the interests of the Restoration audience effectively. Marriage and courtship in the Restoration society has been a major theme of the play and the author makes use of symbolism and imagery to explain that the women in the seventeenth-century Europe was left with a few choices with regard to marriage and courtship. Significantly, the play which tells the story of Hellena and Florinda deals with the issues of women who were not able to set off relations with men as they were restricted in the social setting. In dealing with such significant themes as marriage and courtship, the author was greatly effective in employing a clear word choice. The main characters Hellena and Florinda make use of words which reflect the situations of women in the society. “Now you have provided yourself with a Man, you take no Care for poor me -- Prithee tell me, what dost thou see about me that is unfit for Love -- have not I a world of Youth? a Humor gay? a Beauty passable? a Vigour desirable? well shap'd? clean limb'd? sweet breath'd? and Sense enough to know how all these ought to be employ'd to the best Advantage: yes, I do and will. Therefore lay aside your Hopes of my Fortune, by my being a Devotee, and tell me how you came acquainted with this Belvile; for I perceive you knew Him before he came to Naples.” (Behn, 8-9) Therefore, Aphra Behn has been effective in the word choice which reflects the author’s main social and political themes. There are also various instances where the character’s dialogues reveal the author’s concerns regarding the issues faced by women and the words used by Pedro, who encourages Florinda to follow their father’s wishes, suggest the restrictions on women in the period. Aphra Behn has been the first major professional female writer in English and a rereading of her play The Rover brings out several essential feminist themes suggested through the word choice, rhetorical devices, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects. Behn has been effective in representing the body of woman free from sociopolitical and ideological codes of honor and restraint. Therefore, it becomes lucid that the author has been highly emphatic about resisting the late-seventeenth century representations of feminine nature and this can be seen from a reflective reading of the text as well as from the explorations on the play by scholars. “In The Rover, parts I and II, the chaotic, unrepressed ‘other’ body of woman is similarly idealized to allow Behn to express a cultural longing for a prelapsarian golden age in which the sexes love mutually and women are desiring subjects rather than passive objects. The Rover, parts I shows us that Hellena, the virgin heiress, attempts to turn her world upside down – to transgress class and gender boundaries – but she is eventually and willingly brought back into the patriarchal fold. In The Rover, parts II, however, men and women are matched equals, and the body of the ‘other’ woman…resists patriarchal control.” (Hutner, 103) Therefore, the textual evidences from the two parts of the play by Behn suggest that the author is resists the repressive strategies of control by the patriarchal society and the image of woman in the play is the image of a resisting female who does not want to live a life of repression. A careful reading of the play also indicates that the author is emphasizing the prostitute as heroine rather than prostitute as outsider. In the text of the play, one finds that Angellica loses Willmore to the virgin heiress Hellena in the part I of the play, whereas La Nuche wins Willmore over Adriane in part II. That is to say, there are convincing textual evidences to prove that Behn has been celebrating the resisting female image of woman who does not want the ideals of the Restoration society of patriarchal oppression. Therefore, a reflective analysis of the play by Behn confirms that the author has been effective in dealing with the repressive tendencies of the patriarchal society through the heroines of the play who endeavor to create a new image for them. In her play The Rover, Behn deals with several important cultural issues which are suggested through the word choice, rhetorical devices, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects. However, the issues concerning woman have been the major concerns of the author and Behn makes use of an effective style in order to suggest these issues. Significantly, several characters in The Rover, especially the roving females, have been represented as wearing masks to hide their identity. Through the use of these masks, the author intended to allow these characters to move freely in a different environment. Thus, the author represents female characters in masks as easily crossing the social boundaries in comparison with others. There are several instances in which the social image of women during the Restoration period is revealed. Thus, Pedro makes the comment about his sister which suggests the social perception of women. “Dishonorable Girl, she has undone my Aim -- Sir -- you see my necessity in leaving you, and I hope you'll pardon it: my Sister, I know, will make her flight to you; and if she do, I shall expect she should be render’d back.” (Behn, Act V, Scene, I) The author has been effective in giving several hints about the social strategies against women during the Restoration period. The author represents the images of female situation through the characters of Hellena and Florinda. Their father persuades Florinda to marry the old merchant and Hellena to become a nun so that they will improve the fortune of the family. Thus, the author has been very effective in suggesting the issues confronting females in the Restoration society and the word choice, rhetorical devices, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects etc have been greatly valuable to the author in this attempt. In a close analysis and interpretation of the novel by Aphra Behn, it is pertinent to classify it as a feminist play in the early stages of feminism and the word choice, rhetorical devices, imagery, symbolism, syntax, and figurative aspects etc in the play confirms that it is appropriate to consider it as a feminist play. Significantly, the play was written during the Restoration period in English history when the social austerity of Puritanism was at its zenith and The Rover has been Behn’s version of the reaction to the masculine stereotypes. Thus, the author represents the central male character in the play, Willmore, as embodying the various elements of a typical male of the Restoration period who has little respect for women as equals. The author effectively makes use of the words, syntax, imagery, and symbolism to represent the masculine logic in Willmore’s attempted drunken rape of Forinda. It is also important to relate that Willmore attempts to justify rape and the author’s word choice as well as syntax helps her effectively convey her ideas. “I am so, and thou oughtst the sooner to lie with me for that reason, -- for look you, Child, there will be no Sin in’t, because ’twas neither design’d nor premeditated; ’tis pure Accident on both sides – that’s a certain thing now -- Indeed should I make love to you, and you vow Fidelity -- and swear and lye till you believ’d and yielded -- Thou art therefore (as thou art a good Christian) oblig’d in Conscience to deny me nothing. Now -- come, be kind, without any more idle prating.” (Behn, Act III, Scene, v) There are also indications in the same scene about the rapist’s hoary justification for the act and Willmore suggests that rape is often first provoked by women by her appearance and deportment. “Wicked! Egad, Child, a Judge, were he young and vigorous, and saw those Eyes of thine, would know ‘twas they gave the first blow -- the first provocation. -- Come, prithee let's lose no time, I say -- this is a fine convenient place.” (Behn, Act III, Scene, v) Therefore, the author has been effective in suggesting the general attitude of males in the Restoration society regarding rape and the position of women through the representation of the male characters. Behn also makes the best use of words and syntax to suggest the inability of females to protest the attempts of rape. Thus, Florinda’s protests against the attempts of rape have been in a conventional manner and she merely says, “Dare you be so cruel?” (Behn, Act IV, Scene, v) Similarly, the attempts of males to justify rape as well as the inability of the females to resist these cruel acts of rape can be clearly comprehended from a close understanding of the textual evidences. Thus, the author provides the male characters in the play the bulk of the dialogue all through the three attempted rape scenes in the play and the women are represented as merely butting in. Therefore, a close reading of the play suggests that Aphra Behn presents her version of feminist play and she has been effective in dealing with several issues concerning females. In conclusion, a close reading or explication of the play The Rover by Aphra Behn helps the reader in appreciating the several important cultural issues addressed by the author and the major aim of Behn has been the representation of the position of women in the Restoration society, especially with regard to marriage and courtship. Works Cited Behn, Aphra. The rover. Frederick M. Link. (Ed). New York: University of Nebraska Press. 1967. P 8-9. Hutner, Heidi. Rereading Aphra Behn. New York: University of Virginia Press. 1993. P 103. Read More