The Rover Questions and Answers
The Rover
Explain The Rover as a restoration comedy.
The Restoration of Charles II to the English throne occurred in 1660 and with it, a new sub-genre of theatre began: Restoration Comedy. Restoration comedies were often bawdy (see William...
The Rover
What is the significance of the play's title, The Rover?
The Rover has several layers of significance. First, it is a tribute to King Charles II. After his father's execution and during the interregnum, a period of strict Puritan rule in the country,...
The Rover
What is the significance of the opening scene of The Rover?
Behn was vehement in his concern that Renaissance women, as a result of social and legal limitations, were vunerable to both abuse and moral corruption. The play challenges the patterns of...
The Rover
Is The Rover a feminist play? If so, how is it portrayed?
The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers is a 1677 play by Aphra Behn. The action explores the amorous relationships and adventures of a group of English men and women in Naples during Carnival. While...
The Rover
What are the main themes in The Rover by Aphra Behn?
One of the play's main themes is the relationship between love and marriage. At the time when Aphra Behn wrote the play—in Restoration England—marriage was largely seen as a social or religious...
The Rover
What is the character analysis of Willmore from Aphra Behn's The Rover?
Willmore is a cavalier, which means that he is a royalist who is loyal to Charles II during the English Civil War. Willmore is a rover, which means that he travels from place to place on board a...
The Rover
In The Rover, why does Angellica want to take revenge on Willmore, and what does she do?
As a desirable courtesan, Angellica has granted her exclusive favors to many men in her time. But Willmore, the upper-class English officer, is different. For one thing, Angellica has fallen head...
The Rover
Why do many critics believe that Hellena is the rover rather than Wilmore?
While the wayfaring playboy Willmore is a literal "rover" of the world who moves from port to port and lover to lover, Aphra Behn's title remains ambiguous regarding exactly which character it...
The Rover
How has the institution of prostitution been portrayed in The Rover? How is it significant to the time period?
One of The Rover’s main character is a courtesan, which is a single woman supported by men to whom she is not married. Although most of the play’s characters behave as though marriage is a desired...
The Rover
Does the manner in which women are treated in the play The Rover reflect the social situation at the time the play...
Behn's 1677 The Rover reflects the social situation at the time for British women. While some in England hoped the restoration of the monarchy after the death of Cromwell would liberate women from...
The Rover
To which degree can "The Rover" be considered a satire?
In her humorous indictment of upper-class society, Aphra Behn satirizes the artifice and superficiality of the social conventions to which people pay lip service but rarely observe—especially in...
The Rover
How does Aphra Behn's The Rover compare with George Etherege's The Man of Mode in relation to gender roles?
Both The Rover and The Man of Mode are perfect examples of English Restoration comedy, also called comedy of manners. Restoration comedy was especially known for being sexually explicit and...
The Rover
Who are the main characters in The Rover?
Let me answer this question by talking about one of the central and most important characters and then discussing how other characters relates to her. Florinda could be viewed as the heroine of the...
The Rover
What would be a great thesis for the play The Rover?
There are several possible ways to interpret Aphra Behn’s play, so an appropriate thesis for an essay about The Rover would depend on the writer’s interpretation. In satirizing numerous aspects of...
The Rover
What characterises the voice of The Rover by Aphra Behn?
One of the fascinating aspects of this play is the way that Behn used the aside so much to reveal the inner thoughts and fears of her characters. This is a definite aspect of the voice of the play,...
The Rover
WHY does Angellica fall in love with Willmore? Doesn't she know better in The Rover?
If you ever understand the science of love and falling in love, you will make millions! No one can make themselves fall in love with someone he/she doesn't; by the same token, you can't make...
The Rover
Does The Rover follow the unity of time and take place in only one day?
I'm not sure what you mean by "unity of time," but The Rover does take place over the course of one day. The play is set in Spain on the eve of Carnival, or the feast before Easter (which...
The Rover
Does Behn celebrate Willmore in "The Rover"? If so, how?
Yes, Behn celebrates Wilmore. The primary way is that he isn't really punished. He's got all kinds of qualities that should qualify him as a villain, someone who the plot should work out badly for....
The Rover
Where can I get a hold of a film version of The Rover?
This may be a tough--and/or expensive--find for you. There is a filmed version of Aphra Behn's Restoration play, The Rover, in existence, but it is not an easy movie to find; whether it is a motion...
The Rover
Are there any heroes or heroines within the play, "The Rover"? Who would you say is the hero/heroine and why?
I would say that yes, there are heroes and heroines in The Rover, but that the play is complex, and all heroism must be understood within its political context. I find Hellena heroic. The limits...
The Rover
How does a play (The Rover) by a successful female playwright coincide with modern ideas about women & feminism?
In my mind, there are two issues at hand here. Does the fact that the play was written by a female playwright that enjoyed success constitute a fulfillment of feminist principles? At the same...
The Rover
Please help analyse Act II scene 1 of The Rover.
As Angelica's portrait is unveiled and the terms of her "bargain" are revealed, the male characters in this scene are reduced to petty squabbling as they try and do their best to vie for Angelica's...
The Rover
How do I cite information about The Rover that I access from the eNotes study guides?
Note: formatting shown here is not necessarily exact, because of word processor limitations. Always check a guide such as OWL at Purdue for exact formatting. Citation from the eNotes study guides...
The Rover
In your opinion, which character was your favorite and why?
This may surprise you, but my favorite character is Angellica Bianca. Her situation is so heartbreaking. She has made the best deal she can with her society; she has traded her beauty and her...