This essay argues that Aphra Behn's "The Rover" is first and foremost a play about language and communication, and the transformative power of language. Verbal communication in "The Rover" is the most powerful instrument in the game of seduction. It not only structures the social relations between the two sexes, but it gives structure to the whole play.
This essay applies Speech Act Theory, Grice’s Maxims of Conversation and parts of Relevance Theory from the linguistic field of Pragmatics to "The Rover" and will thus provide an analysis of the communicative situation in the play. The analysis will mainly focus on Willmore, Hellena and Angellica’s speech, but will take the other characters into consideration, too. I will show that the characters in the play have different philosophies of language. While Willmore considers and uses language as performative and transformative instrument, his female interlocutors consider speech as a means for conveying and knowing truth. These different philosophies, or understandings of the power of language, problematize communication in the play and explain why in one and the same conversation communication can be felicitous for one interlocutor and infelicitous for the speaker.
First, Austin’s Speech Act Theory will be applied, and a detailed differentiation between Willmore and his female interlocutors’ concepts of language will be provided. These observations will in a second step be supported by Grice’s Maxims of Cooperation and Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory. I will then show what strategies the characters in "The Rover" develop to deal with Willmore’s philosophy of language. Finally, a number of questions which this analysis raises will be identified.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Language in The Rover: performative or constative? Application of Austin and Searle’s Speech Act Theory to the play
3. Grice’s Maxim’s of Conversation, and Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory applied to The Rover
4. The characters’, especially the ‘victims’’ strategies in this unusual communicative context
5. Open questions
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This essay explores the transformative power of language within Aphra Behn’s play The Rover, focusing on how different philosophical understandings of communication create conflict in the game of seduction.
- The divergence between performative and constative views of language.
- Application of Austin and Searle’s Speech Act Theory to character interaction.
- Analysis of Grice’s Maxims and Relevance Theory in the context of deception.
- Examination of the strategies employed by female characters to counter Willmore’s rhetoric.
Excerpt from the Book
Language in The Rover: performative or constative? Application of Austin and Searle’s Speech Act Theory to the play
John Austin’s initial distinction between constatives, utterances which are used in order to make a true or a false statement, and performatives, utterances which are made for doing something, helps us understand the communicative situation in The Rover. When Willmore speaks to women, language has mainly got a transformative power. It is performative. It enables the speaker to transform the world: to transform a woman who was initially not seduced by him into a woman who is seduced by him after his act of speaking. For his female interlocutors, however, language has another power: Angellica, Hellena (and also Florinda) read speech in general, and Willmore’s speech in particular, as constative: they understand his utterances as true statements about the world, his feelings, and their relationship. These two different philosophies of language lead to the fact the speaker and the addressee interpret one and the same utterance in an entirely different way.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the premise that The Rover is fundamentally a play about the transformative power of language and the differing philosophies of communication between genders.
Language in The Rover: performative or constative? Application of Austin and Searle’s Speech Act Theory to the play: Examines Willmore's use of performative speech to seduce women who interpret his words as constative truths.
Grice’s Maxim’s of Conversation, and Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory applied to The Rover: Analyzes how Willmore intentionally violates Grice’s maxims, specifically the Maxim of Quantity, to maintain his deceptive power.
The characters’, especially the ‘victims’’ strategies in this unusual communicative context: Discusses the various methods, such as requiring vows or using body language, that female characters use to attempt to verify Willmore’s honesty.
Open questions: Reflects on the author’s intent regarding female agency and the ambiguity of Willmore’s character.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, arguing that Willmore's mastery of performative language grants him power, regardless of the ethical implications of his communication style.
Keywords
The Rover, Aphra Behn, Speech Act Theory, Pragmatics, Willmore, Seduction, Performative, Constative, Grice’s Maxims, Relevance Theory, Illocutionary Force, Communication, Rhetoric, Gender Relations, Restoration Comedy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this analysis?
The paper examines how communication and the transformative power of language function as a central engine of plot and seduction in Aphra Behn’s play, The Rover.
Which linguistic theories are applied in the essay?
The author utilizes J.L. Austin and John Searle’s Speech Act Theory, H.P. Grice’s Cooperative Principle (Maxims), and Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory.
What is the core conflict identified in the play’s communication?
The conflict arises because Willmore uses language as a performative tool to shape reality, while his female interlocutors interpret his speech as constative, meaning they treat his words as reliable facts about his feelings and loyalty.
How does the author characterize Willmore’s rhetoric?
Willmore is portrayed as a master of rhetoric who adapts his speech style; he is performative and transformative when speaking to women, but more direct and constative when speaking to his male peers.
What strategies do the female characters use to handle Willmore?
They attempt to force honesty through more explicit verbal demands (vows) and by seeking out "illocutionary force indicating devices" (IFIDs), such as confirming words through body language or marriage.
Why is the communication often considered "felicitous" for Willmore?
Communication is successful for Willmore because he achieves his goal—seduction—precisely when his interlocutors misunderstand his true, performative intentions.
How does the "Aside" function in the play according to the author?
Asides provide the audience with direct access to the character's true illocutionary force, highlighting the gap between what is said to another character and the actual intent.
Does the author conclude that Hellena successfully masters Willmore's language?
The author expresses skepticism, noting that even when Hellena attempts to institutionalize his speech through marriage, the play suggests Willmore remains unchanged and unsettled.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2014, Analysis of the Communicative Situation in Aphra Behn’s "The Rover" Using Speech Act Theory, Grice’s Maxims of Conversation and Relevance Theory, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/336374
