Introduction
When professional actresses entered upon the English stage for the first time in 1660, their appearance marked a profound change in theatrical activity in Restoration England under Charles II.
During the Protectorate (1642-1660), Charles II and his court had been in France and when they returned, French influence was brought onto the theatre stage. One of these influences was the introduction of actresses. Although women had already been acting before the Interregnum, they had done so only in the privacy of the court. Charles II, returned to England, supported the public theatre and because the "Restoration spectators were ... exc1usively aristocratic..., favoured the court and shared its attitudes and interests", actresses were easily accepted. Thus, by 1661, actresses were a regular part of the English Restoration stage. It also became a law that exc1usively "women should play women's parts".
Although actresses were now an accepted feature of the stage, their status within a company and within theatrical activity was still inferior to that of male actors. This inferiority included lower wages and only few roles with actua1 speaking parts. Women were rather asked to look beautiful and "to do no more than pose... to be gazed upon and desired by male characters in the play and ... by male spectators". In fact, the Restoration theatre aimed at attracting larger audiences by showing
At a glance
- Grade: 1.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- 10 sources in the bibliography
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Different manners of speech of different characters
2.1 Hellena, the female rake
2.2 Willmore, the male libertine
2.3 Angellica Bianca, the courtesan
2.4 Florinda, the virtuous woman
2.5 Blunt, the fool
3. Language and sexual domination
3.1 The female rake meets the male libertine
3.2 The male libertine meets the virtuous woman
3.3 The male libertine meets the courtesan
3.4 The fool meets the virtuous woman
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This study examines how language manifests sexual domination in Aphra Behn’s The Rover. It asks how the speech and behaviour of different characters shape their encounters, opportunities for action and relationships with one another.
- Women and theatre in Restoration England
- Libertinism and the figure of the female rake
- Characterisation through speech and behaviour
- Disguise, desire and verbal seduction
- Sexual domination and resistance in encounters between characters
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The female rake meets the male libertine
Willmore and Hellena represent the "gay couple" in the play. Making up a gay couple means that both potential partners want to maintain their individual freedom but are nevertheless attracted to each other. At their first encounter, Hellena is disguised as gypsy, a member of a lower c1ass that enables her to flirt openly and shamelessly because gypsies have a reputation of being sexually available and easily seduced. Therefore, the masked Hellena attracts Willmore and has him soon engaged in a very seductive conversation, full of sexual allusions as both characters have the same libertine thoughts. Willmore approaches Hellena addressing her as "dear, pretty" and "young devil" and introducing himself as "an amorous stranger" (1.2.144-145). He also refers to her as "child", "dear creature", "sweetheart" and "my dear pretty creature" throughout the play. The use of such adjectives also applies to Willmore' s witty fema1e counterpart Hellena. She addresses him as "Sir" and "good Father Captain". Behn lets both characters address each other in this way to show their straightforwardness in gaining pleasure. With their usage of these adjectives they try to establish directly an intimacy that allows them to manipulate one another and hence, satisfy each other's desires. Willmore's interest in their encounter is of course to seduce Hellena in order to have sex with her, while Hellena's aim is to flirt and to display all her advantages, and then eventually to find a man to love and to marry. Behn also uses questions to underline the intimacy. Willmore asks, "cannot you divine what other things of more value [than of money] I have about me, that I would more willingly part with?" (1.2.157-159). This question is meant to provoke Hellena sexually. The female rake is witty and can likewise provoke and tease by asking Willmore "Can you storm?" and then telling hirn that "he that wins me must gain that [a nunnery wall] first" (1.2.188;190-191). In the dialogue, Behn also inserts exclamations to convey the characters' emotions. Willmore is delighted when he hears that the disguised Hellena is actually a nun, "A nun! Oh, how I love thee for't" (1.2.192). As nuns represent chastity personified, it is one of the highest goals for a rake to seduce a nun.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: The introduction places the study in the context of Restoration theatre, discussing actresses, women playwrights and the social expectations surrounding their work. It introduces the question of how language manifests sexual domination in The Rover.
Different manners of speech of different characters: This chapter introduces Hellena, Willmore, Angellica Bianca, Florinda and Blunt, considering how their speech reflects their characters and social roles.
Language and sexual domination: The main analysis examines four encounters involving Hellena, Willmore, Angellica, Florinda and Blunt. It considers verbal seduction, disguise, threats and the ways characters exercise or resist power.
Conclusion: The conclusion brings together the analysis of the characters’ speech and behaviour and reflects on language, freedom and sexual domination.
Keywords
Aphra Behn, The Rover, Restoration theatre, language, sexual domination, libertinism, female rake, gender roles, disguise, desire, verbal seduction, power relations, literary analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this study about?
It examines the relationship between language and sexual domination in Aphra Behn’s play The Rover.
What are the central themes?
The study explores libertinism, gender roles, desire, disguise, verbal seduction and power in Restoration theatre.
What is the main research question?
The study asks how language manifests sexual domination in encounters between the play’s characters.
What method does the study use?
It uses literary analysis, examining characterisation and dialogue in the play alongside scholarship on Restoration theatre and Aphra Behn.
What does the main analysis cover?
It examines encounters between Hellena and Willmore, Willmore and Florinda, Willmore and Angellica, and Blunt and Florinda.
Which keywords characterise the study?
Key terms include Restoration theatre, sexual domination, language, libertinism, the female rake, disguise and power relations.
How does the study approach Hellena’s character?
It considers Hellena as a female rake and examines her speech, disguises and encounters with Willmore.
Why is Angellica Bianca important to the analysis?
Her encounters with Willmore allow the study to examine the relationship between language, desire, commerce and power.
How is Florinda’s treatment discussed?
The study analyses her encounters with Willmore and Blunt, focusing on threatening speech, attempted sexual violence and her responses.
- Quote paper
- Maria Gottschall (Author), 2006, The relationship between language and sexual domination in Aphra Behn's "The Rover", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/76675
