The Rover : Aphra Behn

Hello Readers, 

This blog based on The Rover by Aphra Behn as a thinking activity. Task assigned by Megha ma'am. 

Question : Angellica considers the financial negotiations that one makes before marrying a prospective bride the same as prostitution. Do you agree?

Answer : 

In The Rover, Aphra Behn uses Angellica's character to explore themes of gender, power, and the commodification of women in 17th-century society. Angellica, a courtesan who has had numerous lovers, comes to embody the tension between romantic ideals and the harsh economic realities that women often faced during this period.

Angellica's statement that marriage negotiations are akin to prostitution draws attention to how financial and social transactions often underlie both relationships. In her view, men marry for wealth, status, or inheritance, just as they might pay a courtesan for sexual favors. For Angellica, the notion of marrying for love seems naive, as she believes men rarely marry out of genuine affection, but for the same material reasons that govern prostitution. Her sharp critique implies that both relationships—marriage and prostitution—are primarily about exploiting women for their beauty, virtue, or ability to bear children, and less about equality or emotional connection.

Question :  “All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” Virginia Woolf said so in ‘A Room of One’s Own’. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer with reference to your reading of the play ‘The Rover’.

Answer :

 Virginia Woolf’s statement, "All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds," reflects a recognition of Aphra Behn’s groundbreaking role in women's literary history. Behn, as one of the first professional female writers in England, challenged social conventions and provided a voice for women that transcended the typical passive roles they were assigned in literature and society.

In The Rover, Behn's work indeed challenges the restrictive norms of her time. The play features strong, outspoken female characters such as Angellica, Florinda, and Hellena, who are not simply passive objects of male desire, but individuals who assert their own desires, autonomy, and agency in their relationships and actions. Angellica, for example, despite being a courtesan, speaks candidly about her emotions, love, and rejection, taking control of her narrative rather than being relegated to a silent, objectified role. Similarly, Hellena defies societal expectations by pursuing her own romantic interests and manipulating situations to secure her happiness, thus taking charge of her destiny rather than passively accepting the role of an arranged bride.

Through such characters, Behn critiques the restrictions placed on women, particularly in matters of love, marriage, and sexuality. Her portrayal of women who assert their sexual and emotional agency provides a counterpoint to the traditional, passive portrayals of women in earlier literature. These characters are not afraid to speak their minds, challenge male authority, and take action in pursuit of their desires.

Woolf’s admiration for Behn is rooted in her recognition that Behn was one of the first to challenge these patriarchal boundaries and provide a literary space for women to express themselves. By writing plays like The Rover, Behn demonstrated that women could be powerful, witty, and assertive characters within literature. She paved the way for future generations of women writers to assert their voices in both literature and society.

Thus, I agree with Woolf's statement. Behn's work earned women the right to speak their minds by breaking new ground in literature, challenging societal conventions, and providing a platform for women’s voices that was unprecedented in her time. In The Rover, she depicted women as active, dynamic characters who were not limited to mere objects of male desire, but as individuals capable of agency and self-expression.

Question :  Which female character best represents the playwright, Aphra Behn? Consider the characteristics and beliefs of each female character, and make an argument that relates these distinctive attributes to what you know about Behn.

Answer : 

In The Rover, the character who most closely represents Aphra Behn is Hellena, one of the play’s main female protagonists. Hellena is bold, witty, independent, and defies the conventions of her time, much like Behn herself. Let's explore Hellena’s characteristics and beliefs in comparison to what we know about Behn to make the case for why Hellena represents the playwright.

Hellena’s Characteristics and Beliefs:

1. Bold and Independent:

   1. Hellena is not the typical passive woman of the time. Rather than accept an arranged marriage to a man she does not love, she asserts her own desires. She is determined to live life on her own terms, seeking adventure and romance. Her pursuit of love, particularly with the charming but flawed Willmore, shows her active role in controlling her own fate.
   2. Aphra Behn herself was independent and fiercely determined. As one of the first professional female writers in England, Behn was not afraid to take control of her career, navigating a male-dominated world of literature and drama.

2. Wit and Charm:

   1. Hellena is intelligent, witty, and often uses her charm to manipulate situations to her advantage. She uses her beauty and her sharp mind to influence the men around her, particularly Willmore, but also to secure her own happiness. This wit and charm also align with Behn’s own persona, as Behn was known for her sharp writing and her ability to use humor and irony to critique society and gender roles.
   2. Behn’s own wit and use of satire in her plays reflect the cleverness and resourcefulness that Hellena exhibits in the play.

3. Sexual Agency and Autonomy:

   1. Hellena, like Behn, does not shy away from embracing her sexuality and desires. In a society where women were expected to be chaste and modest, Hellena takes control of her own romantic fate. She is not afraid to pursue the man she desires and uses her charm to seduce him. This reflects Behn’s own more liberated views on female sexuality and her challenge to the social norms that restricted women's freedoms.
   2. Behn’s life as a courtesan and her literary works often engaged with themes of sexual autonomy and defied the typical restrictions placed on women. Hellena’s agency in the realm of love and desire mirrors Behn’s progressive stance on women’s rights to express their sexuality.

4. Defiance of Social Norms:

   1. Hellena’s desire to choose her own partner and live life according to her own wishes contrasts sharply with the typical expectations for women at the time. This defiance against restrictive gender norms is a direct reflection of Behn’s own challenges to societal conventions.
   2. Behn’s work consistently questioned the status quo, and Hellena’s refusal to be controlled by her family or society is emblematic of the playwright’s rebellion against the rigid expectations for women in her era.

Why Hellena Represents Behn:

• Hellena's independence and agency reflect Behn’s own approach to life and writing. Behn was a woman who defied the conventions of her time, making a name for herself in the literary world, even though women were not traditionally accepted as playwrights.
• Hellena’s sexual autonomy mirrors Behn’s belief in the right of women to express their sexuality without shame. Behn, who lived a life as a courtesan and later as a playwright, often explored themes of sexual freedom and desire, something that Hellena does openly in her pursuit of Willmore.
• Hellena’s wit and intelligence also represent Behn’s literary prowess. Hellena uses her intellect and charm to navigate the world of men and make her own choices. Similarly, Behn used her writing to critique and satirize the gender dynamics of her time.

In conclusion, Hellena is the character who most closely reflects Aphra Behn. Her intelligence, independence, boldness, and defiance of social norms make her a literary counterpart to the playwright herself. Just as Hellena challenges the conventions of her society, Behn used her writing to challenge the gender expectations of her time, paving the way for future generations of women to speak and write freely.

Thank You !