Story of The Rover(1677)

The Rover(1677) is written by the English author Aphra Behn. It is a wildly successful Restoration
comedy about banished Cavaliers (supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War). In fact, the
play is subtitled 'The Banish'd Cavaliers'. It takes place in Naples at the time of the English Interregnum,
the period between the death of Charles I and when Charles II resumed the throne, when England was led
by various attempts at Commonwealth governments.

The action of the play takes place in Naples during a carnival with fun-loving men and women. Among
them are Florinda , Hellena and their cousin Valeria from a noble family. Florinda is in love with an
English colonel, Belvile. Hellena has been condemned to lead the life of a nun by her father and brother.
She wishes to break free of the shackles imposed upon her and seek a suitor for herself. They are dressed
as gIpsies pretending to tell people’s fortune at the carnival.

The rich old Don Vincentio has been selected as Florinda’s husband by her father but as she is loyal and
devoted to Belvile, she seeks him out from among the crowd in which the young and handsome , but poor
sea-captain Willmore is also present. Coming from the sea , Willmore seeks fun and pleasure while
Belvile is sober and staid. They are accompanied by Frederick and Blunt in their pursuit of happiness.

Willmore, the rover, boasts of inconstancy. He falls for the charms of the high priced courtesan, Angellica
Bianca. She even pays him for his sexual favours but eventually becomes so possessive and jealous that
she is ready to shoot him dead for eyeing other women. In a drunken state, Willmore even molests
Belville’s mistress, Florinda. But he falls for the charms of the ‘sweet gipsy’ Hellena and pursues her .
Blunt is duped of all his possessions by a common prostitute, Lucetta.

Hellena s brother , Don Pedro , is a suitor for Angellica with the Viceroy’s son , Don Antonio. They are
prepared to fight a duel for gaining the favours of Angellica, ut in a case of mistaken identities , Don
Pedro gives Florinda’s hand in marriage to Belville . but he is annoyed with Hellena for rejecting her
chosen calling to spend the rest of her life as a nun in the monastery. If Hellena renounces the world , Don
Pedro will gain three hundred housand crowns left to her by their uncle . but Hellena thwarts his designs
and relentlessly pursues Willmore inspite of his inconstancy because she is convinced that her legacy of
three hundred thousand crowns will be better laid out in love than in religion, and turn to as good as
account.’

Eventually , Hellena succeeds in marrying Willmore; Florinda is married to Belvile and Valeria to
Frederick. The plot of "The Rover" revolves around love, courtship, and marriage. Most characters spend
the entirety of the play either chasing after a personal love interest, or else orchestrating matrimonial
arrangements for others.