Plot Summary of "THE ROVER"

The Rover

The original full title, The Rover, or The Banish 'd Cavaliers, indicates that the play may have been a tribute to the formerly exiled cavalier and newly reinstated king, Charles II.
This play was set in Naples, Italy during the Carnival. It surrounds two sisters Hellena and Florinda. Florinda is the sister who is in the middle of a predicament of being forced to marry. Her potential suitors are Don Vincentia, an older rich man or her brother Pedro’s friend Antonio, for whom she also has no affection. Neither of these prospects seem like good suitors. Helena is the other sister. She is also in somewhat of a fix. She is bound for a convent which is not unusual. Most of the time the first born girl is married off to a land owner to secure some sort of fortune and the second sister is often just sent to a convent. Hellena however is not particularily the convent type. She wants to experience life and love. She sets out to do this at the carnivale. These two sisters are desperate to go to the carnivale and dress up like gypsies in order to go and not be recognized by their brother Pedro. Florinda has already met Belville at some previous time and knows that she would chose him above all others to be her husband. He feels the same about her. In the meantime, Hellena meets Willmore, who seems charming to her and she falls for him. He on the other hand, meets Angellica Bianca, a very beautiful and highly paid prostitute. He sees her and they end up in bed together where he charms her into thinking that he is madly in love with her and will stay with her forever. During this time, Florinda and Belville have set a time ot run off together. She waits for him outside the garden, when Willmore shows up and tries to seduce/rape her. This doesn't happen but later after a series of events brought on by mistaken identity, she again is almost raped by Blunt who after being humiliated and robbed by Lucetta vows to "use all womankind thereafter". this is stopped as Florinda gives to Frederick and Blunt a diamond to show she is of quality. They dare not to rape a woman of quality but feel that it acceptable to rape a harlot. Now, Hellena and Willmore meet up again and she hears him talk about his night with Angellica. She eventually forgives him for sleeping with the prostitute if she promised never to see her again. He says he will comply and Angellica overhears and is distraught as she has falllen for him. She gets very upset and pulls a gun on him in a jealous rage. Antonio intervens. Willmore blames his making vows to her on her intense beauty. During all of this Pedro has arranged for Florinda to marry Antoino the following day. Antonio and Pedro end up fighting and Antonio wins. Pedro gives him consent to have his sister, yet Antonio is actually Belville in disguise. there are some small duels and loose ends are tied up. The ending is a happy one for most everyone involved. The rover of the title could be Willmore as he has many parallels to Charles II, whose adventures during his twenty-year exile from England were renowned at that time. It is said that Charles II enjoyed the play so much that he commissioned a private viewing of it.
The theme of her first play, loveless and unhappy marriages in arranged by families in The Forced Marriage reoccurs throughout Behn's work. Through her works, she concerned herself with the fate of women in her own society. This gives us the readers a glimpse into the life a struggling woman in the late 17th century. This particular work deals with three kinds of women. Women in relation to marriage, convents and prostitutes. This story is not only an attack on women's roles in society, but also makes anti-semetic references and small recognition to the Inquisition.