Carnival setting in ‘The Rover’:
1- Destruction of virgin/whore dichotomy- increased female agency
2- Breeches part- advancement of female agency in masquerade-
strictly MALE disguise
3- Dangers of female disguise
In ‘The Rover’, the backdrop of Carnival and disguise allows for the
advancement of female agency and power in allowing women to
participate in Carnivalesque activities typically reserved for libertine men.
Having rejected the designs of Don Pedro, Hellena, Florinda and Valeria
enter the male-dominated sphere of Carnival ‘dressed like gipsies’, a
disguise which frees them from the markers of their identity as
noblewomen. As such, the suspension of their real identity allows for their
adoption of a new one. Hellena’s witty saying of ‘nunnery walls’
demonstrates her capacity to transcend the societal expectation for her to
be a chaste nun, as she manipulates the idea of ‘nunnery’ by conflating it
with sexual innuendo, displaying how Hellena is able to deconstruct the
virgin-whore dichotomy under the guise of Carnival so to match Willmore’s
wit as the Rake and retain her sense of power. Hellena’s capacity to stand
her ground against Willmore here in Act 1.2 is evidenced by the
stichomythic dialogue Behn employs, displaying their evenly matched
bawdy verbal sparring- ‘Can you storm?’ ‘Oh most furiously.’ Behn’s
presentation of female agency through disguise is furthered by the fact it
allows Florinda to pursue Belvile in an unconventional reverse of typical
courtship, as ‘[Florinda hands over her letter to Belvile]’, which is then
passed around between the other Cavaliers. Taking the letter as symbolic
of her chastity in preservation for Belvile, Behn’s stagecraft of passing the
letter around is an ironic subversion of her innocence and virginity, as its
collective handling by other men carries the connotations of prostitution.
Therefore, much like that of Hellena, Florinda’s disguise renders the virgin-
whore dichotomy (the means of categorising women in the 17th century)
obsolete, as virtuous women are free to enact and enjoy the prerogatives
of prostitution, allowing them a greater sense of agency in relationships
with male counterparts.
Behn furthers the presentation of the increased agency women are
afforded in the masquerade of Carnival setting through her subversion of
the breeches part in 4.2, as Hellena capitalises on this male disguise to tie
down the rakish Willmore in a display of freedom in the marriage market.
Rather than the typical sexualisation that characterised Restoration
writers’ use of the breeches part, by which female actors, typically
prostitutes, would dress as men with their legs exposed in a provocative
manner to advertise their sexual availability, Behn’s portrayal of Hellena
1- Destruction of virgin/whore dichotomy- increased female agency
2- Breeches part- advancement of female agency in masquerade-
strictly MALE disguise
3- Dangers of female disguise
In ‘The Rover’, the backdrop of Carnival and disguise allows for the
advancement of female agency and power in allowing women to
participate in Carnivalesque activities typically reserved for libertine men.
Having rejected the designs of Don Pedro, Hellena, Florinda and Valeria
enter the male-dominated sphere of Carnival ‘dressed like gipsies’, a
disguise which frees them from the markers of their identity as
noblewomen. As such, the suspension of their real identity allows for their
adoption of a new one. Hellena’s witty saying of ‘nunnery walls’
demonstrates her capacity to transcend the societal expectation for her to
be a chaste nun, as she manipulates the idea of ‘nunnery’ by conflating it
with sexual innuendo, displaying how Hellena is able to deconstruct the
virgin-whore dichotomy under the guise of Carnival so to match Willmore’s
wit as the Rake and retain her sense of power. Hellena’s capacity to stand
her ground against Willmore here in Act 1.2 is evidenced by the
stichomythic dialogue Behn employs, displaying their evenly matched
bawdy verbal sparring- ‘Can you storm?’ ‘Oh most furiously.’ Behn’s
presentation of female agency through disguise is furthered by the fact it
allows Florinda to pursue Belvile in an unconventional reverse of typical
courtship, as ‘[Florinda hands over her letter to Belvile]’, which is then
passed around between the other Cavaliers. Taking the letter as symbolic
of her chastity in preservation for Belvile, Behn’s stagecraft of passing the
letter around is an ironic subversion of her innocence and virginity, as its
collective handling by other men carries the connotations of prostitution.
Therefore, much like that of Hellena, Florinda’s disguise renders the virgin-
whore dichotomy (the means of categorising women in the 17th century)
obsolete, as virtuous women are free to enact and enjoy the prerogatives
of prostitution, allowing them a greater sense of agency in relationships
with male counterparts.
Behn furthers the presentation of the increased agency women are
afforded in the masquerade of Carnival setting through her subversion of
the breeches part in 4.2, as Hellena capitalises on this male disguise to tie
down the rakish Willmore in a display of freedom in the marriage market.
Rather than the typical sexualisation that characterised Restoration
writers’ use of the breeches part, by which female actors, typically
prostitutes, would dress as men with their legs exposed in a provocative
manner to advertise their sexual availability, Behn’s portrayal of Hellena
