Encore! Encore!
Infidelity, elopement, seduction, sword play, people "masking" their identities all set in a carnival atmosphere, what more could you ask for in a play? You get all this plus so much more in The Rover.Alphra Behn sets her play in Naples, Italy, a more exotic location than London, to allow her the freedom to explore the brutality of rape and the art of seduction. Even though this play is considered a comedy it takes on the serious issues of females dealing with the inherent problems of a male-dominated society. Throughout the play the reader can see Behn's objections to the vulnerability of women in this type of society.
Behn cleverly uses masks to allow her characters the freedom to cross social boundaries and take on different roles. Hellena and Florinda
want to explore the carnival and experiment with sensuality, something that would be impossible for them to do if they were not in disguise as unmarried young ladies were not permitted to visit the carnival. By being masked, the characters are given more freedom and do not have to worry about suffering the consequences of their actions.The conventions used in this play; masked identities, desire, crossing social boundaries, and using comedy to make social comments, are similar to ones used by Shakespeare's in his comedies. It is easy to see why it was believed The Rover was written by a man when it was published anonymously in the first edition.
I found this play, like the other works I have read by Behn, to be well written and enjoyable to read. I must admit I have not read many plays other than Shakespeare but I have seen quite a few plays and I think this one would be very visually appealing and entertaining. Maybe someone out there would like to take on that challenge . . . please
posted by Lucy @ 4:32 AM
1 Comments:
Yes I loved the photos as well, they really help me kind of picture the play in my own mind better.
It really was an interesting read and it was very easy to get wrapped up into.
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