Gender Roles and Boundaries in Aphra Behn’s The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers PDF

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Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Letters

Gender Roles and Boundaries in Aphra Behn’s The Rover or The Banish’d Cavaliers

First of all, to understand completely Aphra Behn’s The Rover, we have to take a closer look on the historical context and the ideologies of the time. It is evident, and we can follow it through the history of literature, that literature is shaped by the political context, and also responds to the main aspects of an era. So how is this represented in Restoration drama? How does politics appear in Behn’s drama? But also, most importantly, how does a female author reflect to the same themes as her contemporary male writers? Can we call it an early form of feminism? It is for sure, that her writing is filled with female subjectivity. Her approach to the same themes is something new, different from what we saw before. The term “restoration” comes from the crowning of Charles II, which marks the restoring of the monarchial form of government, following a republican government, the Puritanism period. The Restoration Period lasted from 1660, until around 1688, when James II was removed from the throne. One of the most important aspects of Restoration is the returning to the theatre. It was strongly encouraged by Charles II, who as a big fan of drama allowed the theatre’s presence after it had been closed for 18 years. And with this act, he created a place to a new genre, called Restoration drama. It seemed like all the pressure that had built up during the 18 years of Cromwell’s rule (with the Puritan ideals and way of living), came free in these Restoration drama, these being highly sexual. Both theatre and literature was affected by the sexually and intellectually libertine spirit of court life and by the spirit of a new era. John Dyrden, one of the most important playwright, observes the desire for more “gayety” in the audience, and he thinks that audience prefers comedies in which “making Love” is central to the action. 1 The innovative nature of the Restoration theatre does not only consist of a new, libertine world-view and new themes, but for the first time women were invited to take the stage. Previously female roles were played by young boys. The appearance of woman on stage brought a great change to the theatre, such as an increased interest by the public. Female characters were highly sexualized, and it also changed the language of the plays: it allowed an erotic description of women, and older plays were also rewritten to include such a language.2 1The Cambridge Companion to English Restoration Theatre, Cambridge Companions to Literature

(Cambridge, U.K. ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000), chap. 4. 2 ‘Nell Gwyn And Women On Stage | Women In Restoration Theatre’ [accessed 10 June 2018].

In these times, women had a very strict role, and it was hard to rise upon them. The concept of marriage was also very different. Love was considered to be an unimportant factor in marriage. Generally, women had little or nothing to say about who they married. At the age of twelve it was legal to be married, and until the day of the marriage, a girl was “owned” by her father. Marriage did not give independence, as she was then owned by the husband. Women were not allowed to decide by their own, without the permission of the husband. “That which the husband has is his own.” “That which the wife has is the husband’s” – specifies the law of the time. 3 So how come that in this time, it was a woman who talked freely about love, lust, marriage, sexuality or rape in such a manner that made her one of the best known playwrights of her time. Aphra Behn was the first Englishwoman known to earn her living from writing. Her plays are built up around the theme of femininity, masculinity, gender identity and sexuality. She had a great impact on the literary scene. Virginia Woolf writes about her: “All women together, ought to let flowers fall upon the grave of Aphra Behn… for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” Her play, The Rover is significant because it begins with only female characters on the stage, two sisters, Florinda and Hellena. They are both strong feminine characters, and in many ways they conform to the traditional gender roles. They have a previously decided future. Florinda is meant to marry the elderly Don Vincentio by her father, and Don Antonio by her brother. Hellena’s destiny is to become a nun. Yet both characters seek for a different future. Florinda is in love with the English cavalier Belvile, and wants to marry him. Hellena seeks love and adventure, falls for a rakish cavalier, Willmore, and is determined in marrying him. Through the drama we can follow the women’s fight against these prescribed gender roles. “FLORINDA What an impertinent thing is a young girl bred in a nunnery! How full of questions! Prithee no more, Hellena; I have told thee more than thou understand’st already.

3 ‘Fascinating History: The Legal Status of Women in Restoration London’ [accessed 10 June 2018].

HELLENA The more’s my grief. I would fain know as much as you, which makes me so inquisitive…” Helena attends the carnival because she wants to widen her knowledge, not because she is in search for a particular lover. This wish is considered to be for a sexual adventure, not an intellectual one. She seeks knowledge beyond the gender role prescribed for her. She refuses the legal dependence to her father and the rules of a patriarchal society, and choses a different future. With this act she both departs from, and reinforces her social script. 4 Departs in such sense, that she is wished to become a nun, and as a rebellion, she gets closer to another gender role: becoming a wife. Yet, at the beginning of the play she compares marriage to slavery, although not with the usual gender configuration: “He thinks he's trading to Gambo still, and would barter himself (that bell and bauble) for your youth and fortune”

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Being a strong, smart and

brave character she is not frightened to have a conversation with a man on the carnival, and she is easily tempted into an erotic conversation with Willmore. She is wearing a mask, so she can behave freely from the expectations that are from a noble woman. No one can see her rank, race, identity, she can be whoever she wants to. As a woman, Hellena is being left out of serious conversation about her life, her brother tells her that she is “not designed for the conversation of lovers,” because she is destined to be a nun. She is witty, and many times she contradicts her brother and his will. “I care not, I had rather be a Nun, than be oblig’d to marry as you wou’d have me, if I were design’d for’t.” She acts like she was indifferent about what Don Pedro wants, and makes it impossible for him to punish her. Hellena is restricted by her femininity, she can’t act or talk freely. To do so, she has to overstep the boundaries of her gender. Dressed up as a boy she can take the role of a man, and does not have to meet the expectations of a woman. The cross-dressing gives Hellena the possibility to behave differently and negotiate her marriage on her own terms.6 Willmore recognizes her even with her male clothes, and they discuss their marriage. Hellena is still crossdressed, so she can still use her “mask” in further conversation. She proves her freedom of speech saying to Willmore: 4 Elin Diamond, Unmaking Mimesis: Essays on Feminism and Theater (London ; New York: Routledge,

1997), p. 68. 5 A Companion to Restoration Drama, ed. by Susan J. Owen, Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture, 12, 1. publ. in paperback (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publ, 2008), p. 99. 6 Haley D Anderson, ‘Female Agency in Restoration and Nineteenth-Century Drama’, 86.

“Faith none, Captain — Why, ’twill be the greater Charity to take me for thy Mistress, I am a lone Child, a kind of Orphan Lover; and why I shou’d die a Maid, and in a Captain’s Hands too, I do not understand.” It is significant because as a woman of honor, she could not express her sexual desires this freely, but dressed as a boy she gets the possibility. She is empowered, she can let her desires to control her, and she is flirting with Willmore. She also admits that it is mainly the man’s inconstancy that attracts her: “how this unconstant humour makes mi love him!” She also says that she is equal with him: “I am as inconstant as you…” 7 They finally agree in marrying, and only at the end they change names, which can be considered as the end of Hellena’s masculinity, with her real identity revealed. 8 Hellena’s cross-dressing is the only time that gender boundaries are crossed in the play. Behn’s heroine gets more power with her gipsy and boy disguises, allowing her freedom of action. 9 During the scene when Hellena is dressed like a boy, she imitates a man’s language, behavior, she steps over her role, and it leads to a significant moment in the relationship between Willmore and her. HELLENA: O’ my Conscience, that will be our Destiny, because we are both of one humour; I am as inconstant as you, for I have considered, Captain, that a handsom Woman has a great deal to do whilst her Face is good, for then is our Harvest-time to gather Friends; and should I in these days of my Youth, catch a fitch of foolish Constancy, I were undone; ‘tis loitering by da-light in our great Journey: therefore declare, I’ll allow but one year for Love, one year for Indifference, and one year for Hate —and then—go hang yourself—for I profess myself the gay, the kind, and the inconstant —the Devil’s in’t if this won’t please you. (Act 3, Sc1) In the quote above we can see how nontraditional Hellena is, and actually how similar the two characters are. She tells the rover that she will not remain faithful to him, because she is too young. She uses her charm, her mind and plays him into getting what her wants: to be his wife. Hellena shows wit, intelligence in winning him for husband. At the beginning of the play, when they meet for the first time, she is dressed as a gipsy, she informs Willmore, that she is meant to 7 Susan J. Owen, Perspectives on Restoration Drama (Manchester, UK ; New York : New York:

Manchester University Press ; Distributed in the USA by Palgrave, 2002), p. 71. 8 Anderson. 9 Jane Spencer, The Rover, Oxford English Drama (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1998).

“dye a maid” and he responds in a libertine spirit: "Then thou art damn'd without redemption, and as I am a good Christian, I ought in Charity to divert sowicked a design" He recognizes that her destiny (becoming a nun) subverts the natural function of a woman. 10 Aphra Behn’s comedy shows us a world where the only possibility for women to overstep their prescribed gender roles is that of changing their identity. It has a big role in the play, the characters wear masks to confuse and deceive each other. The play’s setting gives them the possibility to do so. The carnival brings a different world to their everyday life. A chance to elope, a chance to be someone else, not a noblewoman anymore, but a gipsy with freedom of choice.

10 J. Douglas Canfield, Tricksters & Estates: On the Ideology of Restoration Comedy (Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 1997), pp. 41–42.

Bibliography: Anderson, Haley D, ‘Female Agency in Restoration and Nineteenth-Century Drama’, 86 Canfield, J. Douglas, Tricksters & Estates: On the Ideology of Restoration Comedy (Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 1997) Diamond, Elin, Unmaking Mimesis: Essays on Feminism and Theater (London ; New York: Routledge, 1997) ‘Fascinating History: The Legal Status of Women in Restoration London’ [accessed 10 June 2018] ‘Nell Gwyn And Women On Stage | Women In Restoration Theatre’

[accessed 10 June 2018] Owen, Susan J., ed., A Companion to Restoration Drama, Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture, 12, 1. publ. in paperback (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publ, 2008) ———, Perspectives on Restoration Drama (Manchester, UK ; New York : New York: Manchester University Press ; Distributed in the USA by Palgrave, 2002) Payne Fisk, Deborah, ed., The Cambridge Companion to English Restoration Theatre, Cambridge Companions to Literature (Cambridge, U.K. ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000) Spencer, Jane, The Rover, Oxford English Drama (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1998)...