Faithful and handsome, the Englishman Belvile is in love with the Italian lady Florinda, who is betrothed to another. Willmore, the rover, is in love with Hellena, sister of Florinda and destined for the convent. And Angellica Bianca, a courtesan, is in love with Willmore. Against the backdrop of Naples during Carnival time, this varied cast of characters pursue life, honour, and pleasure in this comedic drama.
Author and playwright Aphra Behn created a clearly male-centric world in The Rover, but does not dismiss the power of her female characters, who are willing to go to extreme measures to fulfill their desires. The Rover was written for profit at a time when Behn had lost her source of income, but became one of the most popular plays of the Restoration era, and it is still studied and widely performed in modern times.
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