The carnival setting of Aphra Behn's play The Rover is important for several reasons: it allows characters to hide behind masks and take on new identities, removing social inhibitions. This empowered female characters like Hellena to behave in non-traditional ways. The carnival atmosphere also broke down class barriers and norms. Mistaken identities arose from the masks and confusion, driving the comedy and suspense. Hellena pursues the man she wants freely during carnival. The masked setting was key to moving Behn's plot and themes forward.
The carnival setting of Aphra Behn's play The Rover is important for several reasons: it allows characters to hide behind masks and take on new identities, removing social inhibitions. This empowered female characters like Hellena to behave in non-traditional ways. The carnival atmosphere also broke down class barriers and norms. Mistaken identities arose from the masks and confusion, driving the comedy and suspense. Hellena pursues the man she wants freely during carnival. The masked setting was key to moving Behn's plot and themes forward.
The carnival setting of Aphra Behn's play The Rover is important for several reasons: it allows characters to hide behind masks and take on new identities, removing social inhibitions. This empowered female characters like Hellena to behave in non-traditional ways. The carnival atmosphere also broke down class barriers and norms. Mistaken identities arose from the masks and confusion, driving the comedy and suspense. Hellena pursues the man she wants freely during carnival. The masked setting was key to moving Behn's plot and themes forward.
The carnival setting of Aphra Behn's play The Rover is important for several reasons: it allows characters to hide behind masks and take on new identities, removing social inhibitions. This empowered female characters like Hellena to behave in non-traditional ways. The carnival atmosphere also broke down class barriers and norms. Mistaken identities arose from the masks and confusion, driving the comedy and suspense. Hellena pursues the man she wants freely during carnival. The masked setting was key to moving Behn's plot and themes forward.
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Importance Of Carnival In Aphra Behn's The Rover
996 words - 4 pages
"Masquerading! A lewd custom to debauch our youth. There's something more in this than I imagine." - Don Pedro Aphra Behn, the first female playwright to earn a living through her writing, was also one of the wittiest and entertaining as evidenced through her most well known play, The Rover. Set in 17th century Italy while under the colonial reign of Spain, a large cast of characters becomes embroiled in scenes of infidelity, seduction, misrepresentation, and elaborate swordplay, which create tension and confusion in addition to many comedic episodes. The setting is Carnival time in Venice, which is important to the plot for several reasons: the wearing of masks (as was customary) allows a freedom from normal constraints, there is often in the play a mistake made in identities, circumstances can (and do) occur which could never otherwise happen, it allows for a fast pace to be maintained which keeps the spectators involved, and ultimately, "confusion captures the spirit of the carnival" (1). During carnival times class barriers came down with the rich mingling with the poor. The tradition of wearing masks at carnival time became necessary in order to protect the identities of the rich (2). This also gave opportunities to act out in a manner far removed from their habitual one. By having her female characters hidden behind masks, Behn is able to remove them from their traditional roles as women and give them empowerment. In effect, they can assume new personalities and remove their inhibitions or the otherwise usual yokes that have been cast on them by a male-dominated society. Hellena is the perfect example of one throwing off inhibitions and revealing her inner self behind the guise of a mask. Slated for the convent in an effort by her father to consolidate the family finances, she decides that this carnival will be the time she finds a man - and she sets her sights on one as daring and quick-witted as herself. She is able to track him in different disguises and at one point sets out to "vex" him for his keeping with Angellica. She shows herself to be a strong, independent- thinking woman in an age when women had few personal rights. The carnival setting is the vehicle that gives her the freedom to behave in the manner she does. The carnival setting is also the cause of mistaken identities. Because of this confusion Behn is able to further the comedic and suspense elements. For example, Don Pedro is denied his opportunity with the lovely Angellica when his friend (and his intended brother-in-law) Don Antonio pays his offering to be with her. Don Pedro is further incensed by the fact that this is a slight against his sister, Florinda, which ultimately leads to the setting of a time and place for a duel. Of course, Don Antonio...