Summary:
Discusses the Aphra Behn novel, The Rover. Provides a character study of Angelca Bianca. Debates if she is a good or bad charcter.
'An unscrupulous whore condemned by the audience'
' A victim of social circumstances, with whom the audience sympathises'
Write about these views in the world of the play
Men, some to Business, others to Pleasure take;
but every Woman is at heart a Rake.
- Alexander Pope, "Of the Characters of Women
For me Angelica Bianca seems to fit both these statements to some extent; she is one and both at the same time. By looking at her interactions with characters and her position in society contextually I will show both sides of the argument and summarize
Women in seventeenth century Europe had few options in terms of marriage and courtship. They could not initiate relations with men, often their father or and or their brother/s would decide whom they would marry. Once a rich and respectable suitor was found a dowry payment was invested in the hope of a marriage. The youngest of daughters were often sent to convents in an attempt to reduce expenses, while at the same time just remaining religious and contributing to the church. Yet in poorer families, prostitution was an inevitable choice of life for some young women. Although we do not know the background of our courtesan we can almost assume she has come from a poor background, further agreeing with one of our statements. It is with this thought in mind that we must analyze Angelica; yet not with a bias view.
The socio-historic context of this play was at a time when there was a sexual reawakening after years of Puritan rule. This second 'renaissance' of sex therefore made prostitution a reliable business for any woman who had not come from a well to do background. Angelica is not a common whore though; she in the play is a very beautiful and famous courtesan,
'How wondrous fair she is'
Being of this position she can therefore exercise her ability to seduce men and gain financial benefit. One such example of her underlying power over the men in this play is when we see Willmore and Antonio start a fight and it is her who breaks them up by 'commanding them to stop'. This is particularly important to the play as a whole as she is the only female in this play that has any power in a seemingly evident patriarchal society further emphasizing its unusualness. Yet it is here that her real power stops. She has beauty, men adore her sexuality and she can command them like dogs but as the play progresses we get to see more and more of how she is a victim and how she is to men only a body for conquest.
The men straight away see her as a product they could buy and depersonalize her right off. Belvile shows great concern to her 'price', blunt refers to her as a 'commodity' and Willmore speaks of his need to 'purchase' her beauty. Although Angelica makes clear the workings of the market place for her body; curiosity feeds her credit and price. Her credit is balanced upon the continued titillation of the men's desire, through the displaying of her pictures. This shows her dependence on this financial system and her clever manipulation of it. She is wanton of men who have power and wealth; she clearly thinks Pedro will adjust her status for the better and remarks
" a slave that can add little to the triumph of the conqueror"
We see this again for Antonio another man of influence
" tis for him, Don Antonio the viceroys son, that I have spread my nets"
Behn ultimately suggests that sexual slavery is both the inevitable conclusion and choice for women like Angelica.
Yet she faces sadness and anger as the play draws to an end, she is played false by the rover that is Willmore. He has played her falsely and given her a real impression that he wants her deeply.
"By heaven, bright creature, I would not for the world, thy fame were half so fair as is thy face"
But as we know Willmore he scouts out Helena his 'gypsy' and attempts to bed her right in front of Angelica
"Come then, for a beginning, show me thy dear face"
It is only at the finale that we see the desperate Angelica almost kill Willmore out of love.
Therefore in conclusion these two statements work in conjunction with one another to explain our courtesan. She unknowingly controls men and has a false heart and claims only gold shall charm it. In contrast she is a victim of circumstance and never really loved for who she is, but for what she is.
This is the complete article, containing 762 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
