
The Rover
by Aphra Behn
'The Rover' Summary
Act 1
Sisters Hellena and Florinda's fates have been decided for them by the men in their life, mainly their brother and father. Hellena is to enter the convent after Carnival has ended. Florinda's father wants her to marry elderly Don Vincentio and her brother, Don Pedro, wants her to marry Don Antonio. However, she has feelings for Belvile, an English colonel. The women, not approving of these plans, dress up for Carnival in an attempt to avoid their chosen fates.
Belvile, Blunt, Frederick, and Willmore are also enjoying Carnival when they run into Florinda, Hellena, and Valeria (their cousin). Willmore and Hellena flirt with one another; Hellena agrees to meet Willmore again later. Meanwhile, Lucetta begins to seduce Blunt. Florinda begins to set up a meeting with Belvile when she sees her brother approaching. She hastily gives him a letter and runs off with Hellena and Valeria. Florinda's letter contains instructions for Belvile to come to her garden at ten that night and carry her off. Blunt sneaks off with Lucetta.
Act II
Willmore, Belvile, and Frederick go to see Angellica, a famous courtesan. Angellica's servants hang up a portrait of her outside of her house. The Englishmen are astounded by her beauty, but leave when they realise they do not have the money to buy her—one thousand crowns a month. Don Pedro enters and sees the picture and the price. He has the money and runs to fetch it.
Angellica laments that no one has taken her up because of the high price, but when she learns of Don Pedro and Don Antonio, both of whom are rich, she decides to pursue them, then goes back inside. Pedro soon enters from one side of the stage, and Antonio enters from the other; both men are masked. Antonio is also struck by Angellica's portrait and wonders out loud if he could get away with sleeping with Angellica and still marry Florinda. At the mention of Florinda, Pedro recognizes Antonio. They fight. Willmore and Blunt enter and break them up. Pedro challenges Antonio to a duel the next day over Angellica. Antonio accepts.
Meanwhile, Willmore sees a smaller picture of Angellica and tries to steal it. Antonio tells him to put it back. Willmore refuses and says that Antonio has the money to pay for the real thing. Angellica enters just in time to see another fight break out. Angellica asks Willmore to speak with her inside as she was initially very excited and impressed by him. Willmore goes, despite Belvile and Frederick's fears that Angellica is angry with him. Willmore tries to persuade Angellica to sleep with him for free. Normally Angellica would not agree to this, but she has fallen in love with Willmore, with his wits and his way. She agrees, despite the warnings from her maidservant Moretta.
Book Details
Authors

Aphra Behn
England
Aphra Behn was an English playwright, poet, translator and fiction writer from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barriers and...
Books by Aphra BehnDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Précieuses ridicules by Moliere
Les Précieuses ridicules is a one-act play by Molière that premiered in 1659. It is a comedy that satirizes the affectations and pretensions of précie...

Interventions by Georgia Wood Pangborn
This collection of short stories explores themes of social commentary, love, mystery, and loss. Pangborn's narratives often center around children, w...

Puritanos Y Otros Cuentos by Armando Palacio Valdés
This collection of short stories by Armando Palacio Valdés delves into the complexities of human emotions and experiences. Valdés, known for his poign...

Laodicean by Thomas Hardy
“The Laodicean” by Thomas Hardy follows Paula Power, a woman of modern sensibilities, who inherits the ancient De Stancy castle and embarks on a resto...

Farmer's Bride by Charlotte Mew
Charlotte Mew's *The Farmer's Bride* is a collection of poems exploring themes of loneliness, isolation, and the complexities of human relationships,...

Fortune Hunter: A Novel of New York Society by Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie
Fortune Hunter is an entertaining and satirical novel that follows the lives of several wealthy and fashionable New Yorkers. The story revolves around...

Concerning Isabel Carnaby by Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler
Isabel Carnaby, an orphan returning from India, finds herself navigating the complex and often superficial world of upper-class British society. Despi...

Sister Rosa: A Ballad by Percy Bysshe Shelley
LibriVox volunteers bring you 7 different recordings of Sister Rosa: A Ballad by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Ruth Erskine's Son by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden)
Ruth Erskine, now in her fifties, navigates the complexities of motherhood as her son, grown from the young boy featured in a previous book, brings ho...

Tysons by May Sinclair
Set in the late Victorian era, "The Tysons" explores the tumultuous marriage of Nevill and Molly Tyson within the confines of a provincial English vil...
Reviews for The Rover
No reviews posted or approved, yet...