Pure Prostitutes and Banished Cavaliers

1. Angellica Bianca is, as her character listing tells us, “a famous courtesan” (170). Her name, however, means “white angel,” denoting purity, and she is often referred to as a kind of virgin, and as a woman of honor. Antonio serenades her with a pastoral about a shepherd who teaches “the virgin how / To yield what all his sighs could never do” aligning Angellica with the virgin who must be taught to yield (2.1). Later, towards the end of the play, Angellica tells Willmore that “when love held the mirror, the undeceiving glass / Reflected all the weakness of my soul, and made me know / My richest treasure being lost, my honor, / All the remaining spoil could not be worth / The conqueror’s care or value” (5.1). Thus Angellica’s “honor” is not synonymous with virginity as is usually the case. Her honor seems rather to have been lost by her free giving of love to an undeserving character. What should we as readers make of this treatment of Angellica’s character?
2. This play has two interesting titles for consideration. First, why is the play named The Rover? Clearly Belville is the heroic character of the play, while Willmore is constantly bungling into trouble, chasing women, getting drunk, and causing hardship for Belville. He certainly is not the most likeable character. What is Behn trying to point out by naming the play after him? Next, how does the second title, The Banished Cavaliers, affect our reading of the play? How does the idea of these men living out of their country and out of their element play into the action? What does the juxtaposition of the English, Spaniards, and Italians accomplish?