Seventeenth century British women held no personal value. Throughout Apra Behn's, "The Rover" and William Congreve's, "The Way of the World," women are commoditized, used as pawns by men and powerful elders. Their value is not a human value, because women are seen as objects to be traded and to be played. Behn's play is written with a full understanding of the political implications that are found throughout the story. It was written with the understanding that its performances would be viewed as a social commentary, with the goal of promoting debate over socially immoral and politically questionable communal attitudes of the 1600s.
[...] While these men claim to respect women and hold them to some level of angel-like esteem, they too quickly turn on the women, as soon as the women do not fall in line with their held notions. Because a woman is the author of Rover”, it takes on a secondary level of significance as it comments on society. While it is important that a woman would feel a desire to speak out in such a way, the play should not be read as a woman's point of view, which could be quickly dismissed as passionate or irrational. [...]
[...] Women in Way of the World” are expected to be coy, disarming figures, mute even for the benefit of male superiority in the relationship. The women treat each other no better, begging the question: is power over another the most important quality in a relationship for these characters? Each one is looking to exert or exploit his or her position over another. Therefore, although women are unquestionably less than men during this period, they seek to prove their worth by further devaluing other women. [...]
[...] Hellena seeks to experience life and love, before her brother (who is acting as the conservator of her life) sends her to a covenant. Hellena, obviously not permitted to make decisions regarding her future, is required by English law to obey the decisions executed by her brother. Thus, the ever-present premise is introduced, wherein women are showcased as powerless, even with reference to their personal lives. In a typical traditional fashion, the women are faced with conflicting ideas about whom they should love and what society demands from their marriages. [...]
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