Reflected all the Weakness of my Soul, and made me know,
But when Love held the Mirror, the undeceiving Glass To have destroy’d at Pleasure when offended. I shou’d have thought all Men were born my Slaves Īnd worn my Pow’r like Lightning in my Eyes, Although he eventually vows to marry Hellena, his intellectual equal, it is difficult to believe that wedding vows will end Willmore’s promiscuous behavior.Īngelica: All this thou’st made me know, for which I hate thee.
Witty and charming, Willmore also has a dark side, which becomes obvious when he almost rapes Florinda, the beloved of his friend Belvile. During the play, he wins the love of both the noble, unladylike, intelligent Hellena and the high-priced courtesan Angelica. Reckless and rash, Willmore often quarrels with other men, and is quick to draw his sword. He constantly lusts for women, and seeks out different ways to seduce them, leaving a trail of broken hearts wherever he goes.
A classic rake, and the Rover of the play’s title, he is called so not just because of his travelling, but also because of his roving eye. He comes to Naples excited about the free-for-all atmosphere of Carnival. An upper-class soldier called a cavalier, Willmore is loyal to the English monarchy, and has therefore been exiled from his homeland (the story takes place during Oliver Cromwell’s reign in England after the execution of Charles 1).
0 kommentar(er)
