CARNIVAL, LIBERTINISM, SEXUALITY, AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE RESTORED KING IN APHRA BEHN’S THE ROVER

Yıl 2015, Cilt: 4 Sayı: 2, 62 - 74, 01.12.2015

Gül Kurtuluş

Öz

AphraBehn’s
The Rover or the Banished Cavaliers, one of the prominent plays of the
Restoration comedy, deals with male-female relationships, libertinism and the
carvinalesque. After the puritan rule in Britain was overthrown, the
restrictive laws imposed on social life by the Puritan views were also
dismissed. Quite contrary to the conservative values of puritanism, the
restored period was marked by its pleasure-seeking ruler. The king reopened
theaters and abolished the strict laws that Cromwell had enacted to restrict
the way people lived. Bringing freedom to the society, Charles II freely
enjoyed mistresses and pleasure – hence his nickname “The Merry Monarch.” In
the play, the parallels between the male characters and hedonistic court of the
restored king are quite evident as the libertine lifestyle adopted by male
characters is exposed and even criticized. 
The play, also centres the themes of marriage, ideal love and vitality
of female subjectivity in a patriarchal society in which females are seen as the
objects or the other rather than being the subjects or parts of any social
life. Further, Behn focuses on the concept of de-masculinisation of sexual
desires by men as she thinks that women should also have equality and freedom
to express their desires and do what they want. This paper aims to discuss the
ways in which the play mirrors the seventeenth century's displeased approach to
female subjectivity in social life after the collapse of Puritan Protectorate
and Behn’s harsh criticism of this approach by creating female characters that
are witty, mentally strong and confident of their desires. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

libertinism, carnival, sexuality, restoration comedy of manners, AphraBehn, Restoration, Charles II, power struggle, female subjectivity.

CARNIVAL, LIBERTINISM, SEXUALITY, AND THE REPRESENTATION OF THE RESTORED KING IN APHRA BEHN’S THE ROVER

Öz

AphraBehn’s The Rover or the Banished Cavaliers, one of the prominent plays of the Restoration comedy, deals with male-female relationships, libertinism and the carvinalesque. After the puritan rule in Britain was overthrown, the restrictive laws imposed on social life by the Puritan views were also dismissed. Quite contrary to the conservative values of puritanism, the restored period was marked by its pleasure-seeking ruler. The king reopened theaters and abolished the strict laws that Cromwell had enacted to restrict the way people lived. Bringing freedom to the society, Charles II freely enjoyed mistresses and pleasure – hence his nickname “The Merry Monarch.” In the play, the parallels between the male characters and hedonistic court of the restored king are quite evident as the libertine lifestyle adopted by male characters is exposed and even criticized. The play, also centres the themes of marriage, ideal love and vitality of female subjectivity in a patriarchal society in which females are seen as the objects or the other rather than being the subjects or parts of any social life. Further, Behn focuses on the concept of de-masculinisation of sexual desires by men as she thinks that women should also have equality and freedom to express their desires and do what they want. This paper aims to discuss the ways in which the play mirrors the seventeenth century's displeased approach to female subjectivity in social life after the collapse of Puritan Protectorate and Behn’s harsh criticism of this approach by creating female characters that are witty, mentally strong and confident of their desires.

Anahtar Kelimeler

CARNVAL, LIBERTINISM, SEXUALITY

Kaynakça

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