The Rover, Act 4

We begin today with consideration of plot structure in relation to the major characters.

First, the various love rivlaries:

• Pedro
  • rival to both Antonio and Willmore for the hand of Angellica Bianca
  • feigned rival to Antonio for the hand of Florinda, Pedro’s sister (because he is angry at Antonio’s potential for infidelity toward Florinda)
• Antonio
  • rival to Belvile for the hand of Florinda
• Belvile
  • rival to Pedro and Willmore for the hand of Angelica Bianca
  • feigned rival (by pretending to be Antonio) to the feigned rival, Pedro, for the hand of Florinda

Major love intrigues:

• Belvile and Florinda
• Willmore and Angellica Bianca
• Willmore and Hellena

Lesser love intrigues (though “love” is perhaps not quite the right term for some if not all of these):

• Blunt and Lucetta
• Phillipo and Lucetta
• Blunt and Florinda
• Willmore and Florinda
• Frederick and Valeria

Choose one or two of the foregoing and comment upon the relationship’s dynamics. Be sure to support your observations by citing and analyzing specific passages.

Alternatively, point to some passage or raise some question about the play you find puzzling or otherwise problematic, and explain why. Post a pertinent question or two for the class to answer.