Restoration Research File

Restoration Research File

English Civil War

The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a war between two English factions, the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. The Roundheads were led by Oliver Cromwell, their aim to install parliament to power over the monarch in England. The Cavaliers were led by King Charles I, they sought to preserve the monarchy's power in the realm. 

There were three periods of fighting that make up the war, the first ended when Charles I was defeated and captured by Parliamentary forces but the second began when, from prison, Charles managed to rally a new army with the Scots. The second ended, once again, with Charles I's defeat, this time however he was tried for treason and executed. The third was a result of the execution of Charles I, the Scottish forces regrouped and united and, led by Charles II they fought the Parliamentary forces again. Once again the Royalist forces were defeated and Charles II was sent into exile from England once more. 

There were a few causes of the war, King James I's rule caused a great rift between the relationship between the monarch and parliament. James firmly believed in The Divine Right of Kings, believing that God had appointed the monarch and no one could rule besides the monarch. This belief led to James suspending parliament for ten years, only to bring them back to discuss a marriage for his son to a Spanish princess. This proposition was looked at with distaste and didn't go ahead but hurt relations between monarchy and parliament. Charles' rule only caused more problems for the parliament, many unpopular opinions and, like his father, suspended parliament for eleven years. The war broke out when Charles went to arrest five of his critics within parliament, the last straw that started the civil war.

This doesn't directly affect Blunt. I'm saying he was neutral in the war, caring little for politics. He only really cares for himself and as such the political war wouldn't have affected him directly so he would have tried to avoid it. The others, Belvile, Frederick and Willmore are all Cavaliers banished for their political alignment but Blunt has just followed them for the enjoyment of it. He directly says "I thank my stars that I have more grace than to forfeit my estate by Cavaliering". This shows a distaste for those who put their politics ahead of themselves, a selfish and shallow attitude iconic of the fop. The audience of the time would have likely had their clear political views, the event being close in living memory. Seeing someone so clearly show a lack of care for the politics would potentially be humorous. Today, however, the audience may not even be familiar to the English Civil War and as such that humour would be lost.

The Interregnum

The Interregnum is the time in which the play is set. It's the time between the execution of Charles I and the restoration of Charles II to the throne. The rule passed through a few phases during the Interregnum. The longest form of rule in the time was Cromwell as Lord Protector. Cromwell enforced puritan values on the country and was almost as unpopular as his Charles, the King he executed to get there. Easter and Christmas were suppressed, and theatre and gambling were also banned. Some art forms such as opera were deemed as 'virtuous' however and allowed. The restrictive reign of Cromwell ended with his death in 1658 and led to Charles II's restoration to the throne in 1660.

This does have a lot of relevance to Blunt. He would have hated the restrictions placed on the country during the Interregnum. His lavish lifestyle would have been looked down on by the temperate Puritans. That would be one of the main reasons for leaving with the Cavaliers for Spain. Again, he has left not for his political views but instead for his own humour.

Charles II

Charles II was the King from 29th May 1630 to 6th February 1685, living long and having a similarly long rule. He was liked much more than he predecessors appreciating hedonism and lavish lifestyles above the restriction and temperance of the puritan rule prior. This appreciation of the material and luxury had Charles II known as the 'Merry Monarch'. He was restored to the throne following a political crisis caused by the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658. The throne passed to James II upon his death in 1685.

The play was written after the return of Charles II to the throne. This could be taken in two ways depending on the reading of the play. It could be seen as a condemnation of the attitudes of the King and his loyal Cavaliers, deploring hedonism as something that causes men to do cruel things and has women abused. However the play could be shown as a celebration of hedonism, the men are bawdy and merry while the wiser, wittier women prove to be able to enjoy themselves as much as the men. Either way, the message of the play seems to be a reaction to the political beliefs and attitudes of Charles II.

Women on the Stage

Prior to December 1660, no woman had legally been allowed on the stage. Margaret Hughes appeared as 'Desdemona' and was the billed as 'the first woman that came to act on the stage'. However, illegally, a few women had performed in more underground theatres. Women on the stage was made legitimate by King Charles II, a king known for his love of the theatre.

Nell Gwynne (1650-1687) was one of the most famous of the early English actresses. She was also mistress to the King. Gwynne was know for 'good looks, a strong clear voice, and lively wit' which attracted the attention of Thomas Killigrew who taught her acting and provided her with work.

Two other early actresses of note: Elizabeth Barry (1658-1713) and Susanna Verbuggen/Mountfort (1667-1703). Barry had a long and successful career for the standards of the time, working in some of the biggest, most prestigious theatres in London. Barry was reported to be coached in acting by her lover John Wilmot, though there is only one source for this tale. Verbuggen was most known for her comedies, she was a very popular comedian, known mostly for her breeches roles. A breeches role being where an actress appeared in male clothing, often tight-fitting knee length trousers. These roles were a great novelty and were a great sensation because it allowed women to show more of their bodies on stage in comparison to traditional women's garb.

Blunt Character Study

Blunt Character Study

I play Edward Blunt in our production of The Rover. Though not specifically said, I take Blunt to be a man around the age of 28. He is a flamboyant man with a great deal of wealth. He adores his money, women, attention, clothes, and sword fighting; essentially anything that a wealthy gentleman of the time would enjoy but to a much more extravagant degree. Blunt is flamboyant, this stems from a need to be seen and a need for attention, just wanting to flaunt his wealth so that people would like and respect him. Blunt is incredibly shallow and not very smart, he seeks his base pleasures with little concern for how they will affect him. He blindly trusts Lucetta when she appears enamored with him, despite his friend's warnings. Blunt never earned his money, just inherited it. Given his ability to travel abroad and flaunt his wealth as he does he is very wealthy. It doesn't specify whether his parents are alive but I assume not for him to afford the level of decadence that he does. I imagine him as an only child, separated from much interaction beyond those poorer than him, suggesting how he learned to flaunt more. Blunt has traveled abroad with his friends, the cavaliers, however he is set aside from them as he had no clear allegiances in the Civil War and as such maintained his wealth and status. He says "I have more grace than to forfeit my estate by Cavaliering." This line alone shows his valuing money over political ideas. There is little to discuss in terms of Blunt's philosophies and opinions because he holds very little that don't regard his betterment. He has no passions besides himself, his own small desire to be noticed and respected. The depth he shows is when his illusion of respect, or possibly the respect he has for himself, is taken by Lucetta and he becomes a dangerous man. Once you strip away the pretense of Blunt, you are left with a desperate man, and a desperate man is presented as a dangerous man for any women in his reach.

Blunt's physicality is extravagant, his hands float and flick in order to best display his lace. He walks airily, mostly at his own pace and in his own way, not being affected by the movement of others. Blunt often walks almost as if on his tiptoes, if he is higher up then more people can see him. There is a bounce in his step both out of self satisfaction and because it draws extra attention straight to him. Many aspects of Blunt are linked closely to his outfit which is striking, over the top, a declaration of wealth; Blunt's outfit means a lot of things, his outfit almost bears more substance than himself and most of what can be said about Blunt is how he fits into his state of wealth and his ability to display it.

The space where Blunt is most comfortable is not a location so much as it is merely when he is wearing his clothes. Blunt is suggested to not be so attractive, he says when Lucetta is wooing him "I have beauties that my false glass at home did not discover". This could be taken as false modesty for the audience, I think Blunt would be unlikely to admit any true flaws, but the suggestion remains. As such he is allowed to hide his looks and his obnoxious personality behind lace and finery, his wealth provides the smoke screen that distracts from his lack of other positive qualities. Blunt does find a sense of ease in his lodgings when he doesn't have his full, lavish attire however the peace is short lived when Florinda and, after her, his friends burst in to find him in his state of undress. The revelation of his status forces him to face the humiliation, he first outbursts, threatening sword fights but then accepts the humility and swallows his pride. Sadly for the character when he re-enters the scene he is once again entirely focused on his appearance, supporting a new extravagant and flamboyant but silly outfit. No justice comes for his attempted rape of Florinda besides a gentle barrage of banter from his friends. As such he is never found to change, this is likely a wider commentary on the situation of women's rights and general safety during this time period. Blunt is never forced to pay for his actions, like Willmore isn't for his, purveying a sense of male freedom whilst abusing the rights of women.

Blunt's is a simple friend to Belvile and Frederick. I see the relationship as more one sided though, Blunt perceives them as his friends while they see him more as a piece of entertainment. They have him along to provide something to laugh at and little above that. There isn't a sense of resentment or distaste for Blunt, nothing as strong as that, just an ambivalence to his presence in their company. Willmore and Blunt however seem to become friends more quickly. While Blunt could never empathise with Belvile's emotional side, and he couldn't keep up with Frederick's wit, Blunt and Willmore have the same shallow aims. They both have a passion for women and fights. What led me to think that they have an improved relationship is that Blunt and Willmore are the ones to fight in front of Angelica's, they are walking together detached from their other companions. Blunt doesn't interact extensively with many other characters, other than Lucetta and Florinda. His relationship with Florinda is very simple, she gets near him when he is in his state of desperation and he almost rapes her, and possibly would if Frederick hadn't interrupted. With Lucetta, however, Blunt is completely enamoured until she cozens and robs him. Then his infatuation is replaced with a burning resentment that costs him all composure and sends him into a state of desperation.

Blunt's main objective appears to simply be hedonism. No greater purpose than enjoying life through drink, sex, and fighting. During this he must maintain his composure and style but otherwise he is driven by the base desires. More short term objectives are wooing Lucetta, and when that fails, "taking revenge on all women kind" while hiding what happened from his friends. In the way of Blunt's main objective and his lesser objective of wooing Lucetta is her deception and cozening. His enjoyment is stopped in his tracks thanks to her manipulation. What blocks Blunt fulfilling his last objective, hiding from his friends, however is simply their tenaciousness, once they learn of his misfortune they can't help but hunt him. Blunt's quest to fulfill his objectives is continuing, he fails most in the scope of the play but he is free to continue his search for enjoyment as the play ends and he most certainly will, having learned nothing and with no permanent development for his character. He shall go on being cozened one day and abusing women the next.

The fop is a comedy character at heart, in any play other than 'The Rover' Blunt would have been a laughable fool through and through. But 'The Rover' is more unique being written by a woman of the time. The fop, Blunt, loses his comic innocence and becomes an icon of patriarchy, he goes happily along, using and abusing women until one does the same to him. At which point he becomes dangerous, he has the power of any male figure and has a vendetta against women. The nature of the play as a comedy avoids tackling the darker subjects directly, instead gets close to them and passes them off as a joke. Blunt is a tool to highlight the lowered social position of women, showing that men of the time were dangerous to women. This fop has an edge that appears only briefly but is meant to echo into the rest of his character. There was always the potential for any man to have this power over women at that time in history, as innocent and foolish as they may seem.