The Rover: Act 3, Scene 1 Summary & Analysis

Florinda, Valeria, and Hellena enter the same street on which Angelica’s house is located later in the afternoon so that Hellena can meet Willmore. They are still masked. Having recently found Don Pedro in an ill humor, Florinda wonders whether he has discovered their recent escapade. Hellena reacts dismissively, saying that if he had, they would now be locked up.

Valeria recalls their antics in the guise of gypsy girls, revealing that she told a stranger (Frederick) his fortune but grew nervous and almost dropped her disguise completely. As Hellena begins to long for Willmore, Florinda and Valeria begin to mock her. Hellena acknowledges that she wishes she had never seen the “mad” cavalier, but insists that she is not in love.

Valeria speculates about Willmore’s promiscuity, and Hellena realizes that he may not come to meet her. Wondering what she is feeling, she describes her anger and fear that Willmore may have met another woman. Valeria teases her about her confusion, asserting once again that Hellena is in love; Florinda joins in, and together they poke fun.

Hellena responds almost blithely, saying that she resolved to fall in love, and now she has. When Florinda reacts with disbelief, asking who Hellena expects to like her if she acts so madly. Hellena asserts that she does not care if a man likes her unless she likes him back. She then fires back at her cousin, reminding her of the many men who seek Valeria’s hand.

Florinda expresses surprise and dismay that Hellena has learned to love so quickly. Hellena begins to describe what she thought love would be: flattery, admiration, and reassurance of her own desirability. She goes on to say that it is a good thing she is going to a convent, for there her sighs and tears for Willmore will be mistaken for piety.

When Florinda once again calls Hellena mad, her sister responds sharply, telling Florinda that she, too, in in love and must act discreetly and honorably.

Noticing the Englishmen enter without her “inconstant” Wilmore, Hellena urges Valeria and Florinda to hide with her in order to see what is going on.

Belvile, Frederick, and Blunt enter and immediately notice that Angelica’s picture has been removed. Blunt believes that Angelica may have been kind to Willmore, while Belvile worries that the courtesan has murdered his friend. Aside, Hellena’s heart speeds up as she realizes that they are speaking of “her Man.”

The Englishmen knock, and Moretta answers from the balcony, asking what they want. When they ask after Willmore, Moretta curses him once again, but tells the group that he is coming to them.

Willmore enters, having just exited Angelica’s house; Hellena, still hidden, responds with anger. As Belvile questions him, Willmore replies triumphantly, hyperbolically praising Angelica’s beauty, her eyes filled with cupid’s arrows, and the joy that he has found in her arms. Sarcastically, Hellena notes that this description is “encouragement” for her.

Still boasting, Willmore praises the alcohol that he drank earlier in the day, calling it holy, and asserting that it gave him the confidence to succeed with Angelica. He says that no other woman will “raise a new Desire” in him, and offers to treat his friends to anything they want, because Angelica has given him gold to spend.

Blunt asks if Willmore and Angelica have married, and Willmore answers that they have shared all the joys of matrimony, but none of the bitterness. He continues to rejoice in his luck and his newfound wealth.

Expressing a wish to see his own beloved again, Blunt sees Sancho, who is masquerading as Lucetta’s page. He tells the Englishman that Lucetta expects him as soon as possible and Blunt, elated, leaves with him immediately.

Belvile asks Willmore if he has forgotten his gypsy girl. Willmore angrily responds that that he had forgotten her until this moment.

Hellena immediately comes out of hiding, tapping him on the back and asking if this is true. Willmore initially responds with fear, but soon slips back into flirtatious banter, asserting that he has spent the whole day looking for and sighing after her. Aside, she laments that she cannot be angry with him, because he is dissembling so well.

Asking how she may reward his devotion, Hellena takes up Willmore’s flirtatious tone. He, in turn, asks if he may see her face. She responds that, if he were as eager to love now as he seemed this morning, he would not need to look upon her face to desire her. They continue to banter in a series of double entendres.

As the two converse, Angelica enters, accompanied by Moretta, and her servants Biskey and Sebastian. Expressing surprise at finding Willmore here, Angelica hides and wonders whether he is courting another woman. Moretta responds scornfully, saying that she expected no less. Angelica, deeply hurt, responds that she expected her love to make Willmore noble and true.

Taking her boldness to a new level, Hellena sarcastically tells Willmore that she knows soldiers (like himself) to be strict and chaste men. For this reason, she says, it will be difficult to get him to marry her. Willmore warns her not to go too far, lest he marry her out of revenge.

Hellena counterattacks, telling Willmore that she is as inconstant as he is, and that she does not wish to remain faithful to any man while she is still young and beautiful. For this reason, she tells him, she will love him for one year, be indifferent for the next, and hate him for the third before ceasing to care about him altogether. Willmore responds that she has put a hole through his heart, and therefore he could not imprison her within it even if he wanted to.

Incensed, the hidden Angelica expresses rage at Willmore’s inconstancy.

Hellena tells Wilmore that they are alike, destined to fool men and women into loving them. She takes off her mask, supposedly showing him how deceptive her face is before asking him whether he likes it. Willmore responds with adoration, saying that her features are so “sprightly” and “fair” that they have stricken him. She puts her mask back on, and he immediately attempts to force her to take it off again.

Enraged beyond endurance, Angelica resolves to leave, since her jealousy will get the best of her if she stays. She orders one of her bravoes, Sebastian, to learn Hellena’s identity, and commands Biskey to bring Willmore to her.

Meanwhile, Frederick courts Valeria while Belvile talks with the disguised Florinda and sulks, still not understanding that the girl is in fact his beloved. Valeria urges Belvile to flirt with Florinda rather than sighing after his lost love, but the cavalier refuses.

Florinda decides to tempt Belvile further, offering him a jewel to show him that she is wealthy. When he asks why, she replies that she has often seen him from her window, and that women of quality like her have “few opportunities for Love.” Frederick urges his friend to take the jewel, and Belvile seems to consider succumbing to her seduction. Aside, Florinda laments that if he is false, she will be ruined.

Belvile refuses, saying that taking the jewel would break his vow to his lady. Frederick is dismayed that Belvile would turn down such wealth.

Meanwhile, Hellena tells Willmore that she will unmask again only if he reveals what he was doing in Angelica’s house. Willmore responds lamely, asserting that he went in to see a male friend. Hellena throws his words back at him, asking if he found cupid’s arrows in his friend’s eyes, joy in his arms, and gold in his purse. Willmore, in turn, asserts that some women are kinder than she is, and she fires back that there are men as handsome and inconstant as he is. She resolves never to see him again unless he gives up his affair with Angelica, and he swears to do so, kneeling before her and comparing her hand to a Bible as he kisses it.

Callis tells the ladies that it is growing dark and they must depart. Quickly, Florinda leaves Belvile the jewel, which as it turns out contains a picture of her. Wilmore, too, bids goodbye to Hellena, saying that he must see her tomorrow.

Realizing that he has just been talking to Florinda, Belvile berates himself, and Frederick agrees, reminding his friend of how close they came to losing Florinda’s jewel.

Willmore praises Hellena’s features and wit, while Belvile does the same for Florinda, cursing his own modesty; the two briefly misunderstand each other, believing that they are rivals for the same woman. Belvile clears up the misunderstanding by showing Willmore Florinda’s picture, and the two men, plus Frederick, resolve to rescue her that very night.