I found the Rover to be entertaining but rather confusing due to the many disguises of the characters. The play highlighted gender norms and roles, and played on role reversal for both sexes. It portrayed both men and women in very particular ways, and it seemed that some characters were there for the sole purpose of intertwining both gender roles.
The play started out with Florinda and Hellena and they discusses love and their roles as lovers in relationships. This immediately reminded me of a general conversation that would go on between two women even in modern times. I found it odd that Hellena who is about to become a nun is still so lovestruck. Not only is she lovestruck but she is bold and even mischievous. In Act I Scene I, she says, "Now hang me, if I don't love thee for that dear Disobedience. I love Mischief strangely, as most of our Sex do, who are come to love nothing else --" I would describe her as "sassy". I felt bad for Florinda and her marriage situation. Both Florinda and Hellena are the 'typical' female characters.
The less typical female characters are Moretta and Angelica. I loved Moretta because she was a jaded bitch. My favorite line in the whole play was when Moretta said to Angelica, " I wonder what has kept you from that general disease of our sex for so long, I mean that thing of being in love." I loved the fact that she referred to love as a disease of women. I feel that referring to love as a disease would typically be something that a man would say. By describing love in this way Moretta is crossing a gender boundary and adopting a man's perspective on love/sex. Also since Moretta is Angelica's main friend... or maid I'm not sure, she obviously looks at love/sex in a very different way than a typical woman (Florinda or Hellena) would look at it. Moretta and Angelica use what I will hence forth refer to as the "whore's perspective". I find it interesting that Moretta has more of a whore's perspective that Angellica because Angelica is the actual whore. Angelica finds herself falling for Willmore and feeling those typical woman feelings. I could not ever see Moretta acting like a typical woman.
My favorite scene was the scene between Willmore and Angelica (Act II, Scene II). In this scene Angelica once again uses the whore's perspective when she says to Willmore, "Pray, tell me, Sir, are not you guilty of the same mercenary Crime? When a Lady is proposed to you for a Wife, you never ask, how fair, discreet, or virtuous she is; but what's her Fortune -- which if but small, you cry -- She will not do my business -- and basely leave her, tho she languish for you. -- Say, is not this as poor?" Angelica is comparing her the high price she sells herself for as well as her general attitude to how a man wants to marry a rich wife who is able to bring something to the table. She is saying that Willmore (or anyone else for that matter) is no different from herself. I feel that she only justifies herself to Willmore because she is falling for him. No one else has ever probably spoken to Angelica in the way Wilmore does and I think it humbles her a little.
Another memorable Willmore moment is in Act III Scene I, where Willmore gets on his knees and swears to Hellena that he will never look at, love, or sleep with another woman. I took this scene as a foreshadowing of all the bad things Willmore will eventually do. I don't know if "Rover can be synonymous for "player" but Willmore is definitely a player, and he's not even good at it.