[ Critical view of Character Hellena and Cinematic Comparison: ]
This blog is part of an Assignment Paper 101- Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Period.
◼️Table of Contents :
- Personal Information,
- Details of Assignment,
- Abstract,
- Keywords,
- Introduction,
- Points of Assignment,
- Conclusion,
- Reference,
🔷 Details of Assignment :
Topic :- Critical view of Character Hellena and Cinematic comparison.
Paper :- Paper - 101 Subject Code 22392 Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Period.
Submitted to :- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar.
Submission date :- 20, November, 2024
🔷 Abstract :
This paper critically examines the Hellena, a central figure in Aphra Behn's The Rover, is a vibrant and daring character who defies societal expectations of women during the Restoration period. As a young character of Hellena from Aphra Behn’s The Rover (1677), a Restoration comedy that challenges societal norms of its time. Hellena, a young, witty, and defiant woman, epitomizes Behn's proto-feminist ideals. As a woman resisting the confines of patriarchal society, she asserts her agency by rejecting her predestined role as a nun and pursuing love on her terms. Her character subverts traditional gender roles, as she actively courts Captain Willmore, demonstrating boldness, intelligence, and sexual autonomy.Hellena challenges patriarchal norms with her sharp wit, boldness, and unyielding desire for autonomy. Her journey reflects a quest for personal freedom and romantic fulfillment, as she actively pursues her love interest, Willmore, on her own terms.
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| Aphra Behn [ 1640 - 1689 ] |
Aphra Behn was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barriers and served as a literary role model for later generations of women authors. Her well marked novel The Rover published in 1677.
🔷 Points of Assignment :
Here, below all details about character Hellena and critical view why this character is very important in The Rover novel by Aphra Behn. first here, the we can see the all characters of the Rover.
So this all are play rolls in this novel the Rover and female characters like Angellica, Hellena, Florinda, Valeria... Etc. But here we can find the Critical view of character Hellena and some Cinematic comparison with film.
🔺Character Sketch of Hellena:
1. Witty and Clever:
Hellena is sharp-tongued and resourceful, often using her intelligence to navigate the challenges she faces. Her dialogues are filled with wit, reflecting her quick thinking.
2. Independent and Rebellious:
As a young woman forced into a nunnery by her brother, Hellena resists societal and familial constraints. She boldly expresses her desire for love and adventure, defying the passive role typically assigned to women of her time.
3. Romantic and Bold:
Unlike conventional female characters of the Restoration period, Hellena actively pursues her love interest, Willmore. She is forthright in her feelings and doesn't shy away from initiating romance.
4. Masquerader:
Hellena frequently uses disguises and clever schemes to achieve her goals. This symbolizes her ability to navigate the gender and power dynamics of her society, often outwitting even the men around her.
5. Charming and Charismatic:
Her lively personality and sense of humor make her a magnetic character. She stands out in the male-dominated play as a figure of empowerment and individuality.
In The Rover by Aphra Behn, Hellena is a strong and witty female character who challenges the traditional expectations of women in her society. She is portrayed as clever, independent, and determined to live life on her own terms. Hellena is not interested in a life of confinement or being controlled by men, which was typical for women during that time.
She is eager to find love, but she also wants to have fun and enjoy her freedom before being forced into marriage. Throughout the play, Hellena uses her intelligence and charm to manipulate situations and people, especially men, in order to achieve her own goals.
Her role as a character shows a woman who defies the traditional submissive female role and actively pursues her desires. She is a symbol of a woman's strength, wit, and ability to control her own destiny, making her one of the central figures in the play who challenges the social norms of the 17th century.
🔷Cinematic Comparison with a Hindi Film Heroine:
Hellena's character can be compared to many Hindi film heroines who are spirited, independent, and unafraid to challenge societal norms.
🔺Example: Geet from Jab We Met (2007):
Similarities:
1. Witty and Charismatic: Geet, like Hellena, is full of life and often uses her humor and charm to navigate situations.
2. Independent Spirit: Geet's decision to live life on her own terms echoes Hellena's rebellious nature against societal expectations.
3. Romantic Initiative: Geet actively pursues love, expressing her feelings openly, much like Hellena's pursuit of Willmore.
🔺Differences:
- Cultural Context: Geet’s rebellion operates within the framework of Indian traditions, whereas Hellena's defiance is set against the backdrop of Restoration-era England.
- Resolution: While Geet’s story resolves within a familial and romantic reconciliation, Hellena’s journey in The Rover is more focused on individual agency and freedom.
🔺Hellena in The Rover :
Hellena, one of the central characters in Aphra Behn's play The Rover, is a lively and bold young woman. She is intelligent, witty, and determined, often challenging societal norms of her time. A novice destined for a nunnery, Hellena rebels against her family’s plans, showing her desire for independence and love. She disguises herself and ventures out during the carnival to explore life and romance. Her banter with Willmore, the titular rover, highlights her sharp mind and playful nature. Ultimately, she asserts control over her destiny by choosing her own path and marrying Willmore.
🔺Cinematic Comparison: Hindi Film Analogy
Hellena’s character can be compared to many modern Bollywood heroines who challenge traditional expectations. For example, in "Jab We Met", Geet (played by Kareena Kapoor) shares similarities with Hellena. Both women are free-spirited, outspoken, and determined to follow their hearts. Just like Hellena rebels against her family's constraints, Geet defies societal expectations by pursuing her dreams and making bold decisions in love.
The carnival setting in The Rover mirrors the lively and colorful atmosphere of Indian films, where grand festivals or events often serve as a backdrop for characters to break free from societal rules, explore relationships, and find themselves.
🔷 Cinematic Comparison: Hellena and Geet from Jab We Met (2007)
Hellena's character in The Rover can be compared to Geet (played by Kareena Kapoor) from the Hindi film Jab We Met (2007), as both characters exemplify boldness, independence, and a willingness to defy societal expectations.
1.] Challenging Societal Norms
Hellena defies the conventional role assigned to women in the Restoration period—where her destiny is to become a nun—by rejecting this fate and pursuing her desires freely. Similarly, Geet rejects traditional expectations of what a woman should do, especially regarding her relationships and personal ambitions. Geet does not let her family's wishes dictate her life; instead, she chooses her own path, even when it means stepping away from her arranged engagement to follow her heart.
Both characters demonstrate an unwavering resolve to live life on their own terms, challenging the normative frameworks around them. While Hellena pushes against the patriarchal rules of the 17th century, Geet challenges modern societal norms, especially regarding relationships and self-realization.
2. ] Pursuit of Love and Desire
In The Rover, Hellena actively pursues Captain Willmore, engaging in playful banter, flirtation, and ultimately, love. She is not passive in her romantic entanglements; instead, she takes charge of her desires and refuses to conform to the typical role of a shy, demure woman. Geet, similarly, pursues love with enthusiasm and fearlessness. Her journey in Jab We Met begins with her running away from her wedding and later seeking out her love interest, Aditya, even when circumstances complicate their connection.
Both characters demonstrate an openness to love that transcends conventional gender roles. Hellena and Geet do not shy away from expressing their emotions or desires, symbolizing modern women who take ownership of their romantic lives.
3.] Wit and Independence
Hellena’s sharp wit, confidence, and intelligence make her a standout character in The Rover. She is not only assertive in love but also quick-witted in conversation, often using her intelligence to navigate the world around her. This characteristic is echoed in Geet’s character in Jab We Met. Geet is talkative, quick to make decisions, and independent in her approach to life. She actively pursues her own happiness, often taking on a leadership role in her own life journey, similar to Hellena's self-determined attitude.
Both women are resourceful and capable, with Geet’s free-spirited nature mirroring Hellena’s spirited determination. They both use humor and charm to deal with challenges and stay resilient in the face of adversity.
4.] Rejection of Social Expectations and Family Pressure
Hellena rejects the idea of being confined to a convent life, choosing instead to live a life driven by her passions and desires. Geet, likewise, faces familial pressure to conform to traditional norms, especially in terms of her marriage. However, she defies this pressure, leaving behind her wedding and embarking on a journey of self-discovery. By doing so, she refuses to let the expectations of others define her fate.
Both characters, in their respective contexts, reject the roles imposed on them and instead forge their own paths toward self-empowerment and personal fulfillment.
5.] Transformation and Growth
Hellena’s journey is one of self-liberation, in which she challenges the rigid norms of her time to discover her own desires and autonomy. In a similar vein, Geet’s journey in Jab We Met is also about personal transformation. Initially, she is a carefree, impulsive young woman, but her experiences shape her into someone who recognizes the importance of self-respect and responsibility.
Both characters undergo a transformation in which they gain deeper self-awareness and emotional growth, even if they start out as somewhat carefree or impulsive.
🔺Other Comparison like,
Another comparison can be made with Simran from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). While Simran is more traditionally constrained by cultural values, there are similarities in how both characters seek love and personal fulfillment, challenging societal norms in their own ways. Hellena’s boldness contrasts with Simran’s more conventional journey, but both characters, in their respective narratives, push against the limits placed on women.
In both cases, the female characters challenge traditional roles but do so within the frameworks of their respective cultural and social environments, highlighting how their personal desires interact with societal expectations.
Simran from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and Hellena from The Rover by Aphra Behn both represent complex, independent women, yet their stories unfold in very different cultural and narrative contexts. Let’s explore a comparison based on their personalities, roles, and the ways in which they challenge social norms.
1. Cultural and Social Contexts:
- Simran : Simran is a young Indian woman raised with traditional values. She is dutiful, respectful, and bound by family expectations, but her journey in the film allows her to break free from these constraints. She represents a bridge between the old world (where family honor and arranged marriage hold great importance) and the new world (where personal choice and love are celebrated). Her character evolves as she chooses love and autonomy, challenging both her father’s authority and societal norms around marriage.
- Hellena : Hellena, a character from the Restoration period in England, is a young, spirited woman who desires to experience life and love on her own terms, much like Simran, but her context is more permissive when it comes to gender roles. In The Rover, Hellena is ready to escape the constraints of a convent and assert her sexual and romantic independence in a world that is rife with libertinism. While Simran is more constrained by cultural and familial expectations, Hellena operates within a context where women can explore their desires but must still navigate societal expectations about propriety.
2. Independence and Agency:
- Simran: Though initially bound by traditional values, Simran slowly gains agency as she takes control of her fate. Her journey toward independence is subtle but impactful—she gradually defies her father's wishes to marry a man he chose for her, eventually following her heart. Simran's defiance isn't overt; it’s more about choosing love over duty, often within the framework of respect for her family and culture.
- Hellena: Hellena is much more overt in her quest for autonomy. She openly expresses her desires to escape from the convent and live life on her own terms, particularly with regard to romantic and sexual independence. Hellena is confident, witty, and determined, challenging societal norms through her behavior, and she isn’t afraid to pursue what she wants, even in a world.
🔷Conclusion :
Both Hellena and Geet are examples of female characters who resist traditional constraints in their respective societal contexts, asserting their independence, pursuing love on their own terms, and using wit and charm to navigate their worlds. Their defiance of normative roles—whether those roles are religious expectations in the Restoration period or traditional gender expectations in modern India—makes them strikingly similar figures in literature and film. Both characters are emblematic of a spirit of rebellion against patriarchal norms and exemplify a type of female agency that continues to resonate in contemporary cinematic portrayals of women
🔷Reference :
Character Sketch of Hellena, many points we find in this link to more explanation.
Krishnaraj, Maithreyi. “Women’s Citizenship and the Private-Public Dichotomy.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 44, no. 17, 2009, pp. 43–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40279184. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
So, now the reference of Cinematic comparison is two hindi film like the first is,
“26 Years of DDLJ - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/story/26-years-of-ddlj-yash-raj-films/CAXhE5ZB0tZunQ?hl=en. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
This a link to describe the how film Dilwale dulhnia le jayenge director is Aditya they made Female character Simran like Hellena's character by Aphra behn the Rover.
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