b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2019-20Discuss the representation and performance of religious belief on the Restoration stage (language, gesture, image). To what extent were these representations of religion politically inflected?This extract is an analysis of Aphra Behns The Roundheads (1682), a third-year assignment from the Restoration Theatre module.Short EssaysCarrie NeilsonAphra Behns method of articulating womens literaryLambert has colluded in Cromwells affair with his wife. In Act 3 authority (Latta 2004) defied the expectations of ascene 2, Lady Desboro exposes the sexual hypocrisy of the puritan seventeenth-century English woman. Aphra BehnAnanias Gogel who has been feeling her breasts and making sexual deployed the figure of a prophet as an author figure insuggestions while talking of the sins of the flesh: How this from order to assert the beliefs of sectarian and non-conformistyou, the Head o th Church militant; the very pope of Presbystery. women (2004: n/a). She allowed her own rebellion toShe can exploit his fear of scandal to make Gogel procure her suitor conflate and arguably contradict the reinforcement ofFreemans release from a room full of enemies behind Gogels cloak, religion. Interestingly, Behn was also known to be a non- which enables Freeman to respond, So this is the first Cloak of Zeal conformist Protestant (2004: n/a). She remained faithfulI/ever made use of. - (Owen, 1994: N/A) to the Church of England during her time writing. Her unwillingness to conform to gender norms cast her asThe conversation that occurs between Lady Desboro and a progressive firebrand of feminist theory, which can bepuritan Anaias Gogel poses a question: Do the religious evidenced in The Roundheads (1682).figures in this play victimize women for the purpose of reforming, and reclaiming masculinity, or are they there to The Roundheads functions through the nature of hypocrisy,critique displays of religiosity in Restoration era society? and metaphorical language is used to conceal theThe significance of morality and appropriate behaviour true nature of sexual activities(2004: n/a). It acts as anthat is being questioned can also be observed in the abandonment of feminist anatomization of libertinismcharacters of Lady Cromwell and Lady Lambert. Behn had (Owen, 1994: n/a) and allowed the plays narrative tothe intention of utilizing both these characters to represent explore the relationship between virtue, rebellion andan ironic pastiche on the generic presentation of the sexual monstrosity. Behn achieves this by introducingshrew and upstart great starting lady (Owen, 1994: N/A). characters such as Lambert, Bertlam, Cromwell andOn one hand, Lady Cromwells capacity for love-and the Desboro, several of whose names are palindromes, e.g.superior sexiness of the cavaliers-eventually restores her to Bertlam and Lambert, indicating that certain personalitythe sanity of political and sexual submissiveness (Owen, traits and motives intersect or are mirrored. In addition1994: N/A). On the other hand, Lady Lamberts method of to this, she utilizes titles such as Lady and Lord tobehaving and mannerisms subvert the representation of the undermine the faade of nobility throughout the play.respectable women, inferred in Lady Lambert beats up her Implementation of such titles give characters perceivedhusband (Owen, 1994: N/A). Violence is used here, as status and power, while disguising characters ulteriora method to assert power, authority and dominance.motives. Therefore, this shows that virtue is associated with sexual hypocrisy (1994: n/a). As Owen puts it clearly,In addition to this, it can be argued that sanity serves a Behn links lust and secret sex with canting hypocriticaldouble meaning, as it is manipulated through its portrayal puritans (Owen 1994: N/A). The intersection of twoby the male-dominated public sphere. The definition behaviours which heavily contrast one another are reflectedof sanity frequently serves to contradict the wellbeing in the characters method of interaction around each other: of a woman, and as such is arguably a phallogocentric 32'