Courtship of Marriage Depicted in Aphra Behn's "The Rover" and "Oroonoko".

Courtship and marriage has been one of the themes used in Aphra Behn's "The Rover" and "Oroonoko". Not only is it emphasized in the plots, but also in the written characters as well. In "The Rover", Aphra Behn criticizes the idea of arranged marriages which is not stereotypical of women, who were supposed to be longing for marriage proposals from any man of high status. She also depicts romance through prostitution, virginity while giving her …

…Imoinda. Imoinda does not even object to such a decision and accepts her destiny and dies for Oroonoko with a smile on her face. Although these two stories are completely different in nature, it revolves around the same theme of courtship and marriage. Whether these characters have already found love or they are in the process of doing so, it is interesting to see how one author can depict love using various language and tones.