Key Quotations

Act 1

"Love and Mirth are my Business in Naples; and if I mistake not the Place, here's an excellent Market for Chapmen of my Humour."

• Willmore declares his intentions to seek love and joy in Naples, viewing it as a place where he can thrive.
• This quote establishes Willmore's character as a carefree, pleasure-seeking individual who views relationships in terms of transactions.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Capitalism

"I am resolv'd to provide myself this Carnival, if there be e'er a handsom Fellow of my Humour above Ground, tho I ask first."

• Hellena expresses her determination to find a suitable partner during the Carnival, despite societal expectations.
• Hellena's proactive approach to love challenges traditional gender roles. Her willingness to ask first reflects her independence and rejection of passive femininity.
• Key themes: Gender Roles, Love vs. Lust

"But Madam, I have been so often cheated / By perjur'd, soft, deluding Hypocrites, / That I've no Faith left for the cozening Sex, / Especially for Women of your trade."

• Willmore reveals his distrust for women, particularly courtesans, due to past deceptions.
• The quote highlights Willmore's hypocrisy; he distrusts women for deceit while himself being deceitful. His contempt for courtesans juxtaposes his immoral behaviour.
• Key themes: Deceit and Disguise, Gender Roles

Act 2

"Yes, I am poor—but I'm a Gentleman, / And one that scorns this Baseness which you practise. / Poor as I am, I would not sell my self, / No, not to gain your charming high-priz'd Person."

• Willmore professes his disdain for selling oneself for love, despite his financial struggles.
• This quote reveals Willmore's complex morality. He scorns transactional love, yet he constantly seeks to exploit women. His declaration is ironic given his behaviour.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Capitalism

"How wondrous fair she is—a Thousand Crowns a Month—by Heaven as many Kingdoms were too little. A plague of this Poverty—of which I ne'er complain, but when it hinders my Approach to Beauty, which Virtue ne'er could purchase."

• Willmore admires Angelica's beauty and laments his poverty, which prevents him from pursuing her.
• The quote illustrates Willmore's superficiality, equating beauty with monetary value. His complaint about poverty hindering his pursuit highlights the commodification of love.
• Key themes: Capitalism, Love vs. Lust

"Oh! Fear me not, shall I not venture where a Beauty calls? / A lovely charming Beauty? For fear of danger! When by Heaven there's none so great as to long for her, whilst I want Money to purchase her."

• Willmore expresses his willingness to face danger for Angelica's beauty, despite his lack of money.
• Willmore's reckless pursuit of Angelica showcases his prioritization of physical beauty and lust over safety and rationality. His desire to "purchase" her emphasizes the transactional nature of his affections.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Capitalism

Act 3

"Florinda: I'll cry Murder, Rape, or anything if you do not instantly let me go. / Willmore: A Rape! Come, come, you lie, you Baggage, you lie: What, I'll warrant you would fain have the World believe now that you are not so forward as I. No, not you—why at this time of Night was your Cobweb-door set open, dear Spider—but to catch Flies?—Hah come—or I shall be damnably angry…"

• Florinda resists Willmore's advances, threatening to accuse him of rape, while Willmore dismisses her.
• This scene highlights the theme of sexual violence and the predatory nature of Willmore. His disbelief and aggression towards Florinda underscore the danger women face in this society.
• Key themes: Gender Roles, Sexual Violence

"Ah Rogue! Such black Eyes, such a Face, such a Mouth, such Teeth—and so much Wit!"

• Willmore praises Hellena's beauty and wit after she reveals her face.
• Willmore's admiration of Hellena's wit alongside her beauty reflects the value placed on intellect and appearance in romantic pursuits. His delight emphasizes their compatibility.
• Key themes: Wit and Language, Love vs. Lust

"A fine Lady-like Whore to cheat me thus, without affording me a Kindness for my Money, a Pox light on her, I shall never be reconciled to the Sex more, she has made me as faithless as a Physician, as uncharitable as a Churchman, and as ill-natur'd as a Poet. O how I'll use all Women-kind hereafter! what wou'd I give to have one of 'em within my reach now! Any Mortal thing in Petticoats, kind Fortune, send me; and I'll forgive thy last Night's Malice."

• Blunt expresses his rage after being deceived and robbed by Lucetta, swearing vengeance on all women.
• This quote reveals Blunt's deep-seated misogyny, exacerbated by his experience with Lucetta. His vow to mistreat women reflects the toxic masculinity and violence pervasive in the play.
• Key themes: Gender Roles, Deceit and Disguise

Act 4

"Oh, name not such mean Trifles.—Had I given him all / My Youth has earn'd from Sin, / I had not lost a Thought nor Sigh upon't. / But I have given him my eternal Rest, / My whole Repose, my future Joys, my Heart; / My Virgin Heart. Moretta! Oh 'tis gone!"

• Angelica laments giving her heart to Willmore, feeling betrayed and heartbroken.
• Angelica's grief highlights the emotional toll of her relationship with Willmore. Her lamentation of losing her "Virgin Heart" to him underscores the depth of her love and the betrayal she feels.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Deceit and Disguise

"He's gone, and in this Ague of My Soul / The shivering Fit returns; / Oh with what willing haste he took his leave, / As if the long'd for Minute were arriv'd, / Of some blest Assignation. / In vain I have consulted all my Charms, / In vain this Beauty priz'd, in vain believ'd / My eyes cou'd kindle any lasting Fires. / I had forgot my Name, my Infamy, / And the Reproach that Honour lays on those / That dare pretend a sober passion here. / Nice Reputation, tho it leave behind / More Virtues than inhabit where that dwells, / Yet that once gone, those virtues shine no more. / —Then since I am not fit to belov'd, / I am resolv'd to think on a Revenge / On him that sooth'd me thus to my undoing."

• Angelica reflects on her ruined reputation and resolves to seek revenge on Willmore.
• Angelica's soliloquy reveals her inner turmoil and the societal consequences of her love for Willmore. Her decision to seek revenge highlights the destructive nature of their relationship and the impact on her honour.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Honour and Reputation

Act 5

"Angelica: All this thou'st made me know, for which I hate thee. / Had I remained in innocent Security, / I shou'd have thought all Men were born my Slaves; / And worn my Pow'r like Lightning in my Eyes, / To have destroy'd at Pleasure when offended. / —But when Love held the Mirror, the undeceiving Glass / Reflected all the Weakness of my Soul, and made me know, / My richest Treasure being lost, my Honour, / All the remaining Spoil cou'd not be worth / The Conqueror's Care or Value. / —Oh how I fell like a long worship'd Idol, / Discovering all the Cheat! / Wou'd not the Incense and rich Sacrifice, / Which blind Devotion offer'd at my Altars,"

• Angelica expresses her hatred for Willmore, lamenting how love revealed her vulnerabilities and destroyed her honour.
• Angelica's reflection on love as a mirror reveals the depth of her disillusionment. The metaphor of falling like a worshipped idol emphasizes her sense of betrayal and loss of power.
• Key themes: Love vs. Lust, Honour and Reputation