Scenography, Portraiture, and The Rover on the 17th Century English Stage

Using textual evidence, the author explores how contemporary notions about scenographic stage design might be applied to 17th century English theatrical practice. The scenographic use of portraits is examined in brief case studies of John Webster’s The White Devil, the second part of Thomas Heywood’s If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody, and Aphra Behn’s The Rover. Using methodology suggested by Michael McKeon’s analysis of Behn’s Love‐Letters between a Nobleman and his Sister, the author probes some of the evident and coded meanings of the famous portrait scene in Behn’s play.