Clothing in text: Mask "Enter Belvile and Frederick in masking habits, and Wilmore in his own clothes, with a vizard in his hand" (Behn 37)
"ANGELICA (pulls off her vizard) Behold this face, so lost to thy remembrance, And then call all thy sins about thy soul, And let 'em die with thee" (Behn 116).
Social commentary: Here in The Rover the mask or vizard is a prop used by the characters to reveal or conceal information. It functions as a tool for the carnival, allowing affairs and other scandal. They are mostly noted in the stage directions of the text, allowing for a more visual representation of the deception. Yet the freedom allowed by the masks could be harmful, especially for women: "In The Rover masks are often both subversive and liberating for the women characters; on the other hand, they also place some of the women in dangerous situations because of the association of the mask with the prostitute." (Russell 35). It was an necessary accessory when attempting scandal. The mask itself was not negative; instead, it could be used for light fun or vicious scandal.