Behn conveys both comedy and cruelty through the character of blunt Essay

â€Å"Behn conveys both comedy and cruelty through the character of blunt† explore bens presentation of the â€Å"Essex calf† in the light of this comment. You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two or more appropriate sequences of your choice. Blunt is a peripheral character, thus if you should take him out of the play there wouldn’t be too much of a loss. Nevertheless he is a humorous character and therefore brings comedy into the play. His humour is displayed by his actions, he can be perceived as a not very bright character as he falls for Lucetta and believes that she feels the same, despite warnings from his friends. He is not a cavalier like the others as he is a country squire form Essex who hasn’t gotten involved with the civil wars. Which is why he gets labelled an ‘Essex calf’ as he hasn’t any experience unlike the others and is also to some degree nai ve because he cant see he is getting exploited by Lucetta. Even though he is a peripheral character he still has the whole of act three in which he is the main character. This scene shows the cruelty and comedy, which Aphra Bhen tries to display. Blunts stupidity is used to Lucetta or rather her pimps advantage, as they know that they can steal his possessions and money. This is the cruelty of the scene, as he believes he is going to be with this woman who he is completely besotted with but ends up robbed and cast away into a sewer in his underwear. This however is also the humour of the play because it a rather situation to see but is quite the contrary for him, due to the fact that he is lost in a sewer, he’s dirty and in his underwear. Because of the incident in act three he is left in a foul mood and in total humiliation and his view of women is now a very narrow minded one where he sees all women as whores whether they are whores or virgins ‘as much as one as the other’ (4:5-36). Unfortunately Florinda Stumbles on him when his perception is women is of that, and he therefore decides to take his revenge in the heat of the moment and anger. This defiantly shows how the cruelty has affected him, for him to resort to this. But this is part of his character as he is not very bright think and therefore is not expected to take reasonable action. However he is interrupted and he decides not as he learns who she is. All the cruelty that is set upon him is easily done to him, as he isn’t very clever and therefore easy to exploit rather than any of the other characters. His personality may have caused some cruelty but this is because of his character, which also delivers the comedy to the play. Right from the start he is seen as an idiot. This is show by his actions and obviously highlighted but the Lucetta episode, and also his comments, foe example he tries to compliment Lucetta but is a pathetic attempt. So his whole character might bring on the comedy but because of it also brings on the cruelty by which Aphra Bhen refers to.