All this occurs after he has promised Hellena to be faithful, and he only renews his pursuit of Hellena when Angelica throws him over. Yet, though Willmore is careless and irresponsible (and sometimes dangerous) and his drunken and sexual excesses outstrip Horner's, he is less consciously manipulative than Horner. He also genuinely admires Helena for her wit and recognizes and appreciates she is as cynical as he: "We are so of one Humour, it must be a Bargain" (V.i: 487). Thus, he takes a step that Horner would never consider, he marries. Hence, the character of rake hero is a product of the restoration society. As Harwood puts it "In a world in which honour is but a word and virtue but a pose, whoever dissimulates most successfully will acquire most power and will least likely be a victim of others' ruthless schemes" .
The restoration drama also saw changing feminine ideologies. Like their male counterparts the heroines exhibited sexual frankness and desires. Margery sighs over Horner in her room and a "hot fit comes and [she] is all in a fever" (IV.iv: 7). Hellena declares to her sister that she has a healthy sexual appetite and curiosity and knows "how these ought to be employ'd to the best Advantage" (I.i: 47), and the fact that Mrs. Friendall acknowledges that she is tempted by Lovemore (II.ii: 88) makes her rejection of him more admirable. This acknowledgment of female sexual desire was a major shift and hence automatically made a woman showcasing such desires a whore. Of the three, only Hellena exemplifies the independent and witty Restoration comic heroine, a suitable counterpart to her rake-hero. .
Though the above mentioned were the dominant characteristics of the restoration comedy, most vigilant feature was the bawdy plots wherein women played the womans role. .
Had we not for yr pleasure found new ways You still had rusty Arras, and threadbare Nor scenes nor Wooman had they had their Will,But some with grizzld Beards had acted Woomen still - Thomas Shadwell, Preface to the Tempest.
