Shakespeare and Marriage

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the economic role marriage had in Shakespearean times and the importance of women in that role. The paper then goes on to analyze the relevance of marriage as an economic institution to Shakespeare's plays "The Taming of the Shrew" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

From the Paper:

"Both Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream deal significantly with the theme of marriage. In both plays, a daughter causes difficulties for the father who is attempting to marry her off. In The Taming of the Shrew, Kate's shrewish behavior makes it almost impossible for her father to discover a willing suitor, whereas in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia refuses Egeus attempts to marry her because she is in love with another man. In the case of the former, Kate is eventually "broken" and convinced to become a loving and subservient wife. This play upholds much of the Shakespearean social order of what it was to be a wife. A Midsummer Night's Dream, on the other hand, ultimately allows the daughter's forbidden love to prevail. Why the difference in the two plays?"

More papers on Shakespeare and Marriage:

• Comparison Essay # 48140 : "Love and Marriage in Movies"
• Book Review # 128016 : "Marriage in "The Taming of the Shrew"
• Analytical Essay # 119982 : "Gender Confusion in Shakespeare's Comedies"

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