Courtship and Struggle over Marriage in Two Eighteenth Century Plays
Keywords:
Marriage, courtship, love, struggle, economic considerationAbstract
The revolution of 1688 involving the overthrowing of James II ushered in new sociocultural codes particularly in the upper classes of the society. It brought in a growing emphasis and awareness among individuals on matters of property and inheritance. This influenced even the most intimate of human relationships, i.e., the system of marriage where alliances in late seventeenth and eighteenth century English society began to be formalised based on economic considerations and prenuptial marital contracts. Two plays of the restoration period, William Congreve’s The Way of The World and Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer referred to as the Comedy of Manners present an interesting social commentary on the prevailing and changing aspects of the old and new forms of marriage system at work. The paper will dwell on the changing trend of marriage in the eighteenth century where premarital courtship and struggle are evident before the man and woman can be united in wedlock.
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