Love And Marriage In Renaissance Literature Essay

Love and Marriage in Renaissance Literature Essay
Love and Marriage in Renaissance Literature
In medieval Europe, the troubadours (poets of the southern part of France), like Guilhem IX, or Cercamon, first began to write poems about humble
men falling in love with women who were admirer and adored by their lovers. Furthermore, intense love between men and women became a central
subject in European literature, like between Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Aeneas and Dido. But it was not question ofmarriage.
Actually, marriage and love did not match very well together but then Renaissance literature developed the concepts of love and marriage and recorded
the evolution of the relation between them. In the Renaissance poetry, Donne, in...show more content...
Besides, the widows had a large common law right which became very well protected in the 16th century. So the financial need to marry was present, it
meant that the alliance was a possibility to increase the families' richness.
However, a certain link between marriage and love began to appear in the Renaissance period, with the great William Shakespeare, for example.
Indeed Shakespeare created lovers whose main concern was not what they would inherit, but rather the love thy felt for each other. In many of his
plays, Shakespeare created couple who sometimes were not allowed to love each other and above all whose main concern was not the well being of
their families. Thus, Lysander and Helena (in A Midsummer Nights Dream) Romeo and Juliet, or Othello and Desdemona, married for love rather than
financial conveniences and inheritances.
In Shakespeare's plots, there were usually two forms, but the lovers were always disapproved by their families and societies. Anyway, in one of these
two forms, the families tried to select the future wife thanks to economic features mainly. It did not represent a forced marriage because the family
wanted them to be well together that was why they brought the couple together. And the concept of freedom of choice was developing. However it was
not equally dispensed
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Marriage And Love In The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby does not depict marriage and love in the traditional sense. Characters in this novel are married to the money and love the power it
gives them. Love is caring for each other, supporting one another through tough times, always being by your partner's side no matter what happens in
life; good and bad. In this story the American dream of being wealthy gets in the way of true love. In most of these relationships love is missing,
marriage had become a game; it was ok to go behind one another's back to achieve their dark goal, abusiveness acceptable. For example on page 12 it
says "Tom Buchanan broke her nose (Myrtle) with his open hand." TakeJay Gatsby for example a man in love with a rich, young and beautiful
woman named Daisy. He knew the only way for her to even notice him would be if he was rich. He lived in the illusion that money equaled happiness
and that followed him till the day he died. Nothing made him happy he always wanted more and more. Sure his love for money made him wealthy but
whether he had nothing or all the money in the world he could still not buy true love.
Like all the relationships in this novel Daisy and Tom Buchanan's marriage is not what most would call a successful one. Did both of them achieve
what they wanted? Yes, Tom got the beautiful wife of his dreams and Daisy got a very wealthy and powerful husband. The marriage was very
beneficial for the both of them. They used each other to get what they truly wanted which was not true

Love And Marriage In Shakespeare's The Tempest
Love and Marriage in The Tempest
William Shakespeare's play The Tempest (1610–11) includes two important themes: love and marriage. Throughout the play, Shakespeare portrays love
as a force that brings people together, but also as a thing that people take advantage of. Prospero is the main manipulator of love in this play. By using
his daughter Miranda's feelings and having her marry Ferdinand, he manages to strengthen his own political power. Also, most of the instances of love
in this play are not examples of true love. The two marriages that either happen or are mentioned in the play are both good examples of the game–like
nature of dynastic marriages in the 16th and the 17th centuries. Most dynastic marriages were arranged and the...show more content...
Furthermore, Prospero has no idea of what sort of a person Ferdinand is; for all he knows, Ferdinand could be a psychopathic axe–murderer. However,
as Melissa E. Sanchez says in her essay, Miranda did enter the marriage completely willingly, so it is not right to place all the blame on Prospero. Even
though it was just what Prospero wanted, Miranda disregarded her father's orders completely and carried on with the relationship. (Sanchez 66)
The love between Ferdinand and Miranda is as superficial as a crush between two 12–year–olds. Sure, it is fierce and feels deep at the time, but true
love needs time to blossom. This relationship is purely sexual. Even Alonso questions the deepness of their love by saying: "What is this maid with
whom thou wast at play? Your eld 'st acquaintance cannot be three hours".(5.2.183–184) Miranda's reaction upon meeting Ferdinand is just too
exaggerated to be deep, true love at first sight: "I might call him a thing divine, for nothing natural I ever saw so noble."(1.2.417–418) She would be
stunned by any man she would meet at this point: Miranda has not seen any other men in her life, apart from her father and the savage Caliban. Also,
in normal circumstances, two people falling for each other at first sight is highly unlikely, which further proves my point on it being just two people
who want to have sex with each other. Moreover, as Miranda is the only woman on the island, Ferdinand might

'Til Death Do Them Part "If you want to read about love and marriage, you've got to buy two separate books" (Alan King). Arranged marriages by
parents are extremely common in the Elizabethan era and still are in some parts of the world today. Consequently, few people speak highly about
marriage, many say it is nothing more than a political alliance for power or a chance for an increase in profits. Thus, the iconic marriage in William
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet reinforces these views on the failure of marrying for love. The theme of marriage in Romeo and Juliet is expressed as
a formality rather than a loving union representing that true love cannot exist in this cruel world because of expectations for age, political ambitions,
and social class in regards to marriage, which is how Romeo and Juliet's love marriage lead them to their deaths. Firstly, Romeo and Juliet are not old
enough to understand the reality of a marital union and its expectations as society has enforced. This is evident when Capulet speaks to Paris about
giving his daughter's hand in marriage he says, "My child is yet a stranger in the world; She hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (1.2.8–9). This
indicates that Juliet is not even fourteen years old yet and her father is already discussing or arranging terms with Juliet's possible future husband.
She is a mere child in regards to this big step she is expected to take; to be married to someone. As Juliet is expected to marry soon because of

Arrange Marriages vs. Love Marriages
Arrange marriages and Love marriages
Cultural Evaluation
India culture supports arrange marriage through social structures comprising of shared norms, values and beliefs. The notion of arrange marriage is not
a concept segregated to the Indian society only. In the Victorian age, arrangemarriage used to happen so did they happen in the England among kings
and queens. The idea behind arrange marriage stands out even in this other community as a measure to prevent undesired class mix. Arrange marriage
in India is observed to be a measure that entrenches caste system. The upper caste families were not willing to let their children to marry in lower caste
family. This is a customary measure that made love marriage a taboo a practice that has continued to be observed even in modern India(Philip R.D.,
2000).
The concept of love marriage is relatively new and is mainly linked to the end of World War II and the industrial revolution. At the juncture of these
events, people's perception started to change and, affiliations with love marriage became the norm. The influence of British culture upon the Indian
communities was felt mainly among the learned communities. This influence is not sustainable owing to the strength of the Indian culture and
ignorance of foreign cultures in the rural parts of the country(Philip R.D., 2000).
Arguments
In discussions for arrange marriage and love marriages, considerations need to be made on the cultural aspects that support the ideals of the

Romantic love and marriage
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Nebraska Anthropologist
Anthropology, Department of
1–1–2005
Romantic Love and Marriage: An Analysis of the
Concept and Functionality of Romantic Love as a
Marital Stabilizing Agent
Emily Sorrell
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebanthro
Part of the Anthropology Commons
Sorrell, Emily, "Romantic Love and Marriage: An Analysis of the Concept and Functionality of Romantic Love as a Marital Stabilizing
Agent" (2005). Nebraska Anthropologist. Paper 9. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebanthro/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access
by the Anthropology, Department of at...show more content...
The anthropological literature tackling the topic of romantic love concerns possible factors that make love an integral part of general social structure
and marriage in certain societies, such as modes of subsistence dependence, sexual equality and post–marital residence rules.
One cannot overstate the significance that lies in understanding the relationship between love and marriage, as both are critical elements of humanity.
Understanding love as a functioning agent in maintaining marital stability allows us to better understand an important part of who we are as humans.
Hence, as a basic building block of human social structure, romantic В·love and its role in the maintenance of society is an incredibly important area of
research.
Much of the anthropological community agrees that romantic love does constitute a valid area of research, and hopes to repair the general oversight of

love that occurred in earlier ethnographic work (Jankowiak
1992 and Fischer 1992).
In order to analyze the relationship between romantic love and marriage, it is necessary to compare current thinking with respect to this theme. It is
also important to research and discuss love in terms of its functional role in society, or more appropriately, its functional role
in

Arranged And Love Marriage
Marriage is a bond between a male and a female that binds together two families, and it constitutes the base of the society. Every culture has its own
definition of marriage, however all cultures agree that understanding, care, honesty, trust, love, patience and respect are the factors of having a
successful, joyful and happy marriage. Arranged and love marriages stand apart from the basis, never the less I believe that love marriage is better
because the couple get a chance to know each other before the marriage, and know what they both like and dislike. Love marriage makes different
cultures and races mix together. Another thing that worth mentioning is that love marriage is always built on understanding between both partners.
Lastly, we...show more content...
Love marriage simply allows you to choose who you want, to live the life that you want, and build a family that will always get the chance to enjoy
this love. The emergence of the concept of love marriage decreased the boundaries between the cultures and allowed people to enjoy experiencing
being with the people they love no matter what their origin is. Arranged marriage formed a lot of successful families in the past and even during the
present, but it also had so many difficulties for the couples, especially in the first period of their marriage, which is the period that they spend in
knowing and coping with each other's personalities and

"Marriage and Love", a short essay by Emma Goldman, gives a wonderful argument regarding love and marriage, in fact, she nails it. Marriage does
not equal love or has anything nothing to do with it. Not only that, but the marriage could also easily kill whatever relationship was there prior to the
declaration. Marriage is simply a social construct, one that imposes control by religion, tradition, and social opinion (Goldman 304). However, if
marriage is such the ball and chain that we all joke about, then why do people get married?
To answer this question, a few assumptions must be done away with. Primarily the idea that love equals marriage. Or as Goldman had put it, "The
popular notion about marriage and love is that they are synonymous... rests not on actual facts, but on superstition." (Goldman 304). Marriage and
love have little to nothing in common if, at all, marriage is simply a byproduct of love, an unnecessary one that at that. But if love does not equal
marriage, can marriage equal love? Love can spring from a marriage where nothing before had grown, although it is quite rare, however, to say that it
cannot happen would be a lie. However, it is also best to keep in mind that most marriages that have people committing without a spark or connection
beforehand are usually arranged or even forced marriages.
If one does not require a marriage for their love to grow or even transpire, then why do it at all and for what purpose? With a look at "The Arranged
Marriage" by

Marriage and Love
American University of Beirut
Spring 2012 – 2013
Response to "Marriage and Love" by Emma Goldman
"Marriage and Love", an article by Emma Goldman tackles the issue of marriage and the notion of free motherhood. Goldman argues that "love" and
"marriage" are two concepts that simply can 't go together. She states that love has the ability to liberate its subject, empower him. However, marriage
does quite the opposite; it's an "economic arrangement", an "insurance pact", which traps the women and reduces their role to simply being objects
owned by their husbands. According to Goldman, marriage is an institution condemned to failure. It 's born out of traditions, convenience and public
opinion; certainly not out of love. Once married,...show more content...
The author decided to eliminate the possibility that such kind of marriages exist. However they do exist because I personally witnessed a good
amount of them, including my parents ' marriage. The author goes on to reinforce the idea of "free motherhood". She stresses that women should
not be "degraded to a mere machine". I agree with Goldman that women have the right to decide on the number of children they want and when they
want to have them. However, she states that marriage is used as a way to force the women to have children, as a way of preserving the race. I don't
agree with that simply because a good marriage won 't force the woman into such a thing. Other married women might have suffered from that,
however they are the exception not the rule. She states that a woman "desires fewer and better children, begotten and reared in love and through free
choice; not by compulsion, as marriage imposes." However, a woman can have her free choice while being married. Marriage gives her the right to
choose that she doesn 't want children right away and decides to wait instead. "Free motherhood" shouldn't be exclusive to unmarried women.
In conclusion, I strongly agree with the author about protecting women 's rights and privacy. However, I find myself disagreeing with her when she

Love Marriage Is Better Than Arrange Marriage
Love Marriage is Better Than Arrange Marriage. Just as we all know, life is not a bed of roses. Things do not work as smoothly as we expect them
to. Sometime, we often change ways, make compromises, stand stubbornly and let things fall apart. Marriage is the most beautiful relationship that
happens to everyone at some point of time. Life is the way we make it to be. Peoples get married because they love each other. They want each of them
close for the rest of their life. Due to this statement, love marriage is better than arrange marriage.
How can you give a full of commitment to spending the rest of your life with someone who you do not even know? Besides, if you have an arrange
marriage, it means that you are getting married just for...show more content...
This helps them to develop a good comfort level after marriage smoothly. On the other hand, if two people do not know each other, when their
marriage are arrange by their parents, they might take some more time to develop a level of comfort and understanding after marriage. Here, we can
see how love marriage is better than arrange marriage.
There are times when couples in cases of love marriage are fighting with each other and get into problems. Who's on earth are have no problems at
all? It is normal when a couple get in to problems. It just on how they are trying to settle down the problem. A few persons who experience arrange
marriage can be done if the groom and the bride accept that they like each other. But in some cases, they do not like each other but the parents force
them to marry the person the parents choose for them. Not like love marriage, they will live happily as they love each other and they have your best
interest at heart.
When marriages are arranged by elders or parents, this does not encourage spouse to make up their own mind about who to marry. Instead of dating
and meeting people and comparing them against someone's ideals, they leave that part of the work to someone else they even do not know at all.
Should either spouse end up unhappy after being married a few years? It can be a very tempting to blame parents for making an unsuitable choice if it
is going unwell. Thus, it's proven that love

In the United States of America, family life has been greatly important to the structure and function of society. A large part of this family life is the
institution of marriage itself. Over the past few decades, the role and presence of marriage has been transformed. What once was a standard
assumption in the home life of Americans has become increasingly less consistent. The Changing Landscape of Love and Marriage by authors
Kathleen E. Hull, Ann Meier, and Timothy Ortyl discusses how and why these changes may have taken place on the basis of two primary conclusions.
The first of these is the idea that marriage has lost it's taken–for–granted status, and the second being the fact that both adults and children are
experiencing more upheaval in their personal lives than in the past. The authors of the article provide a significant amount of evidence from various
sociologists to back up their claims. Specifically, there are three main arguments in support of their conclusions. The first of these comes from British
theorist Anthony Giddens. Giddens reasoning for this change in the presence of marriage in society is due to what he calls a "transformation of
intimacy". He believes that we are transitioning from a romantic love model, in which relationship permanence is crucial, to a confluent love model.
This model emphasizes the idea of a "pure relationship," which is a relationship entered into for one's own sake and both partners only stick around
while getting enough

Marriage Essay
Marriage
What does marriage mean? By definition, marriage is "the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife" (Webster's Dictionary). Most
people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime. Because over half of all marriages in the United States end in a divorce, most people lack
the understanding of what it takes to stay married. I believe that couples should become more aware of the commitment that they are making when they
enter into marriage.
Men and women should get to know one another completely before deciding to get married. Important issues such as religion, finances, career, and
whether or not to have children should be discussed so that the couple can learn each other's views regarding the...show more content...
Why did they not discuss this issue before they got married or did they think the other one would change after saying their wedding vows? Marriage is
not about changing someone; instead, it is about loving your partner for his or her beliefs.
Rather than giving up and ending the marriage, many couples could save the marriage by trying to work through the problems that arise. Many
people do not realize how much hard work has to be put into a marriage for it to be successful. When planning a wedding, some couples spend a lot
of time preparing the vows that will be exchanged during the ceremony, but sadly the partners fail to live by the vows day after day. Scores of married
couples drift apart because their hectic lives do not allow them to spend enough quality time together, which is important for a healthy marriage.
Communication is also an essential factor in working through problems in a marriage.
Entering into marriage for the wrong reason usually leads to divorce. Sometimes an individual will say that he or she married for money, or he or she
may claim to have married for love. Many times, lust is mistaken for love; consequently, when the passion ends so does the marriage. Some people
choose to marry wealthy people solely to gain financial security, but eventually they will find that money does not lead to happiness. Others enter into
marriage believing that it is a cure–all that will make

Love And Marriage : A Discussion
Love and Marriage – A discussion
Throughout history, love and marriage have been intertwined, sometimes in the most basic and comprehensible ways and some other times in the most
bizarre and outright ridiculous ones. We focus on the effects of globalization so acutely, that the changing faces oflove and marriage are sometimes not
observed. Though the change is subtle, it nonetheless is present. Coontz (2005) describes traditional marriage to be as evident as getting a job. In
retrospect, it is hard to comprehend that those who did not marry were considered downright sinners. Today, we see so many variations of love and
marriage. The society has opened its hearts and minds to same–sex marriages, live–in relationships, inter–caste marriages and open–marriages.
Governments around the world are coming to terms with this change and the freedom to the choice of marriage or not, is being supported by laws
which can protect the individuals in it.
(Kotler 1996) describes love being the essence of non–violence. This was the love towards other human beings, towards world peace. During the
Vietnam War, of the non–violence techniques used to communicate with the leaders of the war, I found self–immolation the most profound in the sense
that it actually achieved a positive result. One might think that this contradicts the concept of healthy love and respect for oneself, but looking closely
into the Vietnam war, I think it was a courageous act of love. To find such love today in the

The Importance of Being Earnest "The Importance of Being Earnest" is a play written by Oscar Wilde in the late 1800s. The story takes place in
late Victorian England, where two young gentlemen take on the same pseudonym "Earnest" in order to escape reality when needed and to satisfy
their lovers. It is a humorous story about how the fake personalities clash with each other and cause complications. A central theme and topic in the
play is love and marriage. It is a primary force motivation the plot and a reoccurring subject up for debate. Love and marriage is presented in
different ways through different characters, which I will be taking a closer look at. Lady Bracknell represents the "proper" Victorian ways of society
and her view on...show more content...
The higher class in society believes it is more of a duty than pleasure and you do not simply marry for love. You need to come from the right
background and be an appropriate match for each other. Love is not an important factor. Love is something you can enjoy before you get married.
Lane on the other hand represents the lower social class where money is not and important factor for love and marriage which we get a brief impression

The Love Of Love In Love And Marriage
At times, I might be perceived to be inconsiderate to you, but please understand that I also will have my own uncertainties whereby I will question
your actions. It will have nothing to do with me not truly loving you because in the end you will always be my girl.
No matter that we are far from each other. No matter if circumstances do keep us apart. You and I share this awesome bond that is filled with onlylove.
And until the day that we can be in each other's arms, you will always live in my heart.
With love in your soul. Hope in your heart. Belief in yourself. A person will never feel broken again.
Your breath taking smile even puts the brightness of the moon to shame. Your beautiful fragrance even makes a red rose look less symbolic.
...show more
content...
Who respected you? Who was Loyal to you? Who placed their Trust in you? Who truly Loved you and who never Gave Up on you?
Always remember that in love and marriage, one should truly make their experience with their partner unforgettable and everlasting with fond
memories to last you a lifetime. Don't inflict pain and misery thus continuously hurting them in such a manner whereby you totally break them to an
extent that they can't be that person whom they once were as caring, affectionate and loving. Love doesn't make the world go around, but instead it
draws you into a pair of very caring and embracing arms.
Take hold of my hand and whether life has happiness or sorrow to offer us, together we will face them and accept our fate and destiny. Because with
you walking by my side, time and distance will also not matter, as long as it is you with whom I want to take every leap of my life with forever.
The most amazing feeling is finding and being with that special person whom you truly love and can't see yourself being without for the rest of your life.
Always love and cherish your partner so that they will give you no reason to become sad, feel insecure and feel neglected whilst being a relationship
with

Hearts beating, minds in frenzies, and everything seems to be outlined in silver and gold. It is said that not even God himself can bring a person
down from this high and that is being in love. Most think that love will help anyone overcome anything that might have happened or what can happen
to them. It is also said it will make relationships and marriages last until the end of time. This belief is highly unrealistic, painful, and a mere fantasy.
When people marry only because of the fact that they are in love, then the marriage will not last. This statement, no matter how cynical it might sound,
has been proven time and time again. With marriages they are all the same in one sense, and that the definition of it; it is simply a civil...show more
content...
Three words that are said to person can hold a lot of power and make the strongest crumble if these are used against them. But, one tends to ignore
all the lurking shadows and dangers if those words are reciprocated, as well as the feelings. In my case, my great grandfather has had three
marriages and two ending in divorce. The first one was to my grandmother's mother and they got married in high school because she fell pregnant
and they were in love so, c'est la vie. What they didn't take into account was life. Love couldn't put money in the bank, food on the table, or have
any real pull in the outside world. So, they were married for less than five years and had a divorce on their fifth anniversary. Stress and life tore them
apart, it didn't mean they didn't love each other because to this day my grandfather says that she was and still is his true love, but he cannot ever be
married to her because they are too different and will never work together.
Now in my grandfather's generation, he was apart of when divorce rates spiked from 11% to 50 % in and around the fifties, according to what Susan
Pease Gadoua wrote. In marriages love was not always a factor. In fact, it was not introduced into society until the Victorian Era and The Industrial
Revolution. Divorce rates were almost never heard of before love was introduced and put hand in hand with

The Connection Between Love And Marriage
In "Against Love," Kipnis explores the connection between love and marriage, as well as the involvement of labor in domesticity. She observes that
long–term partnerships have failed to preserve romantic and sexual attraction, since it comprises mutuality–which treasures compromise and restrains
the freedom of married individuals. Love thus can be only obtained if one gives love–by corresponding to the ideal of one's spouse. Traditionally, a
healthy romantic and sexual relationship–along with parenthood– resemble the social standard of maturity. Despite such claim, I agree with Kipnis'
suggestion that marriage can become a job–the exploitation of physical and emotional labor of coupled individuals. To retain the autonomy of loving
people, love needs to be liberated from the traditional nuclear family.
The desire to both preserve love and seek social and economic stability drives the formation of domesticity. Kipnis writes, "It is our culture alone that
has dedicated itself to allying the turbulence of romance and the rationality of the long–term couple." Under such circumstance, love can be only
accomplished through coupledom. More individuals are pressured by love as social and economic institutions than by love as a human emotion. With
longing for romantic and sexual needs, along with social and financial stability, they are taught to believe the only path to achieve both is to get
married. The nuclear family is traditionally assumed to be the combination of economic

Love and Marriage in A Midsummer Night's Dream
There is something to be said for the passionate love of young people, and Shakespeare said it in Romeo and Juliet. The belief that any action can be
excused if one follows one's feelings is a sentimental notion that is not endorsed by Shakespeare. Thus, Theseus' suggestion in 1.1 of A Midsummer
Night's Dream, that Hermia marry a man she does not love rather than "live a barren sister" all her life would seem perfectly sensible to Shakespeare's
contemporaries.
Shakespeare writes for a public who views marriage unsentimentally. At all levels of society, from king to commoner, marriage is entered into for
commercial and dynastic reasons. People marry to increase their...show more content...
Is Demetrius' love for Helena at the end of the play still being artificially stimulated by the love–in–idleness? Although "Dian's bud" has been used as
an antidote, we do not know that the magic lasts for ever. The tone of Demetrius' defence, in 5.1, before Theseus of his love for Helena, in striking
contrast with his earlier declaration of love to her ("Goddess, nymph, divine") shows that his love is no longer due to the magic flower, but to a new
insight into her merits; above all, his love for Hermia, clearly a youthful infatuation, has been dispelled. Likening this to "an idle gaud" doted upon "in
childhood", Demetrius suggests that his rediscovered love is of a mature kind, and so it appears to the audience.
Although Hermia can be stubborn and fierce, she seems serious in her love for Lysander. One reason for Theseus' description of the nun's lonely
calling is to test just this. (The question of course assumes that maternity is a state highly desired by any woman – which very much does reflect
Elizabethan attitudes.) The answer, in which Hermia echoes the exact terms of Theseus' metaphor of the "rose distill'd" and the single rose, indicates
Hermia's seriousness of purpose. This is confirmed by her insistence, in the wood, that Lysander does not compromise her by lying too near. Lysander,
while feeling more amorous than this, is ready to do Hermia's bidding.
Although their love seems, therefore, far more

The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love Essay
Running Head: The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love
Summary of: The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love
English 1102
Mrs. Charleston
February 3, 2011
In "The Radical Idea of Marrying for Love." Stephanie Coontz describes marriage as an "institution that brings together two people." she shares the
point that "marriage should be based on intense, profound love and a couple should maintain their ardor until death do them part" (p. 378).
Coontz talks about the history behind marriage. People chose their partners based on "something as fragile and irrational as love" before they focus on
their sexual, intimate, and altruistic desires. (p.378) Coontz points out that may cultures view marriage differently. Some cultures thought that...show
more content...
382)
About two centuries ago a new standard to the way marriage should be viewed came about. This set higher expectations for marriage. This change
made more strict divorce laws, in turn made it harder to end a good marriage, it gave individuals more freedom to refuse a spouse. "The husband
became the family's economic motor, and the wife its sentimental core." (p. 385) By the late eighteenth century marriage became a private contract
between a husband and wife and was not regulated by church or state. However many working–class families did not adopt the new norms until the
twentieth century. Different culture and countries still argued their views, many changed their description of an ideal mate.
Before material reform of woman's rights, skeptics warned "that making love and companionship the core of marriage would open a Pandora's
box." (p. 387) This change caused many questions to arise, would a husband still financially support his family. A writer in the England's Lady
Magazine stated that, the purpose of marriage was to get people to "discharge the duties of civil society, to govern families with prudence and to
educate their children with discretions." It took another hundred years for individuals to overcome fears of other cultures views of how marriage
should be. In turn this gave a higher stability of how marriages should be viewed.
In my opinion for the Radical

Love And Marriage In Renaissance Literature Essay

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