The motives behind arranged marriages may differ depending on the society in which the marriage occurs in. Royal families may arrange marriages in order to unite their respective countries, demonstrated by the marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, or to maintain a “pure” bloodline similarly to the Spanish Habsburg family which ended with the death of Charles II, the product of “pure” bloodline. Some other motives behind arranged marriages include dowry from the bride and to maintain or improve the reputation of the family.
The marriage of Olivia and Sebastian can be compared to an arranged marriage through the examination of the definition, example, and motives of an arranged marriage. When interpreting the text literally, the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian does not appear to be related to an arrange as both the bride, Olivia, and the groom, Sebastian gave their consent towards the marriage without the intervention of any outside party, but after further examination one can give the role of the outside party to the “flood of fortune” (Shakespeare 59) and Olivia’s consent may not be valid because she thought that Sebastian was Cesario. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI both came from royalty or the upper class as did Olivia, a countess, and Sebastian, a man of unknown rank, however unlike the arranged marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, Olivia and Sebastian did not marry to benefit other people or groups. The motive behind the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian is similar to the one of the motives of an arranged marriage, the dowry, since Sebastian knew that Olivia had wealth and power and this can be demonstrated through this quotation:
That this may be some error, but no madness,
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all instance, all discourse,
That I am ready to distrust mine eyes
And wrangle with my reason that persuades me
To any other trust but that I am mad—
Or else the lady’s mad. Yet if ’twere so,
She could not sway her house, command her followers,
Take and give back affairs and their dispatch
With such a smooth, discreet, and stable bearing
As I perceive she does. There’s something in ’t
That is deceivable. (Shakespeare 59)
In this quotation, Sebastian admits his knowledge of Olivia’s power and desire to take advantage of this fortune situation.
In brief, the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian can be compared to an arranged marriage by examining the definition of an arranged marriage, providing an example of an arranged marriage, and analyzing the motives behind an arranged marriage. Although the marriage of Olivia and Sebastian can be compared to a arranged marriage to a certain degree, They both differ in many aspects such as that both Olivia and Sebastian agreed to marry, and no one besides Olivia and Sebastian planned the wedding.
Bibliography
Wikipedia contributors. "Arranged marriage." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 25 Feb. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010
Wikipedia contributors. "Charles II of Spain." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010
Wikipedia contributors. "Marie Antoinette." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010
. William, Shakespeare,. Twelfth night, or, What you will. Mineola, N.Y: Dover Publications, 1996. Print.
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