Essay Questions

Why is marriage described as being generally "dull’’ by the characters in the play?

The general idea transmitted by the characters is that every marriage they know about is a ‘’dull’’ affair, something which characterizes every marriage in the play. While some may expect some of the marriages to be unhappy, it is surprising to see how almost every marriage in the play is an unhappy one. To understand why most marriages are categorized as being ‘’dull’’, we have to analyze the historical context of the time. During those times, marrying someone who you love was extremely rare. What was more commonly found were the arranged marriages that were set up by the parents of the children. Sometimes, the young men and women who were to get married did not meet only a short time before the weeding took place and thus the young couple did not had the opportunity to get to know each other and to see if they were compatible and if they liked one another. Because of these circumstances, marriages usually ended up being unhappy and traumatic both for the men involved and for the men involved.

How did Indiana reach the point where she was left with no money at all?

Indiana was the daughter of a wealthy man who made his fortune by working for the Crown in the British colonies while his wife and daughter remained home. When Indiana’s father sent for her and her mother, the two were eager to go and embarked on a dangerous journey in which Indiana’s mother unfortunately died. Indiana was separated from her father and thus she was considered as being an orphan. She was taken in by a wealthy ship captain who unfortunately died as well. it is important to note that while Indiana was legally adopted by the ship captain, she had no rights to ask for any form of inheritance. During those times, the widows had some legal right over the estates and the wealth once possess by their husbands but these rights were not extended to the female children. The only way for them to have a financial stable situation was to marry a man who already had wealth and power. the little money which was given to Indiana after her adoptive father died was taken away from her by her uncle, her adopted father’s brother, who from a legal point of view, had more rights over the money and over what was left behind. Because of this, Indiana was left with nothing and this made her be an undesirable marriage match for many wealthy parents who were searching for honorable wives for their sons.

How marriage ceremonies took place during the time when the play was written?

During those times, a marriage ceremony was divided into two parts, both considered as being equally important. The first part was the legal marriage, in which a couple went in front of a few witnesses to declare they want to get married and even say their vows. In the play, this part is witnessed by lawyers who have to sign some legal documents as well. The second part was the religious ceremony, usually held a few weeks after the legal ceremony took place. Until then, the married couple was expected to not have any form of sexual intercourse, the religious ceremony being seen as the time when the man and the woman are married in front of God. In the play, there is no mentioning of the religious ceremony, this implying that the legal ceremony was to be set up for a later date. What it is made clear however is how the two engaged people are in many ways seen as being already married, the engagement ceremony during those days having just as much of a value as the legal and religious ceremonies.