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Marriage Analysis

Marriage is a union mostly between a man and a woman and can be socially punishable if the set laws of marriage are broken. The partnership is mainly controlled by rules, beliefs, customs, attitudes, and regulations. The laws dictate the roles of each partner in the union and the status of their children if any. Basically, in most societies globally, the primary function of marriage is to procreate besides other roles like satisfying one’s need for affection and sexual satisfaction. This essay analyzes marriage between the following characters in different literary works: the wife /the unnamed husband in the “wife’s lament” poem, Guinevere / Arthur, and lastly, Desdemona / Othello. I chose from one selection from each of the three groups named (A, B, and C). The analysis will base on the nature of the marriage, the expectations of the society at the given era, and finally, analyze if the partner’s actions meet the society’s expectations about marriage.

Wife/Unnamed Husband

The poem is about a woman who is sorrowful because of the departure of her husband. The verse shows that the relationship between the two partners was full of happiness before her lover left. She decides to find her man only to realize that the man has had plans to commit deadly crimes behind her back, making her change her feelings for the husband. The man’s family members are also not in support of the marriage between the two, and they even do not wish for the two to reunite.

The society in which the two lovers in the poem lived seems to have some expectations about marriage. The husband’s family does not like the two partners reuniting because of the husband’s plans to commit deadly crimes. Society in this setting might have expectations that two people who are married should have no secrets. The community might have concluded that the two partners planned the crimes together. The marriage between these two individuals fails to meet society’s expectations, leading to the man fleeing from his homeland and the woman hiding in a cave.

Guinevere/Arthur (Lanval)

Guinevere is the queen to King Arthur, who is the head of Britain. The marriage between the two is a royal union and is adored by many in society. Since they represent society, their actions should be morally upright to set an excellent example for the community they serve. King Arthur loves his wife dearly yet Guinevere, the queen of Britain, is seen to have an evil character that eventually leads to the fall of Britain.

The queen’s immorality is seen when she asks Lanval to satisfy her sexual desires and when he refuses, she accuses him of treason (George, 27). The society in which king Arthur serves has expectations that the ruling king and queen should be setting an excellent example to the people they serve. King Arthur, who is blindly in love with an adulterous woman, makes wrong decisions because of being misled by his lover. The actions of the royal couple fail to meet society’s expectations, which is why the reign of King Arthur is not successful.

Desdemona /Othello

The marriage between Desdemona and Othello is unwanted because Desdemona elopes with Othello, an appointed general of the Venetian army (Ghanim, 152). The marriage between these two is seen to be doing fine until Othello begins to lack trust in his wife. The couple’s position in society makes them accountable for any of their actions. It is expected of them to be morally upright, which is why Othello murders his wife when he suspects his wife is having an affair with a captain.

Working together in marriages is crucial because it leads to economic growth, so trust is vital for couples. The actions of Othello fail to meet the expectations of society about trust between couples. His lack of confidence makes him act out of emotions, thus murdering two individuals.

Conclusion

Marriage plays a vital role in society, and this means that when two people decide to get married, it is essential they work to ensure the marriage survives. From the above literary works, it is evident that when the societal laws of marriage are not obeyed, the consequences have significant effects on marriage and society.

Works cited

George-Berlet, Madison. “The Beautiful and the Monstrous: Femininity in Beowulf and Marie de France’s Lai de Lanval.” The Albatross 10 (2020): 26-33.pg 27

Ghanim, Fawziya Mousa. “The Moor as a Muslim in William Shakespeare’s Othello.” European Journal of Social Science Education and Research 5.1 (2018): 150-156.pg 152