Divorcing the Sullen Squire
The Beaux Stratagem is considered to be the best play written by George Farquhar. Jonne C. Thornton exclaimed, “The Beaux Stratagem is the epitome of Restoration comedy” (4). Unlike its contemporaries, Farquhar uses more theatrical devices, sub-plots, characters, and surprises in the play (Thornton 4). Farquhar has a unique sense of play structure causing a combination of carefree comedy with serious underlying social problems. A social problem that is the main theme in the play is the acceptance of divorce. He is able to write a comical play while also addressing a serious social issue. Farquhar uses his relatable main characters to express his opinions and themes. George Farquhar attempts to reform society in his play, The Beaux Stratagem, through the character Mrs. Sullen.
In the play Mrs. Sullen is married to Sullen. Coincidently, sullen means to be hostile, which can also describe Sullen’s personality. Sullen is a simple country squire. He is constantly drunk. He upsets his wife Mrs. Sullen with his actions and words. They have a miserable marriage. They each married each other for different reasons. Sullen married his wife in order to have a successor (5.4.460). The play always points out Mrs. Sullen’s misery. Her marriage to Sullen is proven to be a disaster. Mrs. Sullen constantly wishes she could separate herself from her husband.
When Mrs. Sullen agrees to marry Sullen she expected a different life for herself. When she is asked for her reasoning of marrying Sullen, she replies “To support the weakness of my sex by the strength of his, and to enjoy the pleasures of an agreeable society” (5.4.460). She wants someone to support her. Mrs. Sullen does not want to have a country life, she wa...
... middle of paper ...
...8824b3d20fbb5affccaca6d>
Jeffares, A. Norman. "Farquhar's Final Comedies." Images of Invention: Essays on Irish Writing. Gerrards Cross, England: Colin Smythe, 1996. 76-89. Rpt. in Drama Criticism. Ed. Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 38. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. gi99172&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=801edd48f836f2f37d079604a0468731> Malek, James S. "The Beaux' Stratagem: Overview." Reference Guide to English Literature. Ed. D. L. Kirkpatrick. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
2.1&u=elgi99172&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=6a79aea45ed9ee2fdb8660123bb923a6>
Thornton, Jonne C. Introduction. The Beaux’ Stratagem. By George Farquhar. Van Nuys: D’arts Publishing, 2010. Page 3.
While he is effective in defining his sacrifices, his self-victimizing diction limits his claim as he blames his wife for his suffering and frustration. He discusses the social sacrifices he made as he no longer has personal time to have smaller liberties such as “time with friends...basketball games, beer” (Bartels 58) However, more importantly, he feels blindsided as he “wasn’t informed that [he] would give up golf altogether...not warned that sex would become a rarer commodity” (Bartels 63). Because Bartels claims he was unaware he would have to sacrifice so much with marriage, he places the blame for his dissatisfaction onto someone else’s shoulders, mainly his wife. Using a militaristic strand of diction, Bartels depicts his wife as an aggressive and offensive threat. Bartels explains how he has a consistent “fervor to confront(defeat)” problems that arise in his marriage, alluding that he exhaustingly fights through the problems he faces to meliorate the situation(Bartels 63). Additionally, Bartels feels as though his “castle, it is under siege. From within” which conveys his experience from menacing frustration and anger as well as his self-victimizing action by describing his sense of peril (Bartels 59). If Bartels places himself as the hero who nobly fights against danger for the greater good of the marriage, there must be an antagonist to the story. He vilifies his wife by portraying her as a constant threat, and consequently, not taking responsibility for his own emotions. Instead, exemplifying the a hasty generalization fallacy, he blames her inability to control her anger for all problems he faces throughout the marriage. Because he does not accept any responsibility and accuses his wife of his stress and sacrifice, his claim crumbles, even though he was able to provide specific examples of the sacrifices he
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
Ruskin, John. “Grotesque Renaissance.” The Stones of Venice: The Fall. 1853. New York: Garland Publishing, 1979. 112-65. Rpt. in Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1989. 21-2.
Damrosch, David. (Ed.) The Longman Anthology of British Literature 2nd ed. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 2003.
In this piece, it can be translated that women would be considered a rebel if she is rude and shrewish to her husband. In all, wives are objects to their husbands, and must do all that her husband says. This limited Katherine’s identity because it took away her personality of being a shrew, and turned her into something she wasn’t; kind and
Heberle, Mark. "Contemporary Literary Criticism." O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Vol. 74. New York, 2001. 312.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1c. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print. The.
Kahn, Sy. Modern American Drama: Essays in Criticism. Edited by Willima E. Taylor. Deland, Florida. Everette/Edwards Inc., 1968. 71-88
Gainor, J. Ellen., Stanton B. Garner, and Martin Puchner. The Norton Anthology of Drama, Shorter Edition. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. Print.
Molière’s play “Tartuffe and Oscar Wilde’s play “The Importance of Being Earnest” both demonstrate a comical portrait of hypocrisy. In “Tartuffe”, the main character Tartuffe is seen as a religious hypocrite who takes advantage of Orgon’s wealth and agrees to marry his daughter, Mariane against her wishes. In “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Jack and Algernon both lie about their identity to get the woman of their dreams. The authors use the concept of double personalities in the play to reveal the deceit and lies to represent the theme of hypocrisy. In fact, hypocrisy is not only displayed in the characters but in the play as a whole. Additionally, the plays are both hypocrital in ways that they do not follow the structure of comedy.
Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th ed. New York: Pearson-Prentice, 2010. 40-49. Print.
Scott, Lynn. "Beauty, Virtue and Disciplinary Power:" Midwestern Miscellany 24 (1996): 9-23. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 173. Detroit: Gale,2003.Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2011
2. Setterquist, Jan. Ibsen and the Beginnings of Anglo-Irish Drama. New York: Gordian Press, 1974. 46 - 49, 58 - 59, 82 - 93, 154 - 166.
The first marriage that we encounter in the book is that of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. The Bennets are not well matched at all in character or social background. Mr. Bennet is intelligent, and a “gentleman”, while Mrs. Bennet had little money and much “lower social connections” before their marriage. Their union was based on an initial physical attraction-Mr. Bennet found Mrs. Bennet to be beautiful, and Mrs. Bennet wanted the economic and social status that this marriage would provide her with. However, a marriage that is based on this kind of superficial attachment is doomed to failure, because as the years go on and the beauty fades Mr. Bennet is left living with a woman whom he absolutely does not respect at all.
To give a little background on the play; the pursuit of marriage is the driving force behind the play. “I now pronounce you, man and wife.” This traditional saying, commonly used to announce a newlywed couple during a wedding ceremony, marks the happily ever after that many dream of today. In today’s society, marriage is an expression of love between two individuals. Marriage has not, however, always been an act of love. In the Victorian era, marriage was almost a chore. Most people married out of need rather than want. In the Play this is evident when Lady Bracknell objects to Gwendolen and Ernest’s engagement on the basis of his lack of legitimate background. On the other hand, Jack objects to the marriage of Cecily and Algernon’s