theatre critique
The Beaux Stratagem is a comedy by George Farquhar. This play was first produced at the Queen’s Theatre, now the site of her Majesty’s Theatre in London, in March 1707. Most recent productions are at the University Of Houston.
Every play has a different theme, but in The Beaux Stratagem, I believe has many different types of themes, but in my opinion love and marriage is the main theme in this play. Several characters in this play were either looking for love or suffering in a wrong relationship. Kate was married to a drunken, rude husband named Sullen. “Both happy in their several states we find, those parted by consent and those conjoined. Consent, if mutual saves the lawyer’s fee. Consent is law enough to set you free.” Because of the rarity of legally- approved divorce, many couples separated instead by mutual consent. This explains the humor of the courtroom- like setup that leads to Sullen and Kate’s separation. I believe marriage was a huge theme because they were unhappy and wanted to part ways but divorce in this time period was extremely rare and it required an act of parliament, and it was only granted six times between 1660-1714. I agree with the plays message because if you feel like the husband changed from the first time you married him and you have done everything you could to save the marriage and its still not working, then I believe divorce is the right decision. You do not want to stay with someone that makes you unhappy or with someone you just fall out of love with.
There has to be a bad guy and a good guy that saves the day in every play. I believe the protagonist are Archer and Aimwell; the two penniless gentleman in search of wealthy woman to marry. I think their intentions at first to marry are quite questionable but as the play goes on their morals I think have changed and really found what was really important, and in this case I think love is what makes the story. They are the protagonists of this play because they save
Every play has a different theme, but in The Beaux Stratagem, I believe has many different types of themes, but in my opinion love and marriage is the main theme in this play. Several characters in this play were either looking for love or suffering in a wrong relationship. Kate was married to a drunken, rude husband named Sullen. “Both happy in their several states we find, those parted by consent and those conjoined. Consent, if mutual saves the lawyer’s fee. Consent is law enough to set you free.” Because of the rarity of legally- approved divorce, many couples separated instead by mutual consent. This explains the humor of the courtroom- like setup that leads to Sullen and Kate’s separation. I believe marriage was a huge theme because they were unhappy and wanted to part ways but divorce in this time period was extremely rare and it required an act of parliament, and it was only granted six times between 1660-1714. I agree with the plays message because if you feel like the husband changed from the first time you married him and you have done everything you could to save the marriage and its still not working, then I believe divorce is the right decision. You do not want to stay with someone that makes you unhappy or with someone you just fall out of love with.
There has to be a bad guy and a good guy that saves the day in every play. I believe the protagonist are Archer and Aimwell; the two penniless gentleman in search of wealthy woman to marry. I think their intentions at first to marry are quite questionable but as the play goes on their morals I think have changed and really found what was really important, and in this case I think love is what makes the story. They are the protagonists of this play because they save