Marriage In William Shakespeare's 'The Playboy'

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Marriage actually frames the play. It begins with Pegeen's writing out a list of articles of dress that she would need for her marriage with Shawn Keogh and it closes with the latter expressing that, after the departure of Christy, they would soon be married. The formula that has become the basis for most comedy is that a young man wants a young woman, that his desire is resisted by some opposition, usually paternal, and near the end of the play some twist in-the plot enables the hero to have his will. In The Playboy this pattern is complicated by the presence of the Widow Quin who initially tries to win Christy over for herself. But when she fails, she agrees to further Christy's prospects with Pegeen. Also the major obstruction in the union of the lovers is not parental-but of the lovers' own making.…show more content…
Christy's desperate attempt to win back Pegeen's favor by 'killing' his father a second time fails. But he reconciles himself to his loss, going away as a sadder, but a wiser, and assuredly a more confident man The play proves yet again the truth of what Byron has said about the asymmetrical nature of the love of man and woman: 'Love is of man's life a thing apart/ 'Tis woman's whole existence.' Love is important for Christy but even more important for him is his self esteem. But for Pegeen love is everything and so she realizes her loss and is inconsolable at the end. Like Shaw, Synge reverses the convention and makes the woman chase the man. That apart, his concept of love is traditional because it is romantic - his lovers are ready to stake everything for it, for the moment. Besides, their love has the elements of uniqueness and fatality that are seen to be essential to romantic love in the
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