The comparison of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream,...

The Role of Money in Marriage Even though the four plays were written in four different eras, there are quite a few phenomena they have in common. Written in the 16th century, A Midsummer Nights Dream by Shakespeare is the oldest among the four dramas. Goldsmith wrote She Stoops to Conquer in 1773, Oscar Wildes The Importance of Being Earnest was published in 1895, while Mrs Warrens Profession by Bernard Shaw was written in 1893. It is obvious that each era imposed a particular world view on the writer, therefore a brief historical outlook when talking about the plays is more than essential. On the other hand, it is also true that the subject matters these playwrights deal with are universal topics which are bound to happen any time†¦show more content†¦Since the writers main purpose was not to draw a colorful picture of the advantages and disadvantages of pre-arranged marriages in ancient Greece, little attention is given to the subject matter from this approach. Mrs Warrens Profession was written in 1894 to draw attention to the fact that prostitution is caused, not by female malignancy and male lecherousness, but simply by underpaying, undervaluing, and overworking women so shamefully that the poorest of them are forced to resort to prostitution to keep body and soul together. Probably due to his family background, Bernard Shaw was deeply concerned with social dilemmas. Unlike Shakespeare, he got involved in politics and fought against the sanctimonious and hypocritical life of the aristocracy and the Church. This worldview certainly had a strong impact on his works, especially since towards the end of the 19th century, a large number of people among the aristocrats tended to get lost in externalities of all kinds. Affectation and pretence played the most important roles in their lives. Money, titles and reputation were much more significant to them than real, insightful and honest personal emotions. Marriage of convenience was not only a typical way of arranging ones life in the Shakespearean era, but it was quite common to marry someone for money in the Victorian times as well. People of noble families who happened to be in dept tried to gain money by taking the financial background of their husband-or