«Union of wills» and «Adjustment of interests»: marriage in the sentimental theater of the 18th century

Abstract

The present article analyses the issue of marriage in late 18th-century Spanish sentimental drama as viewed from the twin perspectives of prevailing legal conditions and changes in attitudes and social practices. The works featured suggest that the sentimental revolution arising from new modes of thought did not entail the acceptance of an idealized concept of marriage based solely on love and a free choice of marital partner. The conclusion to be derived from the texts analysed here is that the young advocated a model of marriage which took into consideration not only the affective features but also the financial implications of matrimony, and that they were the first to defend a set of values traditionally associated with marriage based on interest as laid down by parents or guardians; values such as honour, status and wealth, which sustained the established moral order. The theatre promoted a model of marriage based on love and reason, in which affection and the free will of the matrimonial couple concur with family interests and the interests of society as a whole.