Essay Questions

What was the nature of the relationship between Robert and Beatrice and why this may have not been a problem in the time when the play was set?

As it is mentioned in the beginning of the play, from the first act in fact, Beatrice and Robert were cousins and they had fallen in love with one another. As a result, they even got engaged in secret, something which Richard learned about from Robert himself. Marrying someone from your own family was quite a common practice during the time when the play was written. In those times, it was important for families to maintain their wealth and one way they could achieve this goal was through marriage. Finding a suitable partner from a financial point of view was at times hard so it became natural for parents to push their children to marry someone they knew had a good financial status, someone from their own family. While marriage between relatives has obvious risks and was outlawed by the church even from the 13th century, the aristocrats could work around these laws by paying a fine to the church. Cousin marriages were extremely common, royalties choosing to marry close relatives in order to preserve their bloodline. Thus, considering these factors, we can reach the conclusion that for the reader of the time, cousin marriage was something akin to normal.

What could symbolize the fact that Beatrice gave Robert her garter?

When Beatrice tries to argue that her relationship with Robert was not a serious one because they were young, Richard reminds her of an instance where he saw the couple in the garden and Beatrice gave Robert her garter. Is it implied that this action was something shameful, something which may make Beatrice be criticized by society. In the past, garters were used to keep stockings from falling and were not usually visible. The garter was worn either bellow or above the knee so if a man took a woman’s garter is could mean that they have been compromised. The fact that Beatrice gave Robert the garter could symbolize that she gave him her virginity, something which would be considered shameful and thus not talked about openly.

Why did the relationship between Beatrice and Robert did not work out?

When Richard talked about the course of the relationship between Beatrice and Robert, he was curious to know about the reason why the relationship failed soon after he left. Beatrice gives as the main reason why their relationship failed her health problems. While it is not stated what the disease was, the idea transmitted is that it was serious enough to make Beatrice think and the doctors to believe that she will die. Then, the second reason, a much more personal one given by Beatrice, has to do with the fact that she was Richard while looking at Robert. This could point out to o possible realization that she did not loved Robert but rather that her true love was Richard.