Why were marriages arranged in Shakespeare's time?

Answer 1

A lot of people believe that in the olden days women were not allowed to talk or go out for a date with a man until they were married. And their parents wanted them to be with, who they wanted them to be with. However much parents in those days may have wished that it was like that, it wasn't.

Case in point: Mr. Shakespeare, whose name you have used to define the era. Somehow or other he managed to not only talk to Anne Hathaway before their marriage but also to go rather farther, as their hurried marriage followed by the birth of their first child six months later would indicate.

Please note: there is no record that Anne was harshly treated by anyone over this.

Of course there were arranged marriages, especially in the nobility and all the time among royalty. They were arranged because the marriages had important implications as to social status, wealth and political power. If your daughter married the king, or even the counsellor of the king, that gave you and your family (to say nothing of your daughter herself) significant influence over political decisions. Women could become very powerful by the right marriage.

Among the middle class, status could be improved and wealth gained by the right marriage too. It would appear that William and Anne Shakespeare were prepared to go to some lengths to secure Dr. John Hall as a son-in-law. But there is no indication that Susanna had objections to the idea. And Judith apparently had a free hand in choosing a husband, although her father did not particularly like her choice. (He went to some length in his will to see that Judith and not her husband would benefit).