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GCSE English Literature · key term
A connection between families or groups, often strengthened through marriage.
Used by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas
Paper 1
A connection between people or families that can strengthen their wealth, influence or social position; marriage can create such a connection.
Revise: Social statusIn Shakespeare’s England, wealthy families often considered property, inheritance and family alliances when arranging marriages. Although the play is set in Sicily, these concerns would have been recognisable to an English audience.
Paper 1
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A connection between families or groups that can strengthen their position; marriage can create such a connection.
For Shakespeare's Elizabethan audiences, wealthy families' marriage negotiations could preserve property, secure alliances and maintain social position. This helps explain why Hero's inheritance matters so early in Claudio's courtship.
Paper 2
Revise: Social statusAmong wealthy families in Shakespeare's England, marriage could preserve property, increase wealth and create alliances. Parents were influential in arranging matches, although affection and consent also mattered. This context helps explain why the play's lovers discuss family approval and inheritance alongside attraction.
Component 1
Revise: Social statusWealthy families in Shakespeare’s England often treated marriage as a means of preserving property, maintaining rank and forming alliances. Financial suitability did not necessarily exclude affection. Claudio also describes having liked Hero before the war.
