I have just finished reading Marriage A La Mode and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. This play is very comical although sometimes frustrating; the frustrating part being the patriarchal representation and expectations of women. We hear only a little conversation concerning a woman's wit and mind but other than that women are judged mainly by their beauty:

"She's much handsomer than I could have imagined, In short I love her and I will marry her", this makes me wonder, what happens to the poor women who got the shallow end of the "patriarchal ideal feminine beauty" gene pool? I guess that means that other than a dowry, they would not have much to offer. One of the comical elements of the play was the constant bickering between lovers and their theories of what marriage entails such as Palamede's final plea to Doralice on page 86; he is upset at the fact that is his to be married the next day and is begging for her to spend the night with him:

" But if you have any spark of true friendship in you, retire a little with me to the next room that has a couch or bed in't and bestow your charity upon a poor dying man. A little comfort from a mistress before a man is going to give himself in marriage is as good as a lusty dose of strong water to a dying malefactor: it takes away the sense of hell and hanging from him".
The constant little funny comments such as that really made the play complete and again, I really enjoyed it, I think it is now one of my favourites.

Laura