The Marriage Vow: Marriage and the Creation of Man and Woman

The portrayal of the creation of man and woman in Genesis plays an important role in the vision of marriage during the Elizabethan time in England. According to the Book of Genesis, man was created in God's image, whereas woman was brought into life out of man. English views about women and marriage in the early modern period must be considered in essence of the ceremony of marriage and the prayers as pronounced in "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony" in The Book of Common Prayer. While the marital vows in "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony" strongly encourages the love and commitment of husband and wife, the vows on the wife's part is furthermore coarse towards her obedience and service to her husband.

The traditional Christian English marriage ceremony vows have developed over the years. They vary from ceremony to ceremony. In recent years, couples have increasingly begun to write their own vows to express their feelings for their significant other. Priests have also begun to alter the vows as they see fit. These forms of matrimony vows diverged from the liturgy of "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony" of the Book of Common Prayer (1559).

This liturgy is the prayer that is performed at English Christian weddings. It highlights the purposes of marriage and the religious contexts that underline the meaning of marriage and establishment of a union between one man and one woman. For the most part, it calls for the unity of the couple to work together to build a happy life with each other. It mainly references to God and stresses the importance to live by the rules govern by Him.

In "The Form of Solemnization of Matrimony," marriage is described as a "holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in paradise" (The Book of Common Prayer, p.632). The unification between a man and a woman is a special union that should not be taken carelessly to just satisfy a couple's "carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding." It should be regard as a serious matter "reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God" (p. 633). The prayer further explains to both individuals the reasons why God establish matrimony. Their marriage is permitted by God to allow them to produce children whom are brought up to fear and honor God and to consent the couple to help one another to launch a prosperous home together.

The English people consider marriage as a holy bond that requires the partnership and commitment of both husband and wife. Nevertheless, as the husband and wife exchange their marital vows, promising to "love, honor, and keep" the other, the wife must also vowed to "obey" and "serve" her husband (p. 633). This suggests that besides loving and caring for her husband, she must furthermore go the extra mile to obey his every word and serve him like a servant serves his king.

Once again the creation of man and woman by God comes into play. Only man was created in the "image and similitude" of God, suggesting that man is more superior to woman. Women were made from men, portentous that women wouldn't come into existence without men. Because of these distinct differences between men and women, men see their new wives as secondary to them and must be treated as the men see pleased. On the other hand, wives are told to view their husbands in the same way that they would view God. They must agree to obey their husbands and serve them as the head of their household.

Furthermore, these expectations lead to the assumption that a wife's role is to acknowledge her husband as superior and respect him according to the rules set by God. This suggests that men are the leaders of the pact. Because the husband is expected to look after his wife, women are regarded as the weaker sex and are incapable of taking care of themselves. Women are not just physically but also mentally unable to rule once they have their husband as the head.

These expectations of women are seen in their roles in society during the Elizabethan period. The English people had very clear expectations of men and women. Men were expected to be the ones to bring home the bacon, whereas women were expected to stay home and raised children. On average, a woman gave birth to a child every two years, but families were not always large due to a high percentage of infant mortality. Although women only acted accordingly to their marriage vows to produce children to serve God, many women died during the process of child birth.

One might object that although the man is considered to be the head of a marriage, it does not lead to the conclusion that he has the legal right to treat his wife as he pleases. The matrimony vows still expect the husband to take care of his wife, make sure she has everything she needs, and to love her and be a good father to their children. After all he has to agree to "love, comfort, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health." These abiding words forever hold him accountable for his wife's welfare despite the fact that she must "obey and serve" him for as long as they both shall live.

Despite these opposing views, a lot more is still expected of a wife than of her husband. These marriage vows that she accepts at the altar bind her to a great deal of responsibility and hardship. She is taught to obey her husband and fulfill her wifely duties. These include being a doctor for her family to cure sicknesses, taking the role of a head chef, making and mending clothes, and taking the position of her husband when he is out of the house. She is supposed to take care of everything while maintaining her cool and feminism as a wife under the eyes of God.