The Dancing at Balls

The balls would often start with a dance where everyone, or most everyone would participate. This allowed for young people to scope out potential partners for the night. Dances throughout the night remained rather simple; however, more complicated weaves and intertwining movements were also common. Line dances involved multiple couples who would dance together. In simple line dances, the respective couples would perform the same steps. More complicated line dances saw different couples performing different steps.

Social Etiquette at the Ball and in Everyday Life: 

A woman in Regency Era England was expected to be accomplished. This means that she was to engage frequently in a number of activities such as reading, riding, sewing, singing, playing piano, as well as speaking other languages. Women were expected to focus on being accomplished rather than pursuing education. 

Ladies never crossed their legs; they would sit with their ankles crossed instead. Skirts never rose above the ankles. 

When first meeting, after being introduced by a third party, bows and courtesies were always exchanged.

Gentlemen always bowed before leaving the presence of a lady. 

At balls, men were expected to dance with any lady who was not already engaged in a dance, and a woman never rejected a dance from a gentleman. Dances were one of the few places where respectable men and women could talk privately, which made them a key proponent in finding a match.

Ladies never called on men alone - a chaperone was always needed. 

Courtship and Proposals:

When entering a courtship, the men acted as the leaders and the choosers, as the women waited to be pursued by a man. Men and women assumed these differing roles due to the fact that women needed a man for status and financial security, and not vice versa. The refusal of a man was the one active role women had in courtship. 

Oldest children, both men and women experienced the most parental intrusion when it came to marriage. Until the age of 21, both men and women had to get permission from their parents if they wished to marry. Even though parental approval was not required after the age of 21, it was strongly desired. This was important for females especially, as they were viewed as willfully ignorant to find men of good character and considerable social and financial standing. Only the man had the ability to propose. He could either propose in person or through a letter. Either way the man opted; his intentions were known. Couples that were not yet engaged were never left alone unless in the case of a marriage proposal. Furthermore, a man did not directly write to a woman, unless the two were related. This is why Jane receives a letter from Miss Bingley about Mr. Bingley and Darcy’s whereabouts, instead of coming from Mr. Bingley himself. A proper proposal would see the man proclaiming his granted permission from the parents and listing credentials and ways in which he could support the woman. Women had the ability to reject an offer of marriage, although it was uncommon. Women, however, felt pressure to accept the first offer they received, out of fear that another man would not come their way, as they needed the social and financial security. 

Unmarried Women and the Emergence of the Term “Spinsters”

The fear of becoming a spinster is present throughout Pride and Prejudice, seen especially through Mrs. Bennet, whose mission is to marry off all four of her daughters. Regency society put strong emphasis on marriage, especially for women, as both social and legal identity depended on the men in her life. The origin of the word “spinster” came from the mid 1300s. The term was used to refer to a woman who spun thread and yarn as a trade. In the Middle Ages, it was a common practice for one’s occupation to become their surname, and in legal documents women who spun yarn would have Spinster as their last name. 

Spinster came to be a term for a single woman of a certain age, in the late Middle Ages. Some historians argue that married tradeswomen had greater access to the market and a better social standing because they were married. Married women did not have to work because they had a husband to provide for them, and therefore “spinster” became a patriarchal term for a working unmarried woman. Unmarried women assumed these jobs because they did not require complicated tools, they could be done at home. By the 17th century, the term “spinster” became commonplace and even was used in legal documents when describing an unmarried woman.

The Bennet Sisters (from left to right):  Nora Jacobi (Lydia Bennet), Lillie Kortrey (Jane Bennet), Tracy Ferguson (Lizzy Bennet), Dima Alibali (Mary Bennet).

Early Feminism, Roles of Women and Mary Wollstonecraft

Although it is unclear whether Austen read her works, the principles of early English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft are reflected through Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. As an Enlightenment thinker, Wollstonecraft believed very strongly in equality between the sexes, especially in regard to education and marriage. While girls were educated, their education was limited. They were taught instead to be accomplished and expected to marry. Wollstonecraft penned Vindication of the Rights of Women, which challenged the notion that a woman does not exist only to be an extension of a man. She argues for the equality of the sexes in the matters of education, work, politics, etc. This parallels Austen, as she wrote Lizzy Bennet to challenge the societal norms at the time. English law of the eighteenth century stated that a woman's legal existence was suspended by marriage. Married women were unable to sign bills or contracts, buy property, write a will, own her earnings, or have custody of her children. Women married for financial and social security, as they were unable to inherit property after the death of the patriarch of the family. Such is the conflict of Pride and Prejudice as Lizzy wrestles with social obstacles in relation to her place in society. Women could not inherit property, and therefore they had to marry for that security. Wollstonecraft challenged this truth, advocating that women had responsibilities beyond what they had been confined to in society: being a wife and mother, as society confined them to.

Gretna Green

Located in Scotland on the border of England, Gretna Green was a destination for runaway English couples looking to elope. In 1754, Lord Hardwick’s Marriage Act required parental consent to a marriage for couples in England under the age of twenty-one. The subsequent marriage was to be in the couple’s parish with an official clergyman presiding. Any clergyman found breaking this law served a fourteen-year sentence. This law was only enforced in England; the Scots did not change their marriage laws and customs. In Scotland, anyone over the age of fifteen was permitted to wed. Gretna Green’s proximity to the English border made it a popular location for young English couples to elope.

Who's Who:

Below is a character chart featuring all the characters in Pride and Prejudice, and their relationships with the other characters to help audiences follow along in the story. Note that some actors play multiple characters.