The students in my class-inluding-me have been given an assignment to write and perform a skit that is at least 3-6 min. long. The topic chosen by my group is Love and Marriage in the Middle Ages. I wrote this skit, and i was wondering if it is good? What can I do to improve? Please and thank you! P.S. due to the time constraints all of the details such as the marriage ceremony itself is not perfect.
Skit Outline
Topic: Medieval Love and Marriage
Scene 1
Setting: Jesse and Evangeline sneak out to a tiny tent belonging to Jesse in Lord Cadman’s manor to talk.
Evangeline: Jesse, I have some terrible news. I am afraid that my bitter, envious mother had already made my marital arrangements, and it is no one you are going to like.
Jesse: What are you talking about my love?
Evangeline: (sounding sad and angry) I have to be bethrowed to no other than your Lord, Cadman; the same Lord Cadman who owns this very manor. He is certainly the wealthiest, cruelest, being alive.
Jesse: (freaking out) What are we to do? Is there no way to tell your parents we are in love? Would you like to elope? I shall do anything to please you as long as we shall be together.
Evangeline: I am afraid there is nothing we can do. You know how marriages these days work. We women have no choice! We mustn’t tell anyone of our affair for they may kill you! It is best we do not see each other very often. It will certainly help me trying to move on. How shall I ever love another man?
End of Scene
Scene 2
The wedding takes place in a highly decorated church.
The Priest: (speaking to everyone in church) Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in Paradise, and into which holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. Therefore if any man can shew any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.
(speaking to Lord Cadman) Lord Cadman, wilt thou have this Woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God%26#039;s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?
Lord Cadman: I will
Priest: (speaking to Evangeline) Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?
Evangeline: (crying/sobbing) I will
Priest: Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?
Kathleen: I do
Kathleen places Evangeline’s right hand in the hand of the minister then sits back down
The Priest places Evangeline’s right hand in Lord Cadman’s and follows after the priest
Lord Cadman and Priest: I Lord Cadman take thee Lady Evangeline of Ireland to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, till death us depart, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereunto I plight thee my troth.
Lord Cadman places his right hand in Evangeline’s
Evangeline and Priest: I Lady Evangeline of Ireland take thee Lord Cadman to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, till death us depart, according to God’s holy ordinance, and thereunto I plight thee my troth.
Cadman shall give one ring to Evangeline and give the a duplicate as well as a book to the Priest
Priest: (blessing rings) Bless these Rings, O merciful Lord, that those who wear them, that give and receive them, may be ever faithful to one another, remain in your peace, and live and grow old together in your love, under their own vine and fig tree, and seeing their children%26#039;s children. Amen.
Priest gives ring to Cadman and Cadman places the ring on Evangeline’s fourth finger, holds the ring and says:
Cadman: With this Ring I thee wed, (here placing it upon her thumb) and (here placing it upon her index finger) (here placing it upon her ring finger) In the Name of the Father, Amen.
Then join bride and grooms hands
Priest: I now pronounce thee Man and Wife
(speaking to bride and groom) Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.
Cadman: (exiting) Come, let us all fill our bellies with the successfully harvested food!
Scene 3
Evangeline: (packing her things to leave as her voice reads the letter in the background-by recording her voice)
Letter: Dear Jesse, life here has been horrible. There has never been a day where you haven’t been in my thoughts. Every time I see that darned Cadman’s face I want to vomit and deeply wish for your comfort. How can I fall in love with a groom who was chosen for me like so many others do, when I am in love with you? If you were at the wedding you would have been fooled by his false smiles and fake laughs just as anyone else would have; but it only takes a week and a half for a human being to be truly disgusted with him.
Lord Cadman storms in
Cadman: (rudely) Meet me in the parlor in twenty minutes!
Finishing Letter: I do not think I can play this game any longer, which is why I have decided we should elope. Maybe I am being foolish or crazy to flee from a powerful man’s home, but it is best that I follow my heart. I will come to you with the little I have, since I will not accept any belongings Lord Cadman bestowed upon me. I have only my wedding dress as well as my filthy gown which has grown too small. Jewelry, shoes, nightgowns, these were all things I had before, but now I am left with nothing. The other wives weren’t exaggerating when they said husbands controlled their wives. I shall see you soon one way or another. Love, Evangeline.
Holding up “One Week Later” sign
Evangeline: Oh I can’t wait to see Jesse! I am so furious at Lord Cadman to whom I am betrothed!
Good Skit?
Hub is very correct. I would add a few things.
#1You don%26#039;t have to say%26quot;nowadays%26quot; describing marriage arrangements. That sounds like a recent change.Arranged marriages were the norm for most people in most cultures going back to prehistory.
#2Establish for the audience exactly what Jesse%26#039;s age, social class (and occupatuion if anything but a nobleman) where he is from and what resources his kin might have or have not.Obviously he is not as wealthy or connected to the King%26#039;s court or there would be no problem in the first place
#3 If he is anything but a nobleman with his own estate, he is done for. He will most definitely be hunted down and dragged back to face punishment.Most likely death. There were few places to hide if an overlord was looking for one of his vassals or serfs. The few independent cities could be a refuge from serf bondage and only if you could hide successfuly for a year and a day
#4 The couple could not even ask for %26quot;sanctuary%26quot; in a church,monastery or convent since they are not only breaking a civil law by running away but they are also more importantly breaking church law by breaking a marriage vow.Divorces were extremly rare then,almost unheard of. The Church did not support or allow it. More likely E would be killed by her husband for the crime of adultery with consent from the legal system and the local diocese.
#5. Cruelty was not a good enough reason for ending a marriage then
#6 The only way out for E would be if her husband took pity on her and had the marriage %26quot;annulled%26quot; before they slept together. But since he is not very nice this seems unlikely.
#7 If E is a lady then use the name of a smaller place than an entire country like %26quot;Ireland%26quot;.That would be reserved for a much higher noble like a princess or perhaps duchess. If she was that well off she would not be pushed into a bad marriage unless to a prince or king .Maybe pick out a particular county or place-name in Ireland if you need to add to her title.
#8 Another way out for the couple is to committ double suicide. Check out Shakespear%26#039;s %26quot;Romeo and Juliet%26quot;. That was in the Rennaisance but the ideas are pretty much the same.
I hope you understand that I%26#039;m not picking on you. If you consider what I have written you will have a better idea of how conditions were then
***idea: Make J another, perhaps not as wealthy ,nobleman. Have him interrupt the wedding ceremony declaring his love.Lord C will want to kill him.Lord J would risk his life and agree to Lord C%26#039;s challenge of a duel. Lord J as the challenged one gets to pick the type of weapons they will use. The fight would not occurr in the church but later at some appointed time. Someone will have to die.Hope this helps
Reply:Not bad. One way to improve it would be to show (not have a character tell about) the mother%26#039;s demanding that E. marry the wicked Cadman and to SHOW how Cadman mistreats E.
Remember that back then, no one married for love--one married the parent%26#039;s choice for property or power or both. So you could have E.%26#039;s mother explaining that.
I would eliminate the wedding scene, as that is more or less the same as today. Show how things were different then. Maybe show the the feast after the wedding , with Cadman mistreating E. there and talking about the heirs they were going to have together.
One big problem with the third scene is that E. and J. would not be able to run off together, especially if J is of a lower social class than E. Society was so compact back then that there was probably no place for them to go. So they probably would not even think of running off together.
sunburns
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