Bridgerton has done it to us again. We’ve spent four whole episodes of series four in eager anticipation of when Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek finally confess their love for each other. A steamy staircase scene brings them very close, and then it’s ruined with one line. Damn it, Benedict, why did you have to ask Sophie to be your mistress?
Unsurprisingly, many Bridgerton viewers were furious with Benedict’s very unromantic proposal for Sophie to be his mistress after such an intense display of sexual romance. One TikToker wrote: “Imagine doing and saying all that to end with ‘be my mistress’”.
Sure, asking someone to be your mistress hardly has the same ring to it as asking for their hand in marriage. However, some viewers have pointed out that, in the context of Regency England, Benedict’s request isn’t actually as bad as it seems from a modern perspective.
Was it acceptable for Benedict to ask Sophie to be his mistress in Regency England?
via Netflix
If you’re wondering why Benedict, a powerful nobleman, couldn’t just use his power to marry a woman of a lower social standing, the answer is more complicated than you might think.
According to historian L.A Hilden, although a title-holder would be able to marry below his station, he would risk “criticism and a possible shunning from society”.
On top of this, “younger aristocratic sons [like Benedict] could be cut off financially if they married a woman from the lower classes.”
Even if Benedict was willing to be outcast from society, there would still be his family loyalty to consider. It wouldn’t just be him who was facing the consequences of his choices, but the entire Bridgerton name.
As one TikTok creator pointed out: “Violet said multiple times that Benedict’s wife (and her rank) would considerably affect his sister’s future and his family’s reputation within the ton.”
Because of this, it doesn’t matter whether or not Benedict cares about societal expectations on a personal level. We know that he cares about his sisters, and if marrying a maid would damage their reputation, it is not something he’d decide to do lightly.
And, since noblemen in Regency England often married for rank as opposed to genuine affection, keeping a mistress was a common way to continue a relationship with a woman they were in love with.
How has a Bridgerton producer justified Benedict’s mistress proposal?
via Netflix
In an interview with Variety, Jess Brownwell, a writer and producer of Netflix’s Bridgerton, explained: “We are trying to illustrate just how big the class divide was then. And I think truly, what Benedict asks would have been considered the only way for a man—a gentleman—and a housemaid to be together during that era.
“So it’s not that unusual for him to think that that’s romantic. However, in the larger context of this being the love of his life and us watching their love story, I think it’s absolutely the right reaction to be outraged and to be mad at him”.
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Featured image via Netflix
