# Love and Marriage in Don Juan

> Theme guide for Don Juan by Lord Byron.

The poem explores the tension between romantic love and the institution of marriage, often portraying marriage as a constraint or a 'sad, sour, sober beverage' compared to the passion of illicit love, as with Juan and Haidée.

## Where it surfaces

- [Canto II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/chapters/canto-ii): Juan and Haidée's natural, solitary wedding contrasts with societal marriage, which Byron critiques as a bond of treachery and thanklessness.
- [Canto III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/chapters/canto-iii): Byron contrasts the passionate but illicit love of Juan and Haidée with the constraints of marriage, arguing that love and marriage rarely combine harmoniously.
- [Canto IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/chapters/canto-iv): The chapter explores the intense, idealized love between Juan and Haidée, contrasting it with the possessive and destructive forces of family and society.
- [Canto VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/chapters/canto-vi): Explores the complexities of love, passion, and polygamy, contrasting romantic ideals with the realities of the harem.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/themes/love_and_marriage
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/don_juan_se/themes