ALL: And Now You Must Marry Me Trope

[BadBoy93]

I'm trying to find as many examples of a trope in soaps where someone (usually a man to a woman) forces another into marrying him whether that'd be blackmail or emotion manipulation of sorts. I see this pop up in soaps from time to time and wanted to find as many examples from other soaps.

The TV trope known as "And Now You Must Marry Me" typically involves a storyline where a character is forced into a marriage against their will. It often occurs when a villain or antagonist blackmails or coerces the protagonist into marrying them, usually for personal gain, power, or control. This trope can be found in various genres, such as romantic dramas, fantasy, and soap operas. The tension and conflict arise from the protagonist's struggle to escape the unwanted marriage and find a way to free themselves from the clutches of the manipulative character.

Examples include

- Alan & Beth : Guiding Light (2009)
- Both mendorra weddings: One Life To Live (1990 & 2008)
- Lawrence & Jennifer: Days Of Our Lives (1990)
- Alistair & Theresa: Passions (2005?)
- Maxie & 'Levi': General Hospital (2014)

Does anyone have any other examples of this sort of trope. So cheesy but so fun at the same time. Would be good to know more from other soaps I'm missing. 

[Paul Raven]

Y&R

A slight variation when Kay got Derek drunk and married him, then forced him to stay married for a year so Little Phillip would receive a trust fund.

[Khan]

Didn't GL's Danny and Michelle start out as one of those forced marriages?

[~bl~]

Yes on GL, Michelle married Danny  due to her part in Mick’s death by rock when they were pretty much strangers.

[BadBoy93]

I don't know whether ot was Y&R or B&B, but didn't Deacon tried to blackmail Amber to marry him at one point?

[Xanthe]

Didn't Larry Welch force Hope to marry him on Days of Our Lives even though she was in love with Bo?

[Contessa Donatella]

On AW when Jake finally remembered that it was Paulina who had shot him, wasn't her marrying him his price for not turning her in? Although I believe it was eventually wedding "interruptus", but I think the trope was in play. 

[Paul Raven]

On ATWT Lisa had an affair with Michael Shea and became pregnant with Chuckie. After Claire divorced him he wanted to be a father to Chuckie but Lisa didn't want to marry him. When he discovered her son Tom was stealing drugs he forced her into marriage, otherwise he would report Tom.

[MichaelGL]

Didn't this type of story play out on Another World with Jake and Paulina getting together? She shot him and he blackmailed her into marriage, and then they actually began to fall in love?

Edited January 16, 2024 by MichaelGL

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, I think I posted that upthread. 

[carolineg]

Lily and Sonny on GH?  Sonny had to marry her to stay out of jail because her dad wanted him to.  Dumb and a recipe for disaster clearly.