History Main / MalMariee

* In ''Literature/VioletEvergarden'', the arranged marriage of Isabella York to Duke Neville is a pretty straightforward example of this. While the ''Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll'' movie only hints at the dysfunction, with Isabella being unhappy after the timeskip, it is full-on confirmed in the novels. Their marriage having been done purely for the convenience of their families remains unconsummated, as Neville is significantly older than Isabella and already has another woman as a lover, and Isabella is a lesbian too. The short story ''Amy Bartlett and the Spring Sunlight Through the Leaves'' even shows she was contemplating suicide until Benedict Blue delivered a letter from her adoptive sister Taylor Bartlett, which gave her the will to live on.

* In ''Literature/SugawaraAkitada'', Count Tanibata's wife is much younger than him (he is in his sixties, she isn't even twenty) and it is heavily implied that he isn't capable of... more than acting like an overprotective fatherly figure. [[spoiler:Which eventually leads to his demise at the hands of her lover or herself.]]

The implication is typically that he can't satisfy her because, at his age, [[TheLoinsSleepTonight he can't get it up]] -- after all, OldPeopleAreNonsexual. But he's probably [[UglyGuyHotWife too ugly for her]], in any case.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' Through flashbacks we learn [[spoiler: Ymir Fritz was the first Titan shifter and used her powers to expand the Eldian tribe.]] As a teenager, [[spoiler: her [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe "reward"]] was to bear children for King Fritz, a man easily old enough to be her grandfather. Ymir was Queen in name, as Fritz treated her more like an object than an equal, but due to her slave programming, [[StockholmSyndrome Ymir sheepishly obeyed him despite having the means to leave him or defend herself.]] She spent the last years of her short life bearing three daughters and furthering his campaigns until she was assassinated by a spear meant for Fritz, [[KickTheDog who orders her to get up and work]] [[TwistedEucharist and forces their daughters to devour her body to claim her Titan shifting abilities]].]]
* The [[{{Hentai}} h-anime]] ''Snow Night Stories'' revolves around a concubine who tells her master a series of stories a la ''[[Literature/ArabianNights A Thousand and One Nights]]''. The last story/episode has the master telling his concubine that he got into a fight with his wife over her, and his wife threatened to leave for her parents home the following morning. The concubine tells her master to apologize or he could lose his wife like the feudal lord in her story. The story revolves around a powerful, middle-aged, feudal lord who married a beautiful, much younger princess, as in her early twenties at the oldest, from a tiny and impoverished neighboring kingdom after her father died. The lord promised to love and cherish his bride, and to prove it he lavishes her with beautiful gifts, including an elegant wardrobe. When she says she can't wait to wear her clothes outside the estate, [[CrazyJealousGuy the lord shows his paranoid and possessive side]], stating that she is to wear the clothes he gifts her only in his presence, as she belongs to him and him alone. The feudal lord not only makes it a point that [[GildedCage she cannot leave his home]] but [[MaritalRapeLicense she must also satisfy his every sexual desire]], [[BondageIsBad no matter how perverse it is]]. On the anniversary of her father's death, the lord allows his bride to visit her his grave, and as she pays her respects, she states that she can't bear to be married any longer. A young {{Ronin}} hired by the lord, who is around her age (early-mid twenties), secretly followed the princess and convinces her to run away with him by promising not to treat her like her husband does, and the story ends with the lord crying inconsolably over the fact that his beloved princess did not return like she promised. After the concubine adds that the runaway couple were never seen again, her master says he'll make amends with his wife.

* One folk tale has the old husband so jealous that he claims to leave on a trip, but comes back in various disguises: as a priest, a minstrel, and a soldier, and seduces his wife in the guise of each. When he comes back (as himself), he demands to know if she's been faithful, and she admits she slept with three men. But then she adds she only did so because she recognized him, and therefore was not committing adultery.

* ''Literature/TristanAndIseult'': Young and beautiful Irish princess Iseult is engaged to an old Cornish king Mark. LovePotion is prepared for Iseult and Mark to make their ArrangedMarriage work out. Tristan, King Mark's young nephew, drinks it with Iseult by mistake. They fall madly in love and sleep together, and they continue to commit adultery after Iseult and Mark's wedding.

** In "The Miller's Tale", Alisoun is young, attractive, amorous and lustful, and a reputed beauty. John the carpenter is Alisoun's much older husband and he's constantly afraid that she'll cheat on him. The narrator says he's extremely jealous and very protective of her, but he's also very stupid and doesn't ''act'' like the obsessed, jealous spouse. He willingly takes young male boarders like Nicholas into his home, and he seems very devoted to his wife and concerned for her safety. Young Nicholas becomes Alisoun's lover and she is also courted by Absolom. When John hears Absolon serenading Alisoun outside their window in the middle of the night, he only asks if she hears it, too. Poor stupid John ends up cheated on, tricked by his wife, and humiliated in front of the entire town. It doesn't turn out that well for the other men involved either; Nicholas ''does'' get to have sex with Alisoun, but also gets a red hot bar of iron in the backside, and Absolom unwittingly kisses Alisoun's "nether eye" (and gets farted on). Alisoun is really the only person who comes out of it a clear winner.

* ''Literature/EffiBriest'': ZigZaggedTrope. Effie Briest, a 17-year-old girl, is married off to a 40-year-old guy who was once romantically interested in her mother, Baron von Instetten. She feels neglected by her constantly busy husband and frowned upon by the local gentry; and worse, the unsettling house where they live is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a Chinese Man, and not even the birth of a daughter improves her spirit. Her husband is never downright abusive and feels in his own way fond of her. She starts having an affair with Major Crampas, but she can't stand that she has to lie. She's relieved when her husband is transferred to Berlin, giving her a chance to break off the affair. Six years later she seems to be finally happy with her family but her affair with Crampas is discovered by Instetten who, despite still loving her and not being angry with Crampas, feels obliged to respect the codes of society: he divorces her and prevents her from seeing their daughter and kills Crampas in a duel. Effi lives her final years alone and gravely ill until her death.

* In Creator/JosephSheridanLeFanu's novella ''The Room in the Dragon Volant'' Richard Beckett, a wealthy young Englishman travelling to Paris, makes the acquaintance of the elderly Comte de St. Alyre and his strikingly beautiful young wife Eugenie. As he is increasingly enamoured by Eugenie, he learns that the Comte (who is not much to look at) is a mean old miser who only married Eugenie for her inheritance, which he wants to pay his gambling debts with. Determined to deliver Eugenie from her unhappy marriage to a crusty old tyrant, Beckett resolves to elope with her. Only then does he find out that the Comte and his wife are in league with each other and [[spoiler:confidence tricksters who are after his money.]]
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Lady Lysa Tully is married off to elderly Lord Jon Arryn, a man decades older than her. Their marriage forges a useful alliance during the war and Lord Arryn needs a young woman to give him an heir. They have a loveless marriage because Lord Arryn is distant, Lysa has had many failed pregnancies and stillbirths, and she has never stopped loving her first love Petyr Baelish who was her father's ward. Later at court, Lysa and Petyr begin a secret affair (though he doesn't love her back) and Petyr even convinces her to poison her husband. Interestingly, Lord Arryn is portrayed sympathetically, while Lysa and Petyr are framed as villains.

* Defied in Creator/DanielleSteel's ''A Perfect Stranger'': Raphaella and her husband John Henry have a forty-four-year age difference, but their marriage is happy and fulfilling until he suffers a crippling stroke. While Raphaella does end up falling for another man (who is also older than her), their relationship is unconsummated out of loyalty to her husband [[note]] the tv movie changes this for {{Fanservice}}[[/note]]. As John Henry is far more concerned for Raphaella's well being after his rapidly approaching death than anything else, he ends up arranging a meeting with Alex (who is aware that he wouldn't have had a chance with Raphaella without John Henry's illness) and coming to a gentlemen's agreement of sorts. In the final scene, Raphaella, who's returned to her miserable family out of guilt for her feelings for Alex, receives a posthumous letter from John Henry giving his blessing.

* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'', "Marked Twain": A solution to the murder case of the week lies in this trope. A rich old guy has a pretty young wife who cheats on him with a bartender from his club. The bartender is about her age and the husband kills him out of jealousy.

* ''Series/{{Vikings}}'': Earl Haraldson's young daughter Thyri is married off to an old man, Earl Bjarni. Both Thyri and her mother Siggy are dissatisfied with this decision. Earl Bjarni tells Thyri about their wedding, the sons he expects from her, and promises her gifts but she is visibly repulsed. During their wedding night, the fat, old and drunk earl passes out before he can consummate the marriage. In "Burial of the Dead", he complains about Thyri's lack of enthusiasm in bed and threatens to beat her for disobeying. Later, after Haraldson is defeated by Ragnar Lothbrok, Thyri is saved from her horrible marriage by her mother Siggy who kills Earl Bjarni in front of everyone. Thyri looks beyond grateful.
* ''Series/OneLifeToLive'''s Asa Buchanan essentially blackmails Blair Daimler--young enough to be his granddaughter--into marrying him, threatening to turn in her in to the police for taking her mother out of the mental hospital where she was being mistreated (Blair had no legal right to do so, so she technically committed kidnapping). He sweetens the deal by promising to pay for private care for her mother as well as shower her with jewels and fine clothes, in exchange for her being a broodmare. Things turns even worse almost immediately, with Asa enacting the MaritalRapeLicense, outright demanding that she give him a son or he'll throw her and her mother out. Blair resorts to a FakePregnancy to stop the abuse and is in the midst of planning to fake a miscarriage as well when she takes a StaircaseTumble and her lie is discovered.

The implication is typically that he can't satisfy her because, at his age, [[TheLoinsSleepTonight he can't get it up]]. But he's probably [[UglyGuyHotWife too ugly for her]], in any case.

* The [[{{Hentai}} h-anime]] ''Snow Night Stories'' revolves around a concubine who tells her master a series of stories a la ''[[Literature/ArabianNights A Thousand and One Nights]]''. The last story/episode has the master telling his concubine that he got into a fight with his wife over her, and she threatened to leave for her parents home the following morning. The concubine tells her master to apologize or he could lose his wife like the feudal lord in her story. The story revolves around a powerful, middle-aged, feudal lord who married a beautiful princess, who appears to be in her late teens-early twenties, from a tiny and impoverished neighboring kingdom after her father died. The lord promised to love and cherish her, and to prove it he lavishes with beautiful gifts, including an elegant wardrobe. When she says she can't wait to wear her clothes outside the estate, [[CrazyJealousGuy the lord shows his paranoid and possessive side]], stating that she is to wear the clothes he gifts only in his presence, as she belongs to him and him alone. The feudal lord not only makes it a point that [[GildedCage she cannot leave his home]] but [[MaritalRapeLicense she must also satisfy his every perverse desire]]. On the anniversary of her father's death, the lord allows his bride to pay respect to her father's grave, and as she states that she can't bear to be married any longer, the {{Ronin}} hired by the lord, who is around her age (early-mid twenties), secretly followed the princess and convinces her to run away with him by promising not to treat her like her husband does, and the story ends with the lord crying inconsolably over the fact that his beloved princess did not return like she promised. After the concubine adds that the runaway couple were never seen again, her master says he'll make amends with his wife.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Alicent Hightower is maneuvered as a teenager into a political match to King Viserys Targaryen, who's her father's age. She is expected to bear his heirs and act as the motherly queen for the whole realm. Alicent has some ShipTease with handsome and age-appropriate Criston Cole, but--in a [[SubvertedTrope subversion of the trope]]--she actually remains faithful to Viserys because she is a ProperLady. She spends two decades maintaining the role of a dutiful queen while having to watch as her best-friend-turned-stepdaughter, Rhaenyra, engage in various passionate affairs and adventures, fueling envy on Alicent's part. This is the reason why the audience sympathizes with her, despite Rhaenyra being the main character of the story.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Queen Alicent Hightower is married off to a man who is old enough to be her father in a political match, and is expected to bear his heirs and act as the motherly queen for the whole realm. In a twist of this trope, Alicent remains faithful to Viserys (despite teasing scenes between her, Ser Criston Cole and Larys Strong), because she is a ProperLady and acts like it. She spends two decades maintaining the facade of a good queen while having to watch as her best friend-turned-stepdaughter, Rhaenyra, engage in various passionate affairs and adventures, fueling envy on Alicent's part. This is the reason why the audience sympathizes with her, despite Rhaenyra being the main character of the story.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Queen Alicent Hightower is married off to a man who is old enough to be her father in a political match arranged by her father, and is expected to bear his heirs and act as the motherly queen for the whole realm. In a twist of this trope, Alicent remains faithful to Viserys (despite teasing scenes between her, Ser Criston Cole and Larys Strong), because she is a ProperLady and acts like it. She spends two decades maintaining the facade of a good queen while having to watch as her best friend-turned-stepdaughter, Rhaenyra, engage in various passionate affairs and adventures, fueling envy on Alicent's part. This is the reason why the audience sympathizes with her, despite Rhaenyra being the main character of the story.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Young Alicent Hightower's entire marriage to King Viserys I Targaryen, not just a man much older than her (and who has roughly the same age as Alicent's father, Otto, who is also the one who forced her into this marriage in the first place) but even her best friend's father, Rhaenyra, is a tragically sympathetic example to this because, even if ultimately Viserys is however a kind husband with her, he still exploits her sexually through the MaritalRapeLicence, which forces her to wake up in the middle of the night despite being sleepy and to have sex with him when Viserys is particularly eager, also forcing her to LieBackAndThinkOfEngland (as in addition to that Viserys health is sickly and his whole body is perpetually full of infections and pustules). Being essentially treated like a BabyFactory for years leaves her a BrokenBird who is DrivenByEnvy for her once-friend and stepdaughter Rhaenyra, who spent those same two decades experiencing all sorts of freedom that Alicent never got.
* ''Series/AllMyChildren'''s Adam and Gloria started out HappilyMarried, but went rapidly downhill after he was paralyzed in a car accident. His humiliation over his resulting impotency and overall feelings of helplessness and inadequacy led him to be downright emotionally abusive to her and eventually drove her into the arms of the young executive he'd recently hired.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Young Alicent Hightower's entire marriage to King Viserys I Targaryen, not just a man much older than her (and who has roughly the same age as Alicent's father, Otto, who is also the one who forced her into this marriage in the first place) but even her best friend's father, Rhaenyra, is a tragically sympathetic example to this because, even if ultimately Viserys is however a kind husband with her, he still exploits her sexually through the MaritalRapeLicence, which forces her to wake up in the middle of the night despite being sleepy and to have sex with him when Viserys is particularly eager, also forcing her to LieBackAndThinkOfEngland (as in addition to that Viserys health is sickly and her whole body is full of infections and pustules). Being essentially treated like a BabyFactory for years leaves her a BrokenBird who is DrivenByEnvy for her once-friend and stepdaughter Rhaenyra, who spent those same two decades experiencing all sorts of freedom that Alicent never got.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Young Alicent Hightower's entire marriage to King Viserys I Targaryen, not just a man much older than her (and who has roughly the same age as Alicent's father, Otto, who is also the one who forced her into this marriage in the first place) but even her best friend's father, Rhaenyra, is a tragically sympathetic example to this because, even if ultimately Viserys is however a kind husband with her, he still exploits her sexually through the MaritalRapeLicence, which forces her to wake up in the middle of the night despite being sleepy and to have sex with him when Viserys is particularly eager, also forcing her to LieBackAndThinkOfEngland (as in addition to that Viserys health is sickly and her whole body is full of infections and pustules). Being essentially treated like a BabyFactory for years leaves her a BrokenBird who is DrivenByEnvy for her once-friend Rhaenyra, who spent those same two decades experiencing all sorts of freedom that Alicent never got.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Alicent's marriage to King Viserys is portrayed this way thanks to an AgeLift that means Alicent is roughly the same age as Viserys's daughter Rhaenyra, who was also her best friend. The big twist on the trope, however, is that Alicent '''doesn't''' cheat on Viserys. She has a bit of ShipTease with two different appropriately-aged men: her guard Ser Criston with whom she has a LadyAndKnight thing and who acts like a father figure to her sons, and Larys, who she has regular dinner dates with and who's a bit of a PsychoSupporter to her. But it's {{Subverted|Trope}}; Alicent doesn't have an affair with either. She is a ProperLady who plays her role as a good wife to the T. She faithfully endures everything the way she's supposed to, from LieBackAndThinkOfEngland to playing nursemaid at the end of Viserys's life. She bears it all stoically with haunted eyes but not a word of complaint. If she ''had'' cheated on him, that probably would've helped her emotionally, but she doesn't. The whole experience leaves her a BrokenBird who is DrivenByEnvy for her once-friend Rhaenyra who spent those same two decades experiencing all sorts of freedom that Alicent never got.

* ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Alicent's marriage to King Viserys is portrayed this way thanks to an AgeLift that means Alicent is roughly the same age as Viserys's daughter Rhaenyra, who was also her best friend. The big twist on the trope, however, is that Alicent '''doesn't''' cheat on Viserys. She is a ProperLady who faithfully endures everything the way she's supposed to, from LieBackAndThinkOfEngland to playing nursemaid at the end of Viserys's life. She bears it all stoically, with haunted eyes but not a word of complaint. If she ''had'' cheated on him, that probably would've helped her emotionally, but she doesn't. The whole experience leaves her a BrokenBird who is DrivenByEnvy for her once-friend Rhaenyra who spent those same two decades experiencing all sorts of freedom that Alicent never got.

* In ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' Alicent's marriage to King Viserys is portrayed this way. Besides being given an AgeLift so she's the same age as his daughter Rhaenyra, who was also her best friend, she's shown to be unhappy and tries to get out of it when called to his chambers and [[LieBackAndThinkOfEngland thoroughly not enjoying the sex]].

The Mal Mariée (French for "badly married") is a young woman unhappily married to a much older man. Not just a year or two -- there is a ''significant'' age difference. She is almost always innocent and beautiful, and was likely married against her will. He is probably ugly, probably cruel, and definitely [[GreenEyedMonster obsessively]] [[CrazyJealousGuy jealous]]; he often keeps her imprisoned (most iconically, [[GirlInTheTower in a tower]]) to avoid her interacting with other men.

* ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': Eden is a 15-year-old girl forcibly assigned to marry Nick Blaine, an Eye of Gilead serving at Commander Waterford's household. Nick is in love with June, who serves as a Handmaid for Waterford and his Wife. Both Nick and June are in their thirties. Eden tries to make the marriage work, but Nick's not interested in her, which she takes hard. She soon falls in love with guardian Isaac who is about her age. In a twist, she's exasperated that Nick is not jealous at all and angry that he doesn't even care she kissed another man. After chatting with June, who advises her to grab whatever chance at happiness she has in their crapsack world, Eden and Isaac run away. [[spoiler:They are caught and executed -- Eden for infidelity, Isaac for desertion.]]

* In ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' Alicent's marriage to King Viserys is portrayed this way. Besides being given an AgeLift so she's the same age as his daughter Rhaenyra, who was also her best friend, she's shown to be unhappy and tries to get out of it when called to his chambers and thoroughly not enjoying the sex.

Very common in medieval literature, particularly in troubadour and trouvere poetry and the lais of Literature/MarieDeFrance. A ForgottenTrope now, though it may get nods in stories with medieval or medieval-inspired settings. The trope is however subconsciously recognized by the audience who feel uncomfortable with predatory old men who romantically pursue and exploit very young women.

Very common in medieval literature, particularly in troubadour and trouvere poetry and the lais of Marie de France. A ForgottenTrope now, though it may get nods in stories with medieval or medieval-inspired settings. The trope is however subconsciously recognized by the audience who feel uncomfortable with predatory old men who romantically pursue and exploit very young women.

** "Laustic": There are two knights who live nearby one another in St. Malo. The first knight is older and has a beautiful, refined wife, and the other knight is known for his bravery and adventures. The young man is in love with his neighbour's wife and thanks to both his persistence and reputation, she gives in to his entreaties and falls in love with him. They are never able to meet because of her husband, but they are able to speak through windows over the courtyard and they toss presents to one another. One summer, the lovers rise at night, wanting to adore each other through the windows. The lady's husband gets angry because she's constantly out of their bed. She tells him she gets up to listen to the nightingale's beautiful song. The spiteful husband plans to capture and kill the bird. He does, throws the nightingale at her, staining her dress with its blood. The lady knows she can no longer rise to look at her beloved and is worried he will not understand her absence. She sends her servant with the bird to the knight. The servant complies, and her beloved understands the message. He puts the bird in a small coffin and carries it around with him from that day forever.

* In ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'' Allicent's marriage to King Viserys is portrayed this way. Besides being given an AgeLift so she's the same age as his daughter Rhaenyra, who was also her best friend, she's shown to be unhappy and tries to get out of it when called to his chambers and thoroughly not enjoying the sex.

SubTrope of SympatheticAdulterer. Frequently this trope follows from an ArrangedMarriage or a MarriageOfConvenience. Contrast AgeGapRomance and MayDecemberRomance, which is for couples with a major age difference who form a functional, loving relationship. See also OldManMarryingAChild. AllWomenAreLustful (a more common trope in the medieval era) also plays into this.

* In ''Literature/TheScarletLetter'' Hester is young and beautiful, while her husband was several years older and deformed, and she loved him the slightest. Her husband forgives her since he has come to see that marrying her was foolish, and adultery with a young man was a foregone conclusion. However, his wrath is all employed in [[MindRape psychologically torturing her lover]]...