The Mayor of Casterbridge - Why is the ring at Casterbridge a suitable place for Henchard to meet Susan?


Why is the ring at Casterbridge a suitable place for Henchard to meet Susan?


There are a number of reasons why the Ring could be considered a suitable place for Henchard to meet Susan. Firstly, Hardy makes it clear the Ring is not a place of happiness. It is described as a Roman amphitheatre in the heart of Casterbridge where no joy can be found, even for boys who tried to play cricket in it. He even accounts the story of a woman who murdered her husband being put at the stake in the Ring. This could suggest the Ring was a suitable place for the meeting as just as an evil woman was put to rest in the Ring, so will Henchard’s terrible and disgraceful mistake.

As the Mayor of Casterbridge, Henchard is considered as a very respectable man and it would greatly damage his reputation if people discovered he had sold his wife and child. This is another reason the Ring was such a suitable place for the couple to meet as it is the “spot as being safest from observation which he could think of for meeting his long lost wife”. Hardy uses the ring almost as a vessel to contain the secrets of Henchard’s past so that the atrocities that he committed do not come out and publically disgrace him. However, it also acts as a container for Susan’s secret that Elizabeth Jane is not Henchard’s daughter. This suggests the Ring is a place for secrets to be kept.

Historically Hardy describes the Ring as a place which is “the frequent spot for appointments of the furtive kind” which makes it the perfect scene for Henchard and Susan to meet and discuss their secretive past, which is indeed “furtive”. Also by using the description of the murdered woman, Hardy suggests only bad things happen at the Ring, which could foreshadow that this meeting may also turn out to end in disaster. This can be seen as it ultimately leads to the death of Susan as she becomes ill. This therefore is a further reason the Ring is a suitable place Henchard and Susan to meet.

Metaphorically speaking, the Ring could represent what Henchard’s life felt like without Susan or love as it is described as a large empty space, reflecting the emptiness in Henchard’s heart. In the ring the couple were “standing in the middle of the arena” alone, which is how Henchard felt without Susan. This makes it a suitable place for them to meet as it signifies the end of their time apart and brings them back together.


In conclusion, the Ring at Casterbridge is a suitable place for Henchard and Susan to meet as not only does it act as a vessel for hiding Henchard’s secret past but also provides the atmosphere for them to talk in private and reconcile. It also in a way could represent Henchard’s feelings and therefore is a suitable place.

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