Hypocrite or Not: Why Was Anthony Bridgerton Ready to Marry Kate but Not Siena?

Summary

• Anthony and Siena's romance arc was the second most prominent storyline of Season 1.
• Many fans think it's a double standard that Anthony could marry Kate but not Siena.
• In fact, there are too many differences between the characters and their situations to compare them.

It's hard to believe, but Bridgerton, one of Netflix's most popular shows of all time, premiered nearly four years ago. Adapted from the series of novels of the same name by Julia Quinn, the period drama tells the romantic stories of the titular family's siblings as they find love in 19th-century England under the watchful eye of the Ton.

Season 1 explored the love story of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, which remains the show's steamiest relationship. But while the first installment focused on the duo, it also followed other members of the titular family. Anthony Bridgerton, for example, was given plenty of screen time as he came to terms with his position as a viscount and the social expectations that came with it.

As a result, Anthony had to choose between his love for Siena and his duties, as he couldn't marry the woman because of her non-aristocratic background. However, Anthony was happy to tie the knot with Kate Sharma in Season 2, even though she didn't have a noble name either. Naturally, many Bridgerton fans wondered why?

Different Types of Commoners

Any fans of Kanthony must be offended by the comparison, for Kate and Siena were nothing alike in any way except their non-aristocratic ancestry. Kate, the daughter of two commoners, an English officer father and a mother she never knew, was raised by her stepmother, Lady Mary, the former heiress of the Sheffield family. So while Kathani wasn't noble herself, she had a somewhat aristocratic upbringing and knew all the ways of the Ton.

Siena Rosso, on the other hand, had only entered the Ton as an opera singer in her adult life and was completely alien to its conventions and rules. Her only goal in life was to support herself, which led her to seek the patronage of influential and wealthy men, including Anthiny Bridgerton.

And even though he thought he loved her, she was just an entertainment to him, which, to her credit, she understood and didn't try to force him to marry her.

In Anthony's Defense

Clearly, Viscount Bridgerton was not hypocritical in his treatment of Siena and Kate. In the case of Rosso, he was ready to marry her at some point, regardless of what other people might think. As for Kate, he wasn't ready to tie the knot with her right away because he wanted to find a noble match, which happened to be Sharma's half-sister Edwina.

Besides, there's a difference between Lady Mary's adoptive stepdaughter, who is accepted, albeit condescendingly, by the entire ton, and an opera singer who makes her way in life by sleeping with wealthy men. So while you might think of Anthony as a hypocrite in this context, he doesn't seem to be.

Bridgerton Season 3 will premiere on May 16th.