1670s: Under French law, a father has complete authority over his daughter's marriage, and a husband has complete authority over his wife and her wealth.

Today: In France, women are financially equal under the law and no one requires his/her parents' consent to marry, although males must be at least eighteen years old and females must be at least fifteen.

1670s: The Parisian theater is funded by a combination of the bourgeoisie, the nobility, and the king, but most theatergoers are bourgeois.

Today: Theaters are often subsidized by the French government and tickets are more accessible to lower-income groups, but the upper middle-class continues to be the primary audience group in many Parisian theaters.

1670s: Louis XIV is king of France, exerting increasing power over religious and state affairs, building an extravagant palace in Versailles, and pursuing an aggressive foreign policy agenda.

Today...