How does marriage represent ethical commitment in Kierkegaard’s Either/Or?

In Either/Or, Søren Kierkegaard uses the character of Judge William to present marriage as the quintessential expression of the ethical stage of existence.1

While the aesthetic stage is characterized by a pursuit of fleeting pleasures and a lack of personal cohesion, the ethical stage requires a decisive commitment that transforms the individual. Judge William argues that marriage serves as the scene for this transformation in several key ways:1

• Temporal Continuity: Through the commitment of marriage, the individual moves beyond being a fragmented "bundle of events" and acquires a stable identity and continuity over time.1
• Ennoblement of the Sensuous: Marriage does not abolish the aesthetic or sensuous aspects of life; rather, it elevates them to the level of spirit.1
• Integration: By choosing the ethical, the individual integrates their life into a meaningful structure, moving from a premoral state to one defined by responsibility and social participation.1

Ultimately, marriage represents the transition from a life of aimless fascination to one of sustained, purposeful identity, where the self is fully realized through duty and commitment.1