The Shrew with 27 Dresses

How The Taming of the Shrew influenced the movie 27 dresses

Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the movie 27 Dresses, both have a similar plot that shows different a perspective about relationships and marriage. Katherine, a character from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, carries an aggressive attitude. Katherine is the oldest daughter of Baptista. No one wants to marry her because of the behavior she carries. which sooner makes Katherine become miserable and desperate in her life. Katherine’s younger sister Bianca, can not date or marry Lucentio, the man she loves until Kate does first. Petruchio comes in town and the only one who looks forward to take Katherine’s hand into marriage but she dislikes Petruchio. Jane from 27 dresses doesn’t like to say no to her friends when it comes to weddings, which she becomes the perfect bridesmaid that any bride can have, 27 times she has been. Jane is also the oldest sister. Jane is secretly in love with her boss George. Jane’s younger sister Tess, comes in town and sooner becomes engaged to George and it kills Jane to see her sister to fall in love with her secretly love. The main focus between Jane and Katherine is about the female ideas on courtship and dating. The Taming of the Shrew and 27 Dresses, both focus on the female perspective that love is a lie.

“Sorry? You humiliated me in front of every single person that I know, and you think you could just say sorry? - Tess

In this scene of 27 Dresses, There was ignorance between Jane and Tess, that an argument was turned into. Before Tess came in the hardware store, their father tried to convinced Jane to solve thing out with Tess and ask for forgiveness. “All I'm saying is you two are sisters. You have got to work this out”, Says the father of Jane and Tess. When Tess enters the hardware store, their father and an employee exist the hardware store, to give Jane and Tess space to sort things out. “Tess, this is between you and her. I'm out of this. You know, Flo, have you seen the new weed whackers we've got out front? The latest model”, Says the father. Jane and Tess argument relates between Katherine and Bianca, when it comes to romance love. The argument was about, how Tess engagement was cut off. Tess lied about herself in the entire relationship and pretended to be another women that her ex- fiancé would look into. Tess ex- fiancé was also Jane’s secret love and refused to let her marry the love of her life. All Tess wanted was to fit in and to be successful relationship like Jane.  Everything changed when Jane set the powerpoint and revealed the real Tess. Even before the dinner rehearsal for the wedding. Even before, Tess became selfish and cut the dress of their mother who passed away, that she was suppose to wear on her wedding day that became into her own design. It was the only piece that kept the memory of their mother. Both characters Jane and Tess have an different perspective between love and marriage, but noticing in this scene shows the female ideas about romance love from two different personalities. Weather love is it real or not? 

“I am ashamed that women are so simple 

To offer war where they should kneel for peace, 

Or sneek for rule, supremacy, and sway

When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.”

(Act V, Scene 2, Line Number Line CLXXVII)

In Act V, Scene II, Lucentio and Bianca, Petruchio and Katherine, and Horteniso and the Widowm all attended the wedding banquet. At the wedding banquet, Petruchio have been teased that he married to a shrew. Petruchio tries to prove Lucentio and Horteniso wrong that Katherine will obey his demands but also he challenges Lucentio and Horteniso to call out their wives and to see who is the most obedient of them all within responding and obeying.  Neither Bianca or the Widown have refused to come to their husbands but Katherine was the only one to obey. At the moment, Petruchio wins the challenge but he also demands Katherine to bring out the other wives as we’ll. After Katherine arriving with the other wives, Katherine makes a long speech about women’s submission to their husbands. As Katherine goes along with the speech, she includes how women are simple and how women offer themselves to their husband differently. Women usually stand under command by their partner to be pleased by keeping them happy and to stay with the decision they are force to do. This is to show how Katherine and the other wives shows the female ideas within marriage and love. Not only Katherine disses women’s but she also gets the love that she deserves. “ My mind hath been as big as one of yours, My heart as great, my reason haply more, To bandy word for word and frown for frown”, Says Katherine in her speech. Katherine had changed her mind Petruchio even though that both of them has gone through difficult moments in their marriage. The way that Katherine perspective about her love life, weather it’s real or not? It gave her a chance to believe in it. 

Between The Taming of the Shrew and 27 Dresses, Katherine and Jane have gone through difficult moments within love experience and it may seem that both characters perspective may have changed their their minds about love and marriage. Both Katherine and Jane have realized the real definition about romance love. Is love real or a lie? they asked. At the end, they noticed who do they really love and who is actually beside them. They may have been different positions that no other would want to be in. But they also realized that women my be physically attached to pleased one another, but do women actually mean it? Do they do certain stuff to not let each other go?

SCENE 2:

 “ I want you to know, I think you deserve more than what you’ve settled for, I do. I think you deserve to be taken care of for a change.” - Kevin 

In this scene of 27 Dresses, Jane finally steps out for a change at the dinner rehearsal for the wedding of her sister Tess and her boss George. Everything changed when Jane set the powerpoint. Jane finally revealed the real side of Tess, who disguised herself to as an different person that would make someone George fall in love with her. George, was also known that he is the secret love of Jane. Jane refused to let her younger sister Tess to marry the love of her life. This was something brave and dramatic that Jane did for herself. Jane was sick enough and had to let the truth out for all to know that Tess was a lying throughout the whole situation. Through out that moment, the engagement was off, which made George furious about Tess lies. Jane felt guilty. Jane stepped outside from dinner rehearsal, into the streets. Kevin, who was there for Jane this whole time to watch her get hurt by her sister. Kevin and Jane, also had a love connection. “ I think you deserve more than what you settle for ”, Says Kevin.  At that moment Jane finally realized that she was wrong about hiding her love for George, where her real love was beside her the whole time. Kevin was the one for her. Kevin and Jane, had gone through difficult moment in the movie but at the end, they finally realized that they were made for each other. This is to sort out that love can be real. At times, you may not realized, what is love really about? Love is not going to show up at any time, It take patience to notice. This changes to female ideas about romance love from dating to marriage. 

Both The Taming of the Shrew and 27 Dresses includes love and marriage. Between both stories, the main focus were on the characters Jane and Katherine. Between both characters, shows the female ideas on courtship and dating. As female’s different perspective that love is a lie, but most females think that love are  emotional feelings. For some people, it makes no logical sense that love dose not make exist. Of course, love can be trouble concept but sometimes it can be proved wrong. Most relationships and marriage goal is to maintain each other to keep each other happy. Not many relationships and marriage are successful, there are many reasons why it becomes a failure but there are consequences that will be made with each other. 

Brosh McKenna , Aline, ed. "http://www.imdb.com/." 27 Dresses . N.p., 18 Jan 2008. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988595/>.

Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York, New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.