Does Honesty in the End Truly Matter>


Play: The Taming of the Shrew

Movie: Two Weeks Notice


In the play The Taming of the Shrew there is a lot of deception throughout all of the relationships. Lucentio lied to Bianca about his identity because he wanted her to fall in love with him and Petruchio lied to Katherine about an arranged marriage because he felt like that was the best decision. In the movie Two Weeks Notice George lies to Lucy about a community center he plans to tear down because he does not want to hurt Lucy. In the movie and in the play the characters lie to their ‘partners in the relationship’ because they believe it is the right decision. In the end every single relationship ended up together even though they lied to their partners.  The similarity in all their actions shows that audiences believe deception does not have a long standing effect on a couple in love.

In the play The Taming of the Shrew honesty and deception play a big role. Throughout the entire play every single relationship had a lie but in the end everyone had a happy ending. Petruchio, a man who wanted to marry for dowry and happiness, lied to his wife Katherine. He deceived her into marriage.


Quote 2: Act 2 Scene 1, pg 95, Petruchio is talking to Katherine, line 282 “Marry, so I mean, sweet Katherine, in thy bed. And therefore, setting all this chat aside, thu sin plain terms: your father hath consented that you shall be my wife, your dowry ’greed on, and, will you, nill you, I will marry you. Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn, for by this light, whereby I see beauty, thy beauty that doth make me like thee well, thou must be married to no man but me. For I am he am born to tame you, Kate, and bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate conformable as other household Kates.”


In this quote this is what Petruchio is saying to Katherine about their “arranged marriage”. He lied to her about having to be married, he only wanted to marry her because he wanted dowry and a wife. He told her that he and father made an agreement and that they will be married. This causes Katherine to believe she must marry Petruchio so she does. She obeys her father and proceeds to try and have a functioning marriage.


In Two Weeks Notice, George, the face of a company, lies to Lucy, his ex-lawyer, about a community center.


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Here is when Lucy finds about the tearing down of the community center. The community center is where Lucy spent most of her childhood and George’s company plans on tearing it down. The community center was the deal between George and Lucy, if the community stayed unharmed then Lucy will be George’s lawyer. Because George was unable to keep his promise Lucy feels as though George just lied to her the entire time and that she got played. George did not want Lucy to find out about the community center because he did not want to hurt her. This compares to The Taming of the Shrew because in the play and in the movie the men felt that their lie was best for the relationship and their partner. In the Taming of the Shrew and Two Weeks Notice the men in the relationships told lies to protect the females in the relationship. Even though they were lied to the women stayed in the relationships.  


In The Taming of the Shrew, Lucentio, a man who fell madly in love with the beautiful girl Bianca, lied so that Bianca would fall in love with him.


Quote 3: Act 1 Scene 1, pg 47, Lucentio is talking to Tranio, line 243 “And not a jot of “Tranio” in your mouth. Tranio is changed into Lucentio.”


In this quote Lucentio is telling Tranio his plan about disguising themselves as one another.. He did this because Lucentio, dressed as Tranio, would be able to become Bianca’s school teacher. Lucentio needs to do this because of Bianca’s overprotective father. Bianca is not allowed to marry until her sister Katherine married and because Katherine was not married and had no suitors Lucentio decided to pretend to be a school teacher to get close to Bianca. Bianca and Lucentio end up falling in love but their entire relationship is a lie. Their entire relationship is a lie because Bianca does not know the true identity of Lucentio, she believe he is a school teacher when that is not the case. She does not know that the only reason he is her school teacher is to get close to her.


In this scene Lucy walks in on George and June, a woman who wants George. George and Lucy are currently undressed and under the influence of alcohol.

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Throughout the movie June seemed to be jealous of Lucy. June was the replacement for Lucy when resigned but June was very flirtatious with George knowing that Lucy and George were forming a relationship. When Lucy and George had a fight June decides to intervene and ‘comfort’ George. They end up kissing and participating in some sort of sexual activity. Lucy end up going to George’s house to resolve their issue when she sees June and George together. George lies to Lucy and tells her nothing is going on even though they are both clothesless. Once again the man in the relationship attempts to lie to protect the woman in the relationship.


In the play and in the movie every relationship has lies but it never truly mattered in the end. Society’s attitudes towards dating and relationship show that honesty and deception do not matter when the couple is in love. In The Taming of the Shrew both relationships end up happy and in Two Weeks Notice the relationship ends happy as well. The couples seem to be more in love if anything else therefore if the couples are in love it does not matter if someone lies in the relationship.




Work cited

  • The Taming of the Shrew : William shakespeare

  • Two Weeks Notice: Marc lawrence



Comments (4)

Quran Riddick (Student 2018)
Quran Riddick

I love the way your paper is presented and written. The topic of lying in relationships is really controversial and intriguing at the same time. This is what makes a good paper when read and this is why I really enjoyed reading your piece.

Athalia Tan (Student 2018)
Athalia Tan

I think that you did a nice job on analyzing what you're thesis is trying to prove. Lying in a relationship doesn't hurt the fact that the couple will stay together in the in end is something that most people don't think of. You made me see that even though couples who have secrets and lie, will still be together because of the love that they have towards one another.

Elizabeth Burrows (Student 2018)
Elizabeth Burrows

You're essay was really nicely written and I think it highlights a theme about lying that is very true. In both the movie and the book, lying does play a big role in the relationships, but doesn't seem to hurt the overall relationship by the end. I like the way you analyzed the book and the movie and showed how similar they were. Nicely done!

Eleanor Shamble (Student 2018)
Eleanor Shamble

This is a rather pessimistic approach I think, but a kind of interesting one. It doesn't argue that lying doesn't matter as much that when lying, feelings must be taken into account, which has a lot more depth. I don't really agree and it didn't really change my perspective, but it's fun to think about regardless.