Expected

In The Taming of the Shrew one can see how Baptista, the father of Katherine (also known as Kate) and Bianca, has a certain standards for the men his daughters would marry. Katherine being lucky even to just get married, due to her bad attitude. While his second daughter, Bianca is to marry a man that fits his requirements or at least approaches his requirements. In the year of 2002, during My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a woman falls in love with a non- Greek man. Which does not fit her father’s requirement, for he wants a Greek husband for his daughter.   This makes her love life more complicated than she wanted. The Taming of the Shrew and My Big Fat Greek Wedding both have characters in which are not giving up till they get their wanted spouse.

While taking in account their thoughts and requirements of family members, Bianca’s and Toula’s fathers both have requirements for their daughter's spouse. There is a difference in what the expectations are while one is looking for the wealth (Baptista), the other father Gus is looking for the right ethnicity. This shows how parents still have high expectations and requirements for their child's spouse. Even though in modern era people have more freedom to love and marry who they want. Diminishing the power of parents, for today the younger generation is not frowned upon (as much) if they don’t listen to their parents.  Yet still parents have their say and expectations in their child’s marriage. Toula’s father, Gus from My Big Fat Greek Wedding shows how proud of a Greek he is. In the scene below, Gus states:

This quote shows just how stuck up Gus is about being Greek. Always telling his family and especially his unmarried daughter about how Greeks are the best and that no one else can be like them; meaning that ‘you can only marry a Greek boy for he is the best.’

In The Taming of the Shrew Baptista has different expectations for each daughter for the attitudes they have. For Katherine his eldest daughter Baptista just wants her to get married. But due to her sour attitude towards all especially men, it is hard to find a suitor for her. With saying such, he also wants Katherine to get married before Bianca. Bianca is known to be much more fair, sweet, and kind. Meaning that everyone wants to marry Bianca while they are all being held back by the older sister which cannot find a spouse to marry her.  In act 2, scene 1, lines 361-364

Baptista:

“Content you, gentlemen. I will compound this strife.

‘Tis deeds must win the prize, and he of both

That can assure my daughter greatest dower

Shall have my Bianca's love.“

Here Baptista tells suitors of Bianca, that are fighting over who will marry Bianca; Baptista responds to both of them saying that whoever has more to offer (Deeds), wins and gets to marry his daughter. Deeds meaning wealth. Who ever has more, wins the ‘prize.’  In My Big Fat Greek Wedding the father of Toula, has the key requirement of her spouse being a greek boy. In the scene below, Toula is in the car with her father and narrates listing the three things nice Greek girl are supposed to do in level

“Because nice Greek girls, are supposed to do three things in life. Marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone till the day we die. “

It seems that there is one mission for Greek girls and then after that there is nothing else. Just to meet the required spouse and then make children and keep being the housewife. In The Taming Of The Shrew Kate and Bianca have been given a mission to get married and to take good care of their spouse.  

“Page

My husband and my lord, my lord and husband,

I am your wife in all obedience.

SLY

I know it well. (Induction.2.107-109)”