"Having control can come in handy!"

Everyone wants to have at least a some little amount of control on something, in “The taming of the Shrew”, one of the main men Petruchio believes to have complete control on a woman he plans on marrying, Katherine. In the movie “Bride Wars”, two best friends since toddlers planned their entire weddings out until the day it all actually happens. The two friends do everything in their power to make their wedding better than the others with the mistake of the weddings being planned on the same day. The demanding ways both women used help and hurt to plan the day of their dreams. The husbands of both women were too scared to say the truth to their fiancés because they know it wasn’t what the girls wanted to hear.

Petruchio as well as both Emma and Liv want the same things, control. Especially Liv, her view on life is that she has to always be first. Petruchio was a man of honor, well at least in his eye. Everyone would bow at his feet and listen to his commands. After listening to the stories about a woman named Katherine by some men he came across, he thought he could woo her and make her become his by his rules. Something that Petruchio didn’t noticed was how stubborn she was. She was also about control and hard to please. Though these storylines are totally different they are still common in one way, having control. This goes to show that over many years, having the desire to be in control has not changed. Both of these stories reflect on the control that one has on their spouse which then helps the relationship in the end.  

Going back to the middle of the book act three, scene two, in “Shrew”, after Katherine agrees to marry Petruchio the wedding day finally arrived. The only thing was that the husband was late. Everyone’s questioning on what is happening until Biondello comes into the act.

Biondollo- “Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candle cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt and chapeless; with two broken points; his horse hipped, with an old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred, besides possessed with the glanders and like to mose in the chine, troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of wingdalls, sped with spavins, rayed with yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten, near-legged before and with a half-checked bit and a headstall of sheeps leather, which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots, one girth six times pieced, and a woman’s crupper of velour, which hath two letters for her name fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.”

(Page 119; lines 42-62)

Biondelleo describes to the wedding party that Petruchio was coming but in a ridiculous outfit. This outfit was one of the first ways to show everyone Petruchio was in control. Though the outfit was horrifying as well as embarrassed Petruchio was making a point, that no matter what he puts Katherine, she will never really leave him. He know it would embarrass her but she was too into him that she wasn’t even going to fight back because she knew she wasn’t going to win. The wedding continued and Petruchio and Katherine were finally married.

Now in the beginning of the movie “Bride Wars”, the first time where the women are shown to be controlling and the men have nothing to say.

Both Emma and Liv have the amount of control on their men where they can do what they want and neither will say any comment in return. Both talking to their men about having a good time while the Bride of the wedding they’re at was about to throw the bouquet. 

Emma- “ Gotta go!”

(Man has a silent, mad face on.)

Emma then brings Liv along and she pocks her boyfriend in the chest and says,

“ They take it so seriously.” And then leaves. 

Both men are standing together with a silent but mad face having nothing to say but to shake their heads. This goes to show both women have control over their men. In the case of “Shrew”, Petruchio has all of the control over Katherine and she is left silent. 

Now back to the “Shrew”, in act 5 scene two a gathering is going on and a bet has been placed. The bet has to deal with which man has the most control over their wives for them to listen and to obey to their orders. Two men already went to try and fetch the other wives but they did not listen. Petruchio's turn is next and he commands a suitor to go and fetch his wife. With a surprise from the guest in the room as well as Pertuchio,

Katherine walking into the room ready for a command.

Katherine- “What is your will, sir, that you send for me?”

Katherine- “Go fetch them hither. If they deny to come, Swinge me them soundly forth unto their husbands. Away, I say, and bring them hither straight.” 

           (Exit KATHERINE)

(Page 215; Lines 113-118)

Katherine went to go and fetch the other women. This proves that Petruchio not only won the bet but has the most control over his wife and she has not a word to say about it. She replies will straight positive answers ready for his command. 

After the mixup of the weddings being placed on the same day both women promise that one will change their date but both are not giving up just yet.

Liv- “She's gonna move her date. She always was the bendy one, even as a kid, remember?”

Liv has always been the controlling one ever since her and Emma were kids and she will not give up for anything. She always know that Emma would put her happiness up before anyones, she was just that type of person but not this time. After a while, Liv needed a maid of honor but she just brought her fiancée instead to pick out the “save the dates”. Emma was going to give in and call Liv to try and settle things out but she find out that Liv went behind her back and was about to break the promise. 

Talking with her future husband about giving in he tells her to call Liv to make up and what he didn’t realize what he said wrong about the “save the date” invitations. Emma was really upset and now it was her time to shine. “Not this time. "No. No, no, no, no, no.I am a bride too. Okay? I'm number one too!” Emma sending out a save the date email to all her friends except Liv to get her word out first. She's playing no more games now.

Katherine has nothing to say after Petruchio gave her the orders because she was under a high amount of control where she didn’t even know what to say other then okay and leave. With Emma and Liv their type of control over their husbands is that they would demand something and they would get it without their men saying anything in return. The men would just listen and stare. That goes to show how one has control, and the others stay silent.

Back to the “Shrew, after Katherine goes and fetches the other women like her master pleased she says a very long speech that amazes everyone in act five, scene two.

Katherine- “Fie, fie! Unknit that threat'ning unkind brow And dart not scornful glances from those eyes. To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor. It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads, Confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds, And in no sense is meet or amiable. A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty, And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee, And for thy maintenance commits his body To painful labor both by sea and land, To watch the night in storms, the day in cold, Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe, And craves no other tribute at thy hands. But love, fair looks and true obedience— Too little payment for so great a debt. Such duty as the subject owes the prince, Even such a woman oweth to her husband. And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour, And not obedient to his honest will, What is she but a foul contending rebel. And graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple. To offer war where they should kneel for peace; Or seek for rule, supremacy and sway. When they are bound to serve, love, and obey. Why are our bodies soft and weak and smooth, Unapt to toil and trouble in the world, But that our soft conditions and our hearts. Should well agree with our external parts? Come, come, you forward and unable worms!”

(Page 219; Lines 152-178 )

Katherine goes on to say that one should obey whatever her husband has to command. He is the king, the leader and one should never think otherwise. Petruchio was amazed by the words and is convinced that she was tamed and his plan worked as wanted. 

At the end of “Bride Wars” after both girls were done sabotaging each other and making a big fight with the man they are suppose to be marrying they both just give up and give in. Both thinking and saying the same thing, “Oh, this fighting is so dumb, I'm so sorry about everything.”

At the end of both stories things actually work out for the better even though no one was expecting it. Emma found out about her true self and was convinced that the love between the man she was about to marry was “just a thing of the past”. While letting him go she remembered all she really needed was her best friend. In “Taming of the Shrew”, no one would've thought that Katherine and Petruchio would of ended up together but they did. He ended with an accomplishment and a wife as well as Liv but Emma ended off with something different, a new look on life. One partner having control in these relationship helped form them into what they really needed to be. Throughout the centuries nothing really changed about what society wants to see! They want to see someone wearing the pants in the relationship and one to watching them fit. 

Bibliography:  

-Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew. N.p.: 1590-1592, n.d. Print.

-Bride Wars. Dir. Gary Winick. Perf. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. 2009. DVD.

-"The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)." Bride(: |-*| )Wars Script at IMSDb. N.p., 5 Jan. 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.

-SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.