Lucentio in Manhattan

Lucentio in Manhattan

The Taming of the Shrew; Maid in Manhattan

Pilar Carroll

Air Stream

     In english class we read the play The Taming of the Shrew, one of the main characters is Bianca, a beautiful girl that all the men are fond of. By contrast  the play also includes bianca’s sister, Katherine, a mean sour women who men tend to stay away from. Then there are the men of the play, Baptista, the father, Patricio, Katherine's husband, and Bianca's three suitors, Luciano, Grumio, and Hortensio. In the Maid in Manhattan, the main characters name is Marissa, she is a maid at The Beresford Hotel. She has a son named Ty. There is a man at the Hotel named Christopher Marshall, he is running for senator, and helping him is Jerry. Lasty, there is a women also staying at the hotel named Caroline, she is extremely rich.  

     In both this play and the movie, money is a factor. Though almost everyone in The Taming of the Shrew has the same social class, Marissa in Maid in Manhattan, was of a lower class than the rest of the characters in that movie. This could be seen as making the movies have no connection, but that fact that Marissa lied about her social class, is just like Lucentio lying about his identity and profession. These scenarios are very similar. Through out both the movie and the play, The characters act deceitfully when put in strange situations of love.

LUCENTIO

Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father’s he!

But art thou not advised, he took some care

To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?

TRANIO

Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now ’tis plotted!

LUCENTIO

I have it, Tranio!

TRANIO

   You will be schoolmaster

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

That’s your device.

(Act 1, Scene 1, 158-169)

     In this scene of The Taming of the Shrew, Lucentio, a young, handsome man who was sent to Pisa to go to university, sees a young women, named Bianca, accompanied by her undesirable sister, Katherine, and her father, Baptista. Bianca has two suitors following her Grumio, and Hortensio.There is a short spute between Katherine and the suitors, but eventually it is finished and they all go inside. After they leave, Lucentio discussed with his servant, Tranio about love he fell in love with her, at first sight. He knows that he could not court her they way his is now simply because her father with not approve. So he decided that he will disguise himself, to deceive Baptista, and Bianca, eventually to woo her. He dresses up as something Bianca is very familiar with, and fond of, a school teacher.

     This scene of Maid in Manhattan. Marissa is cleaning up the Park suite for a wealth guest. Another maid, Stephanie is helping Marissa clean the suite. While they are cleaning, Stephanie goes into the guests closet, and pulls out a Dolce & Gabbana outfit, begging Marissa to try them on. As she is putting on the clothes. Marissa's nine year old son, Ty, meets Christopher Marshall, a politician, his dog, and his right hand man, Jerry, on the elevator. Ty asks Christopher if he could walk his go with him. He goes upstairs to the park suite to ask Marissa, accompanied by Christopher. As Ty knocks on the door, Stephanie opens it. Stephanie see’s Christopher with Ty, and introduces Marissa as Ms.Carolyn, the name of the women renting the suite. Marissa and Christopher lock eyes, and have an intense moment. Her over ruled by his looks, plays along as being Carolyn.

     In both these scenes, Lucentio, and Marissa found the ones they loved, from love at first sight. They both decided to be in disguise to woo the ones they loved, and admired.

“LUCENTIO

Here’s Lucentio, right son to the right Vincentio,

That have by marriage made thy daughter mine

While counterfeit supposes bleared thine eyne.”

(Act 5, Scene 1, 97-99)

     In this scene of The Taming of the Shrew, the real Lucentio reveals himself to Bianca’s family. Before he reveals himself, everyone thinks that he is a latin teacher. After he shares that he is Lucentio, he explains how he is going to marry Bianca. He has shown that they loved each other, and have disregarded the fact that he lied about who he was in order for her to fall for him.

       This is the last scene in Maid in Manhattan. Previously, Christopher found out that Marissa was the maid. She was fired from her job. Christopher and Marissa parted ways, but were clearly devastated by their split. One day, Christopher was in town making a speech, and Ty, Marissa's son, knew he was going to be at her hotel. During Christophers speech, he asked for any questions, Ty asked about giving people second chances. Ty the convinced Christopher to go and find Marissa, and confess his love to her. When marissa saw Christopher she expressed how sorry she was, and how she was scared regarding her social class. But he exclaimed that he didn’t care. They confessed their love to each other, and lived “happily ever after”.

     Even though the scenarios were not completely the same in The Taming of the Shrew, and in Maid in Manhattan; both stories have extremely similar introductions into deceitfulness, and outcomes of deceitfulness. Both Lucentio and Marissa saw opportunities to get to the ones they love, and they took their chances. Thankfully, Bianca, and Christopher loved them so much that they did not care about the lies, because love is all that matters.