One-Sided

One-Sided

Comparing Taming of the Shrew to 13 Going on 30

In the Taming of the Shrew, it is clear to the reader that romantic relationships revolve around what the male desires. Although it is not said clearly, it can be seen through the actions and the words being exchanged. In the movie 13 Going on 30, their way to determine who has more power and gets the better relationship with the desired one are those who are the most popular. These two relate because it includes people who seek the best for themselves that eventually get to where they want.

In The Taming of the Shrew, one of the main characters, Petruchio, does not stop but to ensure that Katherine becomes and remains his wife. Katherine is in a learning and adapting process during this relationship. Petruchio also approaches her in a manner that is not considered mean. In the movie, 13 Going on 30, the main character Jenna, wants to be the most popular and have the most attractive guy as her boyfriend, until something backfires. She wishes to be 30, only having it come true. Just like Petruchio, she wants to make everything her way and just like Katherine, she learns to change. These two stories show us that when it comes to marriage and love, there is also one who fights harder and does more so that there can be a relationship.

Petruchio: “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.”

Page 95, Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 290-293.

In this scene, it was around the time of when Katherine and Petruchio first met, Petruchio already had the idea of marrying Katherine, set in his mind. They exchanged conversations when they first met. Katherine was a bit harsh with her words and Petruchio was calm. Petruchio is stating how he is the man Katherine should marry. He will also be the one to “tame” her. Petruchio saying that Katherine is to only marry him means that he has this idea of how life will be for her without even asking how she feels. He makes the decision based on what he wants. Taming her meant that he wanted to change her. He says things like this which shows that he believes that he has authority and that he should be listened to. Katherine has to act a certain way and do certain things so he can be satisfied. She has to do more to keep what they have, intact and together. She has to put the effort while Petruchio says what should be done.

In the movie 13 Going on 30, there was this one scene where it was Jenna’s birthday and she threw a party. She also invited all the popular kids over. When the doorbell rang, she told her current bestfriend at the time to play music as she excitedly ran to open the door. He eventually left to get something and she implied that she didn’t care because it didn’t affect her and her current status. Just like Petruchio, she had authority over her best friend, making herself happy. During this birthday party, she controlled where her best friend stayed and made him get things ready so that the popular kids that were coming would be welcomed nicely. This is like Petruchio because they both had decisions for the benefit of themselves. They display acts of leadership which makes people want to follow because they eventually do in the scenes. In the relationship between Matt and Jenna, Matt is constantly finding himself helping out Jenna and doing what she desires to keep her happy. This allows Jenna to pay attention to him. Jenna has other things on her mind while Matt only has her in his mind. Matt is doing what he is being told to do to keep her happy and their current friendship positive.

Katherine: “No shame but mine. I must forsooth, be forced To give my hand, opposed against my heart, Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen, Who wooed in haste and means to wed at leisure.”

Page 117 Act 3. Scene 2. Lines 8-10.

In The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio and Katherine are indeed married, but it was a difficult process getting there. Katherine began with a breakdown. Petruchio was late for their wedding. She agreed to marrying a man who sought control, only to be left to look like a fool in the beginning of the ceremony. She only had the option of complaining about it because it was all she was capable of doing so. As long as she did her job in giving Petruchio what he wanted, even if she was upset, their relationship together was fine. Petruchio showed up late to their own wedding and he didn’t apologize, but ignored the fact that his soon-to-be wife was upset and carried along. Katherine had to put up with him and just accepted it. This allowed them to move on.

In the movie 13 Going on 30, there was this one scene where Matt was getting married to someone, someone that wasn’t Jenna. Jenna and Matt had reconnected in that time period and did more than what best-friends normally did. They both knew they felt more than just friends towards one another. Jenna goes inside the room and says something along the lines of “You shouldn’t be getting married, not unless it’s to me.” She wanted them to work as more than friends, but Matt saw it a different way, even though deep down he knew he didn’t. He wanted to remain friends although he did possess a large amount of love for her. Jenna agrees and goes away. Just like Katherine, Jenna has to accept what is happening for the better of their relationship. If they act accordingly, they will avoid other problems and be able to move on, leaving the other significant other satisfied, and keeping the relationship they still have with one another, alive.

Katherine: “Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee,”

Page 219. Act 5. Scene 2. Line 162-163.

In this scene of The Taming of the Shrew, everyone was gathered in a place, dining together and talking amongst one another. Katherine then decides to speak up and make a speech. When she finishes her speech, it is clear that her whole perspective on how she should act changes. She has now convinced herself that the correct way to act is by acting the way Petruchio wants. She is the one in the relationship that must do keep them both satisfied in order for the relationship to keep moving forward. She also states it herself. By her words, she is allowing herself to give into what Petruchio wants as if it is what is right and what she should be doing. Petruchio seems to be having indirect control over her. She has to do more than Petruchio does to hold them both together.

In the movie, 13 Going on 30, at the end of the movie, Jenna returns to her 13 year-old self, only realizing what she has been missing out on. She is back into her closet and when she hears her best friend Matt, she quickly opens the door, runs to him and kisses him. She realized, from future her, when she was 30, that Matt was someone she couldn’t lose, the second she open the door, she secured him for herself, jumping on him and kissing him. She makes this action to make sure Matt becomes hooked, which he does, allowing Matt to be Jenna’s. Jenna relates to Katherine in this because they both took it a step further in their relationship to make sure things would be secure between both characters in both relationships.

Although the idea of love and how people should act towards their significant other has changed around time, certain parts of still very much the same. Love seems to be more one-sided whether it is intentional or not. Equalness in love is hard to find and see. It is easier and more likely to find one doing more than the other in a relationship.