Shrew's Playbook
Shrew’s Playbook
Comparing “Taming of the Shrew” to “The Silver Linings Playbook”
William Shakespeare wrote many amazing plays, one of which is The Taming Of The Shrew. To of the many main characters are Katherine and Petruchio. Many, many years after the play a movie was made by David O. Russell called The Silver Linings Playbook. Main characters in the movie are Pat and Tiffany.
In Shrew, Katherine is Petruchio’s lover who goes out of his way to win her but Katherine acts as if she wants nothing to do with him. In Silver Linings Playbook, the Tiffany also sets out to win her love, however she is more open to Pat, who actually wants to get back with his ex-wife
Katherine and Tiffany have the same target in both stories but strategies used are quite different. Tiffany wants someone that actually wants someone else, this causes Tiffany to use different strategies to lure in her loved one. The two conditions show how the tactics used to lure someone have changed over the years. This reflects that the tactics used by women have gotten more efficient to the point where they are standing up for their love.
“Too light for such a swain as you to catch,”
“And yet as heavy as my weight should be.”
Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 215-216
Petruchio had desired to marry Katherine as soon he found out that she is the oldest daughter of the wealthiest men in Padua, Baptista. Petruchio goes to Baptista's to lay out his proposal, the father agrees, only if Petruchio can make Katherine to love him as well. Petruchio then goes to meet Katherine and the two seem to have a bad start.
Katherine speaks to Petruchio but her replies are very sharp. The quote above is from Katherine and Petruchio’s met. Katherine means that she is too quick for such an awkward person as Petruchio to catch her but that she is the right weight for someone else. Her comment was suppose to push Petruchio away but it made Petruchio come to her more. This seems to be Katherine’s way of getting Petruchio because the more she acts as to not wanting anything to do with Petruchio the more it lures him into wanting Katherine.
The act of pretending to not like the opposite sex doesn’t seem to work years later in The Silver Lining Playbook. The movie shows that the female is more eager to show their love to the person they love.
In The Silver Lining Playbook, Tiffany is a widow and a recovering drug addict. She falls in love with Ted, who was just released from a mental health facility back into his parents house. The two meet over dinner at Tiffany’s sisters house, where Pat gets to know more about Tiffany. She later feels tired and asks Pat to walk her home. When they arrive in front of her house Tiffany right away says that Pat can have sex with her. Pat is stunted by her reply because all he wants is to have a friendly relationship with his wife. This shows that female are now more willing and more open to the mind of men.
Would Katherine had never seen him, though!
Act 3, Scene 2, Line 26
After Petruchio’s efforts to get Katherine, he finally gets to marry her. On the wedding day Katherine says the quote above. This quote says Katherine wishes that she had never met Petruchio. This again shows that she doesn’t want anything to do with him.
In the movie Tiffany and Pat start to understand each other more and become more friendly. Pat decides to write a letter to his ex-wife explaining what is happening in his life. However, Pat can not give the letter to his wife because of his restraining order. Tiffany sees this as a change to see pat more and use it to her benefit.
Tiffany agrees to give the letter to his wife only if he enter a dance competition with her because her husband couldn’t. Pat aggres and this gives tiffany the opportunity to spend more time and be much closer to Pat. Tiffany uses the strategy of doing something and getting something in return to get Pat closer to her. This is similar and different to the way Katherine tries to win Petruchio. They both are trying to win someone just in opposite ways. Katherine’s strategy is to act as if she doesn’t want Petruchio and Tiffany’s strategy is to be more open and do things for Pat.
Over the years females behavior and tactics used to win their loved ones have changed. Before they were too shy and careful to say the way they truly felt about someone but now females stand up to the person they love and are less cautious.
Work cited
The Silver Lining Playbook. Dir. David O. Russell. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Mirage Enterprises and The Weinstein Company, 2012.
Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.
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