Standards vs. Love
Comparing "The Taming Of The Shrew" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love"
Many people in the world believe in romantic love. The feeling that you see a person and you know that they are the one. Taming of the Shrew has Lucentio and Katharine. Lucentio has his encounter with a woman named Bianca and it’s their love at first sight for him. Katharine wants to be in a relationship, but she wants a husband that is up to her standards. The movie Crazy, Stupid, Love has Julianne Moore as Emily Weaver a woman who thought she had what was needed for a healthy marriage until she cheats on her husband. The two got a divorce and Emily goes throught the movie trying to find out what she wants in life. At the same time Jacob Palmer who is a man who has standards, but isn’t really looking for love until he meets Hannah who he falls in love with at first sight even though he himself never believed in romantic love. Both Shrew and Crazy, Stupid, Loveboth show characers looking for true love, but the difference is the standards that s person has in ‘shrew’ based on if the person fits that one standard while inCrazy, Stupid, Love the person does not have to fit any of them and still be together..
Katharine::I pray you sir,is it your will to make me a stale amongst these mates
(Act 1, Scene 1, 57)
Baptista suggest that either Grumio or Hortensio marry Katharine so that one of them may marry Bianca. The statement offends Katharine and she says how she would be seen as a laughingstock if married to these men. This shows that she wants a husband who fits her standard which is why she rejects Grumio and Hortensio who do not meet her standards.
Emily also feels that her relationship with her husband is one of ridicule.
In this scene Emily has just told her husband that she want a divorce. The car is uncomfortably silent and Emily says “25 years of marriage and you can’t say anything.” Kate wants a husband that meets her standards while Emily obviously has been with a husband who has not.The scene in the car has the audience feel that their marriage was nothing with the 25 years commitment, but still show that Emily believed that she and her husband had something between them regardless of standards.
Petruchio: Happily to wive and thrive, as best I may
(Act 1, Scene 2, 57)
In this scene Petruchio is telling Hortensio that he is looking for a wife. Notice how he says “as best I may” meaning that he is looking for a woman to at least fit one standard, but he will be satisfied if she does not meet all of them
Jacob has a similar experience in Crazy,Stupid,Love
One of the first things Jacob says in this scene is “Me sitting across the bar for the last 2 hours not being able to take my eyes off you is a fact.” Unlike Petruchio, Jacob finds a woman that he doesn’t know if she fits his standards and still decides he must have her. Before this scene, the director has purposely has the audience see Jacob in the background of the bar watching the girl he is interested in from afar. The director did this to show the audience that Jacob is honestly interested in the girl and that she fits the standards. |
Over the years the ability to accept one's faults regardless of standards has changed dramatically. Now a person could be against a persons standard, but still be compatible. I think this is because society now sees dating/courtship as an everyday thing rather than just picking or trying to be a suitor for marriage.
Shakesphere, William. The Taming of the Shrew. New York City: A Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.
Ficarra, Glenn, dir. Crazy,Stupid,Love. Writ. Fogelman Dan. Carousel Productions, 2011. Film. 6 Dec 2013.
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