"To love her just the way she isn't"

“To love someone just the way they aren’t”

The taming of the shrew and Bridget Jones' Diary



Taming of the shrew analyzing Bridget Jones’ movie from her point of view marc darcies and daniel cleaver ‘Bridget Jones’ diary focuses’ on Bridget a working woman who is struggling to find a man. She meets  Mark Darcy and finds him to be incredibly rude to her, and later becomes the girlfriend of Daniel Cleaver who cheats on her with another woman but it constantly reminds Bridget of her inadequacies. While “Bridget Jones’ Diary” Shows supposedly shows the story of a “modern woman,” these customs of marriage especially for a woman is the only way she will be deemed successful.




“ Kate of my consolation Hearing thy mildness praised in every town,Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded,

Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs,”



Petruchio is talking to Katherine about how he will woo her, this is also the point where he is starving her and telling her it’s because she deserves better. This is exactly similar to what Daniel Cleaver does towards the end of his relationship with Bridget where he, allows himself to cheat on her and tells her it’s simply because she is far too good for him.  This is exactly similar to what Daniel Cleaver does towards the end of his relationship with Bridget where he, allows himself to cheat on her and tells her it’s simply because she is far too good for him.  However his torture of her allows for him to control her. At which point she eventually rebels from his tactics and kicks him to the curb after he fights with Mark Darcy.





In this scene Bridget's mom has introduced Bridget and Mark, and leaves them to have a conversation. Mark is obviously not interested in Bridget as she tries to make the situation less awkward by talking about how awkward the situation they both are in is, and in turn makes it that much more awkward. She leaves and Mark insults her loud enough for her to hear it. In this scene in particular mark is most similar to Katherine, he is unmoved by this ‘suitor’ that his mom has placed upon him trying in trying to pressure him into getting married or have a girlfriend. Katherine is the same way, where she acts awful and nasty towards every man that has tried to woo her in order for her to marry before her sister even though she has no desire too. This shows that the custom of marriage for Bridget is much more embarrassing that she is single than it is for Mark Darcy. Although we compare Mark’s attitude to that of Katherines’ it is Bridget who ultimately ends up the victim to the cruel harsh words of Darcy, while Katherine appeared ridiculous and rude to not want such a suitor.


“Sir, understand you this of me in sooth The youngest daughter whom you hearken for Her father keeps from all access of suitors,

And will not promise her to any man”



This is the scene where petruchio has already been asked to win over Katherine in order to free Bianca’s eligibility and he is talking to Baptista who is the father of both girls. This plays on the traditional customs of Women who are unable to chose their own husbands. While Baptista does eventually tell Petruchio that Katherine must love him, it remains unclear if she ever does, or merely accepted her fate. This custom has not been completely diminished the approval of the father within relationships from a father figure or “Man of the house” is often something that society looks for within a stable home. A man is not good if dad doesn’t approve. This is the difference that we find with Bridget in her movie.




In this scene, Mark darcy and Daniel Cleaver are both fighting over Bridget, Daniel has just come from his home showing up randomly to announce how he feels about Bridget and to apologize to her for the awful ordeal he caused her. Prior to Bridget and Mark, and Daniel meeting Daniel Cleaver were already friends with Mark and lost touch after Daniel had an affair with Mark’s Fiance but told Bridget that the opposite happened. In this particular situation Bridget is both Bianca and Baptista and Katherine, She has been warped and pressured into making a decision to date someone throughout the film, and now has to make the decision of whom she wants to marry at the same time while being the most wanted girl. This is supposed to show the example of good guy V.S. bad guy within this scene however their is no concern for the choice of Bridget, and while she is the protagonist her entire life revolves around having a man in it. This shows how, even though we change the times and the rolls and allude to the idea that the decision is all Bridgets. What we actually see is that it is much prettier to see who is more deserving of her and judge her for the selection that she makes. Much like in Shrew how it was never Biancas decision to be married or not, it was simply to whom. Bridgets worth is completely diminished if she does not chose a man. But it is not her choice where her worth comes from.


Both the taming of the shrew and Bridget Jones diary emphasize the idea that a woman's worth is in her man. Society likes the to have the idea of a happy ending being with a man period. Noth the realisation that a women could be beautiful without one, or have worth on her own. However that is not the case. These portrayals show us that the institutions of marriage are the only way for anyone to achieve security in their lives. At the end of the movie Mark Darcy tells Bridget that he is in love with her just the way she is, after she has changed completely.


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