Visual Essay

The Taming of Lovelace

Comparing “Taming of the Shrew” and “Lovelace”

As “The Taming of the Shrew” proves, the inevitability of deception in domestic relationships has existed over centuries. In “Shrew”, Petruchio’s main drive is to not only have Katherine exist as his wife, but to use the power he will hold in that relationship to essentially rewire her and make her the perfect, docile wife. In the 2013 movie “Lovelace”, the main character falls into a similar situation as Katherine- the main difference is, she was genuinely in love with her significant other, Chuck, up until the point where she realized he had ill intentions and was not the man she thought him to be.

Although Petruchio and Chuck share very similar traits and motives, the way in which they bring this to light are very different. Petruchio lays out all of his flaws for Katherine in the beginning, and though he gives her no choice to whether she will accept them or not, his honesty ends up being an attractive trait to Katherine. On the other hand, as Chuck’s true colors come to light over the course of their relationship, Linda’s trust in Chuck falters and deteriorates until the point where she no longer feels safe with her husband and wants to get away. These two situations are representative of how society’s willingness to let women enter toxic relationships has changed in the sense that it is more widely looked down upon, and furthermore, how those who perpetrate toxic behavior have become more secretive and cunning because of it. Even so, the core desire many men have to manipulate and control within their relationships has not changed and inevitably lead to lack of honesty and deception in which the woman falls victim.



"And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of Her widowhood, be it that she survive me, In all my lands and leases whatsoever. Let specialities be therefore drawn between us, That covenants may be kept on either hand."


(Act 2, Scene 1, 130-134)


In this scene, Petruchio is meeting Baptista for the first time and the two are discussing Petruchio’s desire to marry Katherine. In the quote, Petruchio is laying out the conditions of his dowry, which states that if he dies before her Katherine will be in possession of everything he owns. After this offer, Baptista says, "Ay, when the special thing is well obtained, That is, her love, for that is all in all." to which Petruchio responds, “Why, that is nothing…” As the reader can tell, this is Petruchio’s tactic in wooing the parent of the woman he wants. Not only did he offer a hefty dowry, but he was also able to gain the respect and admiration of Baptista, ultimately confirming his status as Katherine’s future husband.


The protagonist finds herself in a similar position when Chuck expresses his determination to make her parents like him.



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As we can see from the screenshots, Chuck proposes a bet to Linda. After he states the conditions of the bet, she asks, “What if I win?” to which he repeats, “You spend the night at my house.” Exactly like Petruchio, Chuck gives Linda no choice in coming home with him. While Petruchio uses the means of trapping her in marriage, Chuck uses the appeal of his mystery and takes advantage of Linda’s innocence to depict himself as someone she can trust and commit to.


"You lie, in faith, for you are called plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst. But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate (For dainties are all Kates)- and therefore, Kate, Take this of me, 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), Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife."


(Act 2, Scene 1, 193-202)


In this scene, Petruchio is meeting Katherine for the first time. True to her reputation, she immediately gives off a bitter attitude and presents herself as unapproachable. Petruchio is not deterred and persists with conversation, choosing to flatter her like he planned to in his speech earlier in the text. In the quote, he is combatting her claim that her reputation is accurate by calling her virtuous and beautiful. Of course, she thinks this is ridiculous and does not take him seriously, and by the end of their exchange she refuses to warm up to him.


In the movie, Chuck continuously uses flattery to get closer to Linda and he, too, combats a lot of her insecurities by doing so. Also similar to Petruchio and Katherine, Linda is typically the one to make a self detrimental claim first to which Chuck responds.


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In the first scene, Linda, Chuck and Linda’s friend Patsy along with a few other off screen characters are hanging out on the beach. Patsy wants Linda to skinny dip in the ocean with her, but Linda says she has to go home soon. Patsy says, “You’re such a drag.” and goes into the water. As we can see in the screenshots, Linda and Chuck are having a conversation when she inquires if he also feels the way Patsy does, to which he disagrees. Afterwards, the two kiss. Despite only knowing Chuck for a day or so, his flattery combined with Linda’s innocence and overall lack of experience causes her to fall for him quickly.


In the second scene, Chuck is having a party at his house. While Linda is in another room, he and Patsy look at the home made pornography film playing on a large screen and Chuck tries to make a move on Patsy. She quickly leaves and says to Linda, “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” Linda does, and she sees the movie playing and is shocked. He asks if she’s ever seen porn and she admits she hasn’t. She adds, “Good girls don’t do that stuff.” In the screenshots we again see Chuck using flattery by appealing to her insecurities even though she doesn’t make them obvious. When Linda says, “Good girls don’t do that stuff”, looking closely the viewer can tell she is subtly concerned that Chuck may no longer like her because of this, just as she was concerned he would think she was a drag. This plays into how deception and control in a relationship is not only on part of the perpetrator, but also how men often seek out or target younger and innocent girls because they are easier to manipulate. Linda’s desire to be liked causes her to subconsciously make decisions she typically wouldn’t make to gain Chuck’s approval. Although age isn’t as big of a factor between Katherine and Petruchio, she is still seen conforming to Petruchio’s expectations and commands in several scenes to ease out their relationship. The notion of setting one’s morals aside for the approval of a significant other is a common result of deceptive relationships.


There are some other important factors to consider when observing Linda’s character: she is 21 years old, lives with her mother and father who are both extremely strict and religious, has had very limited sexual encounters and the only one she addresses (in the beginning of the film) was a bad experience. Taking all of these into account, the audience can infer that her young age and limited experience conflicts with her home life and limitations forced upon her. It is almost inevitable that she would willingly act out at one point or another- either for herself, defiance against her parents or a combination of both. This is what inevitably leads Linda to fall into a relationship based on deception, manipulation and control.


"The more my wrong, the more his spite appears. What, did he marry me to famish me?... Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep..."


(Act 4, Scene 3, 2-10)


In this scene, Katherine is expressing her confusion with the treatment she is receiving from Petruchio. Throughout the early stages of them knowing each other, he showered her in flattery and acted as though he would treat her like a treasure. Upon taking her home, however, he completely flips the script and treats her like a slave.

In the movie, Linda finds herself in this exact situation when she moves in with Chuck. In the beginning, he does not physically abuse her or show signs of violence, but the lack of honesty and intentional deception begins to show.


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In this scene, the couple are sitting in a diner after Linda has bailed Chuck out of jail for the first time. She attempts to inquire about what happened, at which point Chuck bangs on the table twice and puts his head in his hands. In this conversation, the audience infers that this is not the first argument the two have had about this seeing as Linda already knows not to ask Chuck about his ‘work’. He eventually tells her that there was a situation between a client and one of Chuck’s ‘girl’s’, and Linda says, “What, you mean like, prostitution?” and Chuck confirms. She then asks if she will be questioned by the police, and Chuck responds, “No, no no, wives can’t testify against their husbands.” Guilt tripping is a common form of deception, and Chuck takes of advantage of Linda’s love for him by guilting her into thinking he’s hopeless. After saying she can’t testify against him, he goes on to ask, “What are we gonna do about it? Me and you.” emphasizing that the two are a unit and that she must help him. The next day, he takes her to a porn audition and shoot as a means to make money.  

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Here, we see the result of Linda defying Chuck’s orders. In an earlier scene, Chuck tells Linda to sit on one of the producer’s lap, to which responds, “I’m having an intellectual conversation, Chuck. Why don’t you sit on his lap?” Later, when everyone goes upstairs for the party, the guests hear Linda and Chuck in the next room and assume they are having sex. However, Chuck was beating Linda for for what she had said earlier. Once she is collapsed on the floor, he says, “If I tell you so sit, screw, fuck, you do it.” Not only does this show Chuck’s ruthless behavior, but also makes it explicit to the viewer of the undeniable control Chuck has over Linda as her husband and manager. Because she is his wife, he utilizes this to justify why he forces her to commit sexual acts either on camera or with other men for money. In the scene from earlier where Linda bails Chuck out of jail, he emphasizes the two have to work together to pay off Chuck’s debts. All of these factors combined are what causes Linda to be stuck in an abusive relationship with her husband.

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This scene is more support for the points made in the previous paragraph. When Chuck mistreats Linda, he reminds her that she is his wife and forces her to confirm that she is his, reinforcing the control and possession Chuck has over her.


Linda being roped into an abusive marriage reinforces that deception and abuse of power is inevitable in most relationships- specifically those with an innocent and naive counterpart. Petruchio finishes off “Shrew” having “tamed” Katherine and showing her off to the other males, and while Linda manages to escape her marriage by the end of the movie, Chuck did his fair share of doing the same. Katherine’s mindset and attitude towards marriage was shaped by Petruchio, which we see through her speech at the end. Linda, on the other hand, never lost sight of what she deserves not only in a relationship but as a person in general.

Two Can Play that Game

Comparing the play, “The Taming of the Shrew” and the the movie, “High School Musical: 2”.

The play The Taming of the Shrew unifies ideas of possessions for show. These possessions are not just common objects, but they are also people. Characters of the play, like Katherine and Petruchio, both demonstrate these ideas. The movie, High School Musical: 2, also share these ideas about possession. The rich and talented Sharpay tries her best to exercise her status to trick and win over Troy, another talented student.


For those who are familiar with the High School Musical franchise, it is known how manipulative Sharpay Evans can be. She already has the fortune, but she also wants fame and she will do whatever it takes to get it. Sharpay’s main gist for wanting Troy is to sing with him during the talent show. Because he is very talented, together they will attract many people, making Sharpay famous. In the play, The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is a fortune hungry bachelor. He wants to marry, but not just any woman. Petruchio wants a wealthy and well known woman that he can show off, and he will make sure he gets just that. Both the play and the movie show ideas of not just material possessions, but personage possessions too. These human possessions are ones that are worth swanking about. They can be shown off and advertised to benefit the braggart. They both the play and movie demonstrate that relationships are more about having a human possession to parade than actual love.


“...if I get your daughter's love, what dowry shall I have with her to wife?” - Petruchio Act 2/Sc. 1/Pg. 83


In this excerpt, Petruchio is asking Baptisia, Katherine’s father, what he may receive if he takes Katherine’s hand in marriage. Petruchio has already shared with Baptista what he can bring to the table; he is legally entitled to his father’s land and goods. Although her love is not enough for Petruchio, Baptista offers him half of his land and twenty thousand crowns as well. This exposes that courtship in this Shakespearean novel is centered around material wealth and what one can offer another, rather than love itself. This idea of courtship is also reflected in the movie High School Musical: 2. This movie takes place in a modern day setting. Sharpay wants to be with Troy for only one reason, his musical talent and she displays acts of interest only to win him over.


In this scene of the movie, Sharpay fairly expresses to Troy how cool her life is. Her father is arriving to a golf course via a helicopter and her parents own the country club he works at. Not only does she let him play golf with her and her parents, she gives him a pay bonus for it too. She is vaguely showing him what she has to offer to him, and by offering him all of these luxuries, she hopes to gain his interest. If he decides to be with her, he will get a fair share of her cool life.


“After my death, the one half of my lands, and, in possession, twenty thousand crowns.” - Baptista Act 2/Sc. 1/Pg. 83


The excerpt from the play also displays parental interference in courtship/dating. Because Baptista chose to respond to Petruchio with a dowry, offering him land and crowns, he has made an interference. He already had an influence of who Katherine gets to marry, but now he also has an influence on her partner as well. Petruchio only gets these treasures if he marries Katherine. This play logic is similar to the movie.


In this scene in the movie, High School Musical; 2, Sharpay invites Troy to dinner with her parents. Without his knowing his parents invites a college basketball player who can hook Troy up with a possible scholarship. After a long night of dinner and talking, Troy is put on the spot when Sharpay asks him to promise to sing with her. He faces the choice of either agreeing to sing with her and get the scholarship or not agreeing and upsetting her parents and throwing away his shot at college. Of course Troy agrees to sing in order to maintain Sharpay’s parents’ happiness, but deep down he actually did not want to do it.


“Say as he says, or we shall never go.”

- Hortensio Act 4/Sc. 5/Pg. 187


In this excerpt from the play, Katherine and Petruchio are arguing over whether the sun or the moon is in the sky. Katherine know it is the sun in the sky, but Petruchio will not agree with her. Hortensio, friend and wingman to Petruchio, insist that Katherine agree with Petruchio or the argument will never drop. Once Katherine gives in and agrees with Petruchio, he then rebuttals his arguments saying the sun is indeed in the sky and Katherine had just lied. Petruchio now sees Katherine as his puppet; he owns her. She will now do or say whatever he wants. At this point in the play Katherine goes along with Petruchio's ideas to avoid conflict with him. This tactic of “giving in” is also used in the movie.


In this scene of the movie, Mr. Fulton, the club manager, promotes Troy to a new position under Sharpay’s orders. This new position offers more money, less labor, and club benefits. Although the job comes with many benefits, Troy can no longer work beside his friends. Mr. Fulton insist that Troy be grateful and appreciate his new position. Troy, once again, goes along with the idea to avoid upsetting Sharpay and her parents. Sharpay now has control and some kind of ownership over Troy. She has the ability to make him agree to anything. The main reason why Troy continues to give in is because his college career is on the line.


Both the play, The Taming of the Shrew, and the movie, High School Musical: 2,  holds true to idea of having a human possession to show off. Although both forms of productions are based in different eras, they still hold many similarities to one another. Usually these kinds of behaviors exercised would not happen in the past if gender roles were switched, like they were in the movie. Society back then was strict and and more sexist than today’s modern era. This goes to show that not only men can obtain human possessions over the opposite sex, but women can too and with the help of parental influences.


Work Cited:

  • Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print

  • High School Musical: 2, Kenny Ortega, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Disney Channel, August 17, 2007


Mask Off

Mask Off

Comparing “The Taming of the Shrew” to “Enchanted”



The whole representation of identities involved in a romance is characterized in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew," and is also interpreted in the movie "Enchanted." In "Taming of the Shrew," Lucentio and Tranio become different identities, tricking other characters in the book, trying to be loved as who they are pretending to be. Lucentio deceived Bianca by acting like he was someone else in hopes of her falling in love with him. Katherine was also deceived by Petruchio who tried to persuade her that there was an arranged marriage. Similarly, Giselle, the princess in “Enchanted,” constantly reminds the animals and people throughout the movie that you have to wear certain clothes and act a certain way in order to prove your love for someone; yet conflict arises when she receives help in the modern world from a divorce lawyer and encounters the downsides of relationships between couples. Both the play and the movie depict that false identities made for love eventually become revealed.


“Basta, content thee, for I have it full.

We have not yet been seen in any house,

Nor can we be distinguished by our faces

For man or master. Then it follows thus:

Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,

Keep house and port and servants as I should.

I will some other be, some Florentine,

Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.

'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so. Tranio, at once

Uncase thee. Take my colored hat and cloak.”

(Lucentio, Act 1/ Scene 1, Line 204)


In this quote, Lucentio is explaining to Tranio that no one has either of their identities memorized. He continues to tell Tranio the rules and remembers to tell him to even act like him. Acting like Lucentio would mean telling the servants what to do as Lucentio would do himself. Finally, Lucentio assures Tranio that he will make up who he wants to pretend to be. Options included being a guy from Florence, Naples, or Pisa.


Robert encounters a similar situation, but is in forced in a position to play the role.


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In this scene, Giselle finishes singing about all of the things that Robert could possibly do win back the heart of his fiance. She tells him to send her flowers, wear stuff that matches characteristics of her, and go completely out of your way. That’s why the song goes “ That’s how you know” because she is saying all of this grand gestures will prove whether you love or not. At the end of the song, she sends his fiance doves, flowers, and two tickets to the ball.  Instead of Lucentio, who chose to take on something that he is not, Robert was stuck in a role. The flowers were received, but also questioned by Robert’s fiance, because “it didn’t seem like him.”


In both “Enchanted” and “The Taming of the Shrew” they both portray the cover up and false interpretations of relationships.


“(to TRANIO) 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

Until the elder sister first be wed.

The younger then is free, and not before.”


(Petruchio (to Tranio) Act 1/Scene 2/ Line 265)


In this quote, Petruchio is making it very clear to Tranio that Bianca is off limits due to her father’s request.  No one is allowed to have Bianca until Katherine is married to someone. Meaning that whoever wants Bianca has to wait, which adds conflict.



Giselle, like Petruchio, tries to teach ways of love to each other, yet it later becomes upsetting.

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In this scene, Giselle gets the reality of marriage and relationships, and ends up witnessing the downfall of how they could be. She learns that not everyone is going to stay in love with each other. Robert then persuades Giselle to deal with the fact that the couple simply do not want to be together anymore, due to the many issues they were seeming to face. The couple in this scene were filing for a divorce, and later learn after Giselle’s reaction what they fell in love with about each other. Both Giselle and Petruchio try to highlight to other characters the standards of love.


Conclusion

Roberts ends up marrying Giselle, and Robert’s ex-fiance ends up going for Giselle’s prince. Petruchio ends up winning more than what was expected in the overall. Giselle seemed to have a deeper education on definitions and ways of love. Everyone does end up happy with their “true love.” The audience was shown that identities will eventually be revealed, yet aso be loved for who they are.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, Trevor Howard, Margaret Leighton, Miles Malleson, and Howard Sackler. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Caedmon Records CDL 5211., 1972. Print.


Enchanted Written by Bill Kelly

The Taming of the Groundhog


A comparison between Groundhog Day and Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew has a bizarre title that sums up a large chunk of its plot. One of the main characters, Petruchio, ‘tames’ his wife Katherine through various tactics to be obedient and always agree to what he says. Two other characters, Lucentio and Bianca, had a very different relationship. Bianca was pursued by many suitors, but chose Lucentio because he was honest with her about who he was.

Groundhog Day is about a man named Phil who is stuck in a time loop where he is doomed to repeat the same day, groundhog day specifically, over and over and over. He is a news anchor and has a co worker named Rita, who he likes and tries to get closer to throughout the movie.

In Groundhog Day and The Taming of the Shrew, two specific tactics in relationships are used. Lucentio and Bianca’s relationship was built on honesty, while Petruchio and Katherine’s relationship was built on conflict prevention by one party, always Katherine, giving in to the other’s opinion. Lucentio and Bianca’s relationship was successful but was proved less so in the eyes of the book by the end. Both of these approaches were attempted by Phil, the protagonist in Groundhog Day so he could woo Rita, but unlike in the Shrew, the approach mirroring Petruchio and Katherine was inferior in the eyes of the movie. Essentially, in the time of the Shrew, consensus and agreement within a couple was valued over honesty and integrity, and in modern times, honesty and integrity is valued more.


“PETRUCHIO: Nay, then you lie. It is the blesséd sun.

KATHERINE: Then God be blest, it [is] the blesséd sun.”


(Act 4, Scene 5, Lines 20-21)


In this scene of The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio and Katherine had an argument. Petruchio declared that the sun was the moon, but Katherine disagreed because it was the sun. He kept pressing her until she agreed, and then flipped his stance the instant she did so. The argument continued on for a while, and Katherine still echoed Petruchio in every way during it. Even though she didn’t really agree with his outlandish observations, she went along with it anyway.

In doing this, Katherine conceded to Petruchio’s ideal of a marriage- where a woman agreed with her husband without complaint. Later in the play, Petruchio places a bet with other newlyweds saying that his wife was the most obedient. He won, and their relationship was shown as the most successful in the eyes of the play. After the bet was won, Katherine was asked by Petruchio to lecture the other women about what it meant to be a wife, and said the following.


[When a woman is] not obedient to his honest will,

What is she but a foul contending rebel

And graceless traitor to her loving lord?”


(Act 5, Scene 2, Lines 174-176)


According to Katherine, one who does not bend over backwards for her husband is a traitor to him and a ‘foul contending rebel’. She would rather agree with her husband who is blatantly wrong than to disagree and start an argument.


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In Groundhog Day, Phil and Rita go out on a date that emcompasses several loops. They have a conversation centered around Rita and her interests. One specific thing that was brought up in it was her choice to major in french literature, which he ended up saying was dumb and she got mad at him for it. He didn’t like that, so in the next loop he pretended like he thought it was a good idea. The conversation continued throughout the loops in that manner, she would say something he thought was dumb and he would say so and get rejected, and then would amend what he was saying to tailor to her interests.

He was, in a way, seeking to tame himself to do what Petruchio made Katherine do, agree with his date in every way. This tactic didn’t work out as well as he hoped.


"BIANCA: Now let me see if I can consider it. Hic ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est [Sigeia] tellus, I trust you not; Hic [steterat] Priami, take heed he hear us not; regia, presume not; celsa senis despair not."


(Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 44-47)

In The Taming of the Shrew, Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor for Bianca in order to become closer to her and attempt to gain her affection. When he reveals his true identity, she responds with the above. In a nutshell, she doesn't know him so she can't trust him. This was the issue with Rita and Phil, too.


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After Phil attempted to woo her by mimicking her opinions, she said basically the same thing Bianca did when Lucentio introduced his real self. She says that she doesn't know him and proceeds to slap him, several times over the course of several loops. She doesn't value him mimicking her, she'd rather get to know him for who he really is. At the end of the movie, when he becomes a genuinely nice person, she ends up actually liking him. He was much better off becoming nice than echoing her and pretending to be nice. Groundhog Day pushes the thesis that in order to have a successful relationship, people must grow as people instead of avoiding doing that by just agreeing with everything someone said.

In Groundhog Day, the protagonist was more successful when he was a genuinely good person rather than when he was pretending to be one. This shows that in a more modern viewpoint, honesty is valued over consensus in relationships, rather than in The Taming of the Shrew, where consensus was more valued.

Works Cited

Groundhog Day. Dir. Harold Ramis. Prod. Harold Ramis. By Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin. Perf. Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and Andie MacDowell. Columbia Pictures, 1993. DVD.

Shakespeare, William B. The Taming of the Shrew. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York, NY: Washington Square, 1992. Print.


Deception vs Truth


Comparing "Taming of the Shrew" to “Moonstruck”


     In the movie Moonstruck the main character Loretta, a strong willed widow decides to remarry a man named Johnny. She does not have feelings for Johnny, but believes settling is her only option. In the process she undertakes the responsibility of convincing Johnny’s younger brother Ronny to attend their wedding despite their bad blood. Loretta tracks him down to find a deeply angered, melodramatic and evasive man. He speaks what he feels, leaving no room for interpretation. This makes an impression on Loretta as she attempts to evade his temper. Loretta sees that he expects consternation out of her and gives him the exact opposite. When Ronny goes on an emotional tirade she shuts it down and he listens. Her authoritative behavior captures Ronny's attention because he's never experienced a combative response to his aggressiveness. Quickly Ronny develops an attraction to Loretta despite her being engaged to his brother. In the Shakespearean play The Taming of the Shrew a peculiar man named Petruchio takes on the task of domesticating a beautiful yet irascible woman named Katherine. She can’t seem to find a husband because of her erratic personality, but Petruchio believes he can change her. Although Petruchio purposely practices manipulation and reverse psychology to force to Katherine comply with his demands rather than using honesty to develop trust,  Loretta and Petruchio both find their way into Ronny and Katherine's hearts using a similar method.


“Say that she frown; I'll say she looks as clear

As morning roses newly wash'd with dew.

Say she be mute, and will not speak a word;

Then I'll commend her volubility--” Act II, Scene 1


     Instead of insulting Katherine's demeanor, when the two first meet Petruchio compliments and dotes on her to create the illusion that he truly cares and loves her. Katherine shows an interest in the way he handles her bitterness, but does not fall docile to this act. She immediately takes note of his odd mannerisms, but does not fully comprehend what he has in store. By tricking, Katherine’s father, Baptista, Petruchio convinces everyone that Katherine is in love with him and that her temperamental actions towards him were merely a form of banter. Katherine marries him against her will and is subjected to a series of tests Petruchio constructs to make her delusional and susceptible false kindness and manipulation. He comes up with elaborate ridiculous excuses for her not to eat such as the possibility that eating may worsen her mood, or the food is not fit to consume. During the night he does not allow her to sleep. After a few days of this torture Kate’s resilience dissipates, her judgement is warped and agreeing with Petruchio’s fabrications of lies proves to be much easier than trying to fight back.


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    In Moonstruck Loretta does not aim to forge a romantic relationship with Ronny. In fact she has no idea that her outlook has any effect on Ronny’s psyche. Loretta unleashes uncompromising truth when Ronny continues to pity himself for the unfortunate events in his life. She shows sympathy, but also perceives a majority of the unhappiness he feels is his own doing. Establishing herself as someone Ronny cannot just step on she successfully motivates Ronny to look at his life from a different perspective. Much like Katherine when she first meets Petruchio, Ronny acts repealed by Loretta’s personality, but cannot hide his curiosity for someone so different than everyone else. Loretta is the only person who dared to be straightforward. Petruchio is the only man who was sharp enough to keep up an arguement with Katherine.



“My mind hath been as big as one of yours,

My heart as great, my reason haply more,

To bandy word for word and frown for frown.

But now I see our lances are but straws,

Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,

That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,

And place your hands below your husband's foot,

In token of which duty, if he please--”

(Act 5, Scene 2)


In this last scene from The Taming of the Shrew Katherine recites a monologue about the duty of women to their husbands. It appears as if the inclination to resist Petruchio’s demands has disappeared entirely. She stand before a group of three other men’s wives and shames them for disobeying their husbands commands. The events leading up to her evolvement into a submissive housewife consist of the same methods Petruchio contrived being repeated, but in the end Kate does believe she loves him. Somewhere down the line an attraction was produced between the two and Katherine’s disposition seems to completely change. She sounds brainwashed by Petruchio’s expectations and willingly recites that the purpose for all woman’s existence is to tend to their partners needs and nothing else. In Petruchio's opinion changing her for the better.

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    Loretta and Ronny’s relationship progresses rapidly. As the become more intimate Loretta expresses her apprehension about cheating on her fiance. After Ronny claims he is love with her she refuses to take their affair any farther. Ronny opens up to Loretta advice and tries to show a side of himself she hasn’t seen. In this scene Ronny takes Loretta to the opera in a last effort to win her over by sharing something he cares about rather than arguing with her. By conveying his emotions without anger Ronny is demonstrating to Loretta that he can be the person she wants him to be.

     In society there is an expectation for people in relationships to change for their partners to become the ideal version of themselves. Both of these relationships end happily, but in each of these instances the partners of the more controlling person had to change in order to stay together. It is presented as a norm to alter each other's socially deemed personalities flaws and traits despite the humanity and depth it removes from a person. Society idealizes perfection by means of simplicity, guilting people for being anything different from what is expected. Attaching a negative connotation on to any behavior that isn’t considered agreeable, ordinary or easy to deal with.




Work Cited:

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Moonstruck by Norman Jewison


The Taming of Mr. Right

A Comparison Between Mr. Right and The Taming of the Shrew


In "The Taming of the Shrew," there is a strong straightforward male character named Petruchio. In "Mr. Right," there is a strong straightforward character named Francis. In the beginning, it may seem like they are very similar. They both have a clever sense of humor and they know how to entrance a woman. However, Petruchio began his relationship with lies and deceit. He courted Katherine with her under the impression that she had no choice but to be with him. In "Mr. Right," Francis took Martha out on a date and allowed her to enjoy herself and he always told her the truth. He's an inverted assassin. The difference in their tactics shows how the audience’s expectations about how a man should court a woman have changed.


“You lie, in faith, for you are called plain Kate

And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst.

But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,

Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate,

(For dainties are all Kates)- and therefore, Kate,

Take this of me, 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),

Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.”

(Act II, Scene I, Lines 193-202)


Towards the beginning of the play, when Petruchio first meets Katherine, the first thing he tells her is that he’s heard all the lovely tales about her. Almost everything he is saying is lies. The tales of Katherine are that she is a shrew and rude and unlovable. The beginning of their relationship is based off of lies which can be seen as an unsturdy foundation.


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In Mr. Right, right after Martha and Francis meet, they go on their first date to get tacos and the go on a walk. As they walk through the park, Martha and Francis talk about Martha’s life. She realizes that she doesn’t know anything much about him. He names some of his hobbies such as buying vintage cars and traveling and then says, “And I kill people but not so much anymore.” Then, Francis spots a bullet flying towards Martha and himself. As the bullet is hurdling towards them, Francis wraps Martha in his arms and expertly dips her out of harm's way. She asks, “What was that?” to which he responds, “Oh, just some poopyhead trying to kill me.” In this scene he’s basically, straight up telling Martha that he actually kills people, however, she does not believe him. She doesn’t believe him because he inserts it into the conversation so comically.


“Be patient, gentlemen. I choose her for myself.

If she and I be pleased, what’s that to you?

‘Tis bargained ‘twixt us twain, being alone,

That she shall still be curst in company.

I tell you, ‘tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate!

She hung around my neck, and kiss on kiss

She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath,

That in a twink she won me to her love.

O, you are novices! ‘Tis a world to see

How tame, when men and women are alone,

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.-

Give me thy hand, Kate. I will unto Venice

To buy apparel ‘gainst the wedding day.-

Provide the feast, father, and bid the guests.

I will be sure my Katherine will be fine.”

(Act II, Scene I, Lines 321-336)


Petruchio also lies to Baptista, Katherine’s father, later on in the play. He tells him that Katherine is in love with him  even though this isn’t true. He tells Baptista that even though Katherine seems like she doesn’t like him, she is just being modest with her love. He says that when they are in private, she is all over him and she proclaims her love for him. Baptista believed this and allowed Petruchio to take Katherine’s hand in marriage. This is because back in these times, a father’s job was to make sure his daughters were married. Also, his main request was that Katherine was happy, which, according to Petruchio, she was.


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On their second date, Martha and Francis go to a nice restaurant. As they are escorted to their table, Francis sees a man sitting at the bar who flashes his gun at him. Martha and Francis sit at their table and then he excuses himself to take care of the man with the gun in the parking lot. They fight and Francis kills the man. He then comes back inside and Martha comments on the time he’s been gone and he responds, “NO, SORRY. HAD TO KILL SOMEBODY IN THE PARKING LOT. SOME ASSHOLE.” Francis admitted to Martha that he just committed a murder less than 50 feet away from her.


It can be seen that Petruchio approached his situation with very different tactics than that of Francis. Petruchio, who was in a seemingly simpler situation where he had no real need to lie to Katherine, decided that dishonesty was the way to go. This is in comparison to Francis who was jokingly blunt with Martha, so much so that she didn’t believe him. At the end of “The Taming of the Shrew,” Petruchio and Katherine are the perfect couple of the times. They both tend to each others needs and despite the lies and disagreements when they first met, they now love each other and care about each other. Francis, who had been truthful from the start, had a more healthy relationship with Martha. This is in today’s times where lying is less socially acceptable however, Francis still chose the noble way and told the truth the whole time. In comparison to Petruchio who lied at the first chance he got because back then, lying was more socially acceptable, especially to women because their opinions didn't matter because they were seen as property. All in all by looking at “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Mr. Right,” it can be seen how courting has changed between now and then.


Works Cited

The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Mr. Right by Max Landis


Woo Her to Wed Her!

Woo Her to Wed Her!

Comparing Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew to the modern film starring Jennifer Lopez, The Wedding Planner.


When comparing Shakespearean literature and modern film, although there are many differences in the ‘roles’ females and males share in a relationship, there is one thing in particular that may not have changed as much as one would think it would over the past hundreds of years-- the tactics that men use to gain the attention and affection of women. In Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the audience is introduced to many suitors who are determined to earn the love of the beautiful and desired Bianca, and even a suitor who intends to gain the love from the not as beautiful and desired Kate, Bianca’s sister. These men show that they will go far lengths to prove their masculinity and power to their desired wives, believing that this will coincide with gaining female affection.


Similarly, in the movie The Wedding Planner, Eddie - although engaged to somebody else - falls in love with Mary, his wedding planner. Eddie uses similar tactics as the suitors do in attempts to gain the attention and affection of Mary. In both Taming of the Shrew and the modern film The Wedding Planner the male perspective of courtship and dating heavily revolves around 'wooing' and impressing a female to gain her affection, oftentimes attempting to prove worthiness through power and masculinity.


"Happily to wive and thrive, as best I may. Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home..."

(Act I, Scene II, 57-59)


In the quote above, Petruchio is talking to a friend, Hortensio. He is convincing Hortensio that he has what it takes to gain the affection of, and eventually marry, high maintanence Kate. He speaks as if his plan to do so is to impress her with the crowns in his purse and the goods he has to his name. Here, Petruchio clearly represents the idea that in order to impress his love interest, he must first wow her with his wealth and material possessions.

In The Wedding Planner, Eddie behaves similar to Petruchio in this regard when he is left hanging out with another man named Massimo, who is interested in Mary as well, while Mary and Eddie’s fiancé are touring a venue.



In this scene, while wandering the venue, the two men find the exercise room. They first get on the treadmills and Eddie soon notices that Massimo is going faster than him. He quickly turns up his treadmill to the highest setting. Next, they begin doing pull-ups. Eddie asks Massimo multiple times: “How many is that for you?” being sure to continuously one up Massimo’s pull-up count. It is comical because Massimo does not even seem to be competing with Eddie and instead, Eddie has this entire competition going on in his head. Slightly different from Shrew, yet still holding the same principal, it seems that in this scenario Eddie would like to prove that he is more ‘worthy’ than Massimo by showing his strength and masculinity, as if the more that he he appears to have, the more he will impress Mary.


"Madam, before you touch my instrument, I must begin with rudiments of art, To teach you gamut in a briefer sort, More pleasant, pithy, and effectual than hath been taught by any of my trade..."

(Act III, Scene I, 67-72)


In this quote another suitor, Hortensio, is speaking to his love interest, Bianca, while he is dressed up as a music teacher. In the play, Hortensio claims he does this so that he can get closer to her and possibly win her love sooner than one who does not think up such a great idea. As a reader, one may wonder: what is the point in dressing up as someone else to get closer to Bianca?

In the quote we can see that Hortensio would like to impress Bianca and tells her that he is one of the best music teachers, teaching the most “pleasant, pithy, and effectual” lessons than those that have been taught by any of his trade. Hortensio feels that he needs to act like someone smarter and of more power than who he really is to impress Bianca through his wisdom and mastery of his trade. This is why he chooses to dress up as a highly respected and esteemed music teacher.


In The Wedding Planner, Eddie takes a similar approach as Hortensio does when he ‘happens’ to save Mary from vulnerable and potentially harmful situations multiple times throughout the movie. Similar to Hortensio, Eddie believes that appearing as masculine and strong as he can will attract Mary. In a sense, Eddie is also attempting to impress his love interest by showing a mastery of his trade, which, in his case, is being a rugged 21st century man.

Although these pieces were created hundreds of years apart, the male opinions on courtship and dating, as well as the methods they use to attract and gain the attention of the women they are interested in have not changed very much over the course of time. In fact, the only differences arise when the time periods that they each are from come into play. In conclusion, these stories show that in our society, in order for a male to successfully court a female, he must impress her with his power and masculinity. Hence, it is expected that females must be attracted to these traits and will instantly fall in love with a man as long as he is strong, powerful, and manly.


Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2014. Print.

The Wedding Planner. Dir. Adam Shankman. By Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis. Perf. Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. 2001. DVD.


Should we fight others to grasp our true “LOVE”?

Comparing "Taming of the Shrew" to "Vampires Suck”

In the play “Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare, he created a character (Petruchio) who became a suitor to his wife (Katherine), to show his audience how others will do anything but be themselves to get what they want out of their relationship. This play is similar to the romantic comedy “Vampires Suck”. It happened to be that the main characters (Jacob and Edward) find their way into doing some of the same things that the suitors did in “Taming of the Shrew” but only in this movie they pretended to be human in order to win Becca.


Although many can see that Petruchio and Edward have the same portion of affection and ambitions in their relationship and situation, their approach to the people that they love is a bit different. Petruchio’s goal is to force Katherine to love and respect him. On the other hand, Edward finds his way to manipulate Becca by showing his compassion and controlling her emotions. Now these two positions may present two different kinds of amusement, but it also represents how other belief system towards romance have innovated over time. Therefore, this reflects the enduring thought that no matter how many centuries ago that  men found their way of having so much power over their women, till this day they must have a ‘higher position’ in their relationship. Overtime this has caused a lot of conflict and disagreements in their relationships.


Katherine:

"Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner.

 I see a woman may be made a fool

If she had not a spirit to resist.


Petruchio:

They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.

Obey the bride, you that attend her.

Go to the feast, revel and domineer,

Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,

Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves.

But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.

Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret;

I will master of what is mine own.

She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,

My household stuff, my field, my barn,

My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything.

And here she stands, touch her whoever dare...

(Act 3, Scene 3, Lines 225-239)


In previous quote that was mentioned, Petruchio and Katherine were having an argument about how she should act at the event. He basically told her to respect the bride when they attend the wedding. He also included how she is literally ‘his everything’ and everyone in and out of their circle should respect that. Usually in the play, whenever Petruchio is offering advice to Katherine he would say it as if he is saying an important speech. From the audience’s perspective it seems as though this is a way of commanding her to keep quiet and obey his instructions. This could cause Kate to build up with more anger being with Petruchio just for the fact of how he constantly control what she says or do. However, this did not ruin their marriage because he had won by taken and controlling the entire relationship
and allowing Kate to be his dutchess.

Becca finds herself in a similar situation in the movie however, Edward warned her more about her safety than her behavior.

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In the movie, Edward has been so controlling in their relationship that he even
appears in her head after he left and broke up with her. In this scene of the movie, Becca was hallucinating about Edward whenever she may do something “ricky” and Edward is warning her to not go and even talk to the creepy men on the motorcycles. She ignore him for a good minute by trying to talk to the motormen  and one of them hits her with a can, causing her to realize that the Edward in her head was right about the men. Connecting to the play the situation with Becca and Edward is more ‘severe’ than Petruchio and Katherine because they face more issues about their circle and relationship than people outside of their circle trying to harm them.


Katherine:

"My mind hath been as big as one of yours,

My heart as great, my reason haply more,

To bandy word for word and frown for frown;

But now I see our lances are but straws,

Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,

That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,

And place your hands below your husband’s foot,

In token of which duty, if he please,

My hand is ready, may it do him ease.

Petruchio:

Why, there’s a wench! Come on, and kiss me, Kate"

(Act 5, Scene 2, Lines 186-196)


Katherine has made a long speech about how much she loves and care for her husband at the end of the play. This represents not only to the actors in the play but towards the audience of how Petruchio made sure she would transformed herself from an ignorant rude woman to a kind gentle lady. In the quote she was basically stating that; a woman should protect and support her husband, no matter what while a woman is at home unharmed and sound. Therefore, for equal exchange Petruchio would want her to just show respect and compassion in their relationship.


At the end of “Vampires Suck”, Becca did the similar thing that Katherine did by showing him she will do anything for him.

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In the last scene of the movie, the vampires Zolturi leader, Daro wanted Edward to turn Becca into a vampire or else they would have to suffer the consequences. This allowed Becca to show her love to Edward by accepting the Zolturi request. However, Edward would only turn her into a vampire if she says yes to marrying him, which in this scene she did. This made Becca prove her love and Edward




Works Cited (MLA Format):


https://gomovies.to/film/vampires-suck-10978/watching.html?ep=174058


"Vampires Suck." Gomovies.to. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.



https://www.befunky.com/features/collage-maker/


"Photo Editor | BeFunky: Free Online Photo Editing and Collage Maker." BeFunky. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.







Visual Essay

Shrew Along  2

Ride Along 2/Taming of the Shrew

The movie “Ride Along 2” is about a man named Ben, and his friend James. He is trying to marry James’ sister, Angela, but James won't let him marry until he proves himself as a cop. He agrees to do it, mainly to impress Angela so she would be more willing to marry him.  James is a very experienced cop and Ben is a new recruit. It's not realistic, because in real life, couples would never be expected to prove themselves in the way that Ben had to for marriage. However, it does highlight some male and female expectations in a relationship. TIn the movie shows how different the expectations can be for males and females in a relationship. Ben and James fly to Miami on a mission to stop a dangerous drug lord.“The Taming of The Shrew” also shows a lot of the male and female expectations in a relationship in  Shakespearian Europe. It is interesting to see how they have evolved since 17th century texts. From the book to the movie, men and women in relationships expect the same things, but in different ways.


"Say as he says, or we shall never go"

(Act 4, Scene 5)

At this moment in the play, Petruchio is testing Katherine by saying false things and seeing if she agrees. She pushes back until Hortensio says the quote above. Katherine finally agrees with Petruchio. This shows that what Petruchio wants in a relationship is compliance and submission. On the flip side, In Ride along 2, we can see that there are very different expectations at play.



In this scene, Ben is talking to Angela about how him and James are going away for a little to do some police business.  However, Angela actually wants him to go, so she can plan their wedding, but she doesn't tell Ben this and acts surprised when he brings it up. He makes it sound very important, but what he is really trying to do is win James’ approval for their marriage. He also wants Angela to see him as a better man after this. This shows that Ben thinks his girlfriend expects him to be an amazing man, when in reality, she just expects him to be himself.


"First, kiss me Kate, and we will"

(Act 5, Scene 1)

At this time in the play, Kate and Petruchio do not have any problems with each other. They also have lost all of their attention. Kate wants to go to the wedding banquet, and Petruchio says the quote so that he could draw attention to himself and Kate again. This shows that Petruchio expects attention when in a relationship. This theme also exists in Ride along 2, but it's a little different.


At this point in the movie, Ben is talking to Tasha, as she is dating the drug lord that they are trying to catch. When she refuses, Ben shows her his phone, which reveals that not only is he cheating on her, but he gave all of the other girls cool ringtones, but he gave her a stock apple ringtone. This is enough to make her talk. It shows that women expect to be the only girl that their man talks to and that they must be a priority in his life.

“The Taming of The Shrew” shows that men expect control over their spouse and attention from the outside world. “Ride Along 2” shows us that women expect their spouse to make them their one and only, and they want attention from their spouse. However, one unifying theme that exists for both men and women in both the book and the movie is that everyone expects trust in a relationship, and trust is priceless.






















 


Chasing Love

Chasing Love

Comparing “Taming of the Shrew” to “West Side Story”


"Taming of the Shrew" proves, the idea of falling in love with someone soon after they meet is possible. In "Shrew," Petruchio were driven to make Katherine his wife when he first set his eyes on her. He went out of his way to ask her father for the consent to marry her and achieve the love he was looking for. In the 1961 movie "West Side Story," the character Tony has been led to the same situation of being caught up in love at first sight. He met a girl named Maria, who is also deeply in love with him. Tony goes out his way to hope he can get her without the interference of his boys and her brother Bernardo. In both of these scenarios, love at first sight shows the audience that people will do whatever it takes to chase after love.


Quote from play:

Petruchio: Signior Hortensio, ‘twixt such friends as we

Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know

One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife—

As wealth is burden of my wooing dance—

Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,

As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd

As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse,

She moves me not—or not removes at least

Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough

As are the swelling Adriatic seas.

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;

If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

(Act 1 Scene 2 Line 62-73)


This quote from Petruchio is directed to Hortensio to let him know that he seeks a wife in Padua. He is mostly seeking a wife with a lot of wealth, and he does not care about any other features. Such as her being foul, old, and/or unpleasant. This shows that Petruchio is following a path that will lead him to finding love. The context of the quote shows that he is in Padua and is desperately looking for someone no matter who.


In West Side Story, Tony and Maria came to the dance separately. No one from the different gangs intermingled but them. They danced together until Bernardo separated them.

Screenshot 2017-04-24 at 12.01.34 AM.png

In this part of the scene from West Side Story, Tony and Maria locked eyes on each other at the dance. They walked towards each other and danced the night together until the point where they kissed. Bernardo, Maria’s older brother, broke them up and told Tony to stay away from his sister. Tony took to surprise that she was apart of the sharks. This truly shows the love at first sight that Tony and Maria had for each other during this scene of the first moment they met, but now Tony knows that he has a difficult task to fight and chase for Maria’s love knowing that she is apart of the other gang. Taming of the Shrew and West Side Story compares because Petruchio is in dire need of finding anyone while Tony already found someone, but is chasing after being with her.

Quote 2:

Thus in plain terms: your father hath consented

That you shall be my wife, your dowry ‘greed on,

And will you, nill you, I will marry you.

Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn,

For by this light, whereby I see thy beauty—

Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well—

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.

Here comes your father. Never make denial.

I must and will have Katherine to my wife.

Act 1 Scene 2 Line 261-272


Petruchio lets Katherine know that he has the consent of her father Baptista to marry her. He lets her know that he will marry her whether she likes it or not. He further notifies her that he will tame her, calling her a wild Kate and placing her under the language of animal domestication. This sets the tone for their relationship through the rest of the book. The way that Petruchio is chasing his love, he looks to tame his wife since she does not truly love him. This is his way of finding love.


In this part of the scene, after the dance, Tony visits Maria at the fire escape secretly. They talk about their night and reaffirm their love for each other. 142679281469.jpg

Tony and Maria let’s each other know the way they feel for each other. During this moment, the jets and sharks had met up and is talking about an upcoming ruble between the two gangs. Not by dance, but by one on one first fights. Maria is then informed by Anita about the rumble and asks Tony to stop them from fighting. Tony says he will. This shows that Tony would do anything for Maria and by stopping this rumble, it would allow both gangs to be safe and benefit Tony and Maria so that no more conflicts between both of their gangs will continue to happen. Tony is chasing after her by doing what she asks of him.


West Side Story’s ending was tragic, as Tony failed chasing after Maria’s love. He ended up dying of the one favor he was asked from Maria. However in Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio was able to get the love he wanted by taming his wife, Katherine. Throughout the movie, Bernardo with his gang, and Tony’s boys, interfered with what Tony and Maria had for each other. It showed the audience that not everyone gets what they want in the end.



Works Cited

“The Taming of the Shrew”

“West Side Story”

There's Something About Men

There’s Something About Men

“Taming of the Shrew” vs. “There’s Something About Mary”


In “There’s Something about Mary” and “Taming of the Shrew” they show some similar behavior from the men towards the women, Bianca and Katherine. For “There’s Something about Mary” the focus will be on the main male characters trying to get closer to Mary by “courting” her without her realizing. All of the men besides one lies to her about who they are so that she will like them more. In “Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio does this to Katherine. Petruchio courts Katherine by constantly complimenting her and saying things to get her to marry him. However, some of the things that Petruchio says isn't exactly true to his heart he is just trying to get what he wants which is money. Also in “Taming of the  Shrew” Tranio, who, pretending to be Lucentio, presents his own gift of books and a lute, in exchange for the permission to see and woo Bianca.  It's been 400 approximately years since taming of the shrew til now and men still think that showing a women that they are the man they want by courting and fighting is the way to go because of not so original ideas are drilled into our society.

Mary is the girl that almost every male character wants o be with. She is a kind hearted perky blonde with big blue eyes. Ted has known Mary since high school and has had a crush on Mary since then. Ted couldn't stop thinking about Mary so he hired a detective to find her and tell him what her life is like after college. Pat is the detective. When Pat first saw Mary it was clear that his intentions were not to tell Ted about what she looked like or what she did for a living. Pat told Ted that Mary was grossly overweight with many children, to discourage him from having any contact with her. Pat stalked Mary and then approached her and pretended to be the man the Mary described to her friends. Tucker was an architect, crippled, and just about everything else that he knew Mary was looking for. Later on in the movie Pat discovered Tucker was just a pizza delivery boy pretending to be crippled because he knew Mary had a sweet spot for the disabled because of her brother and he pretended to be an architect because after pretending to be learning that while going to the place Mary volunteers.


“Signor Hortensio, ‘twixt such friends as we Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know one rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife— As wealth is burden of my wooing dance— Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love as old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd as Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse, she moves me not—or not removes at least. Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough. As are the swelling Adriatic seas. I come to wive it wealthily in Padua; If wealthily, then happily in Padua.” (Act 1:Scene 2 Lines 62-73)


In this quote, Petruchio is talking to Hortensio about how his sole purpose of coming to Padua was to find a wife to wed. A wife that comes from money to be specific. He is saying that he does not care about personality, he doesn’t care if she is foul nor if she's old and unattractive he just cares about the wealth that his new wife would bring. Petruchio explaining that he would do anything to wed a women for their money is scary.

In this scene there is Ted trying to get the detective Pat to go spy on Mary for a little while to see what she has been up to. In this screenshot this is Pat agreeing to do what Ted has of him after a while of convincing.Screenshot 2017-04-25 at 10.42.46 PM.png

Screenshot 2017-04-25 at 10.46.02 PM.png

In this scene Pat is spying on Mary like he was hired to do. Before Pat did not really care who Mary was but now seeing that she is attractive he seems to have his mind set on one thing the, physical features of her body not caring about who she is as a person. This relates to Petruchio wanting to wed a woman in Padua for their money not really caring about who they are as a person. Both Pat and Petruchio has materialistic ulterior motives.


Hortensio: “Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace and offer me disguised in sober robes to old Baptista as a schoolmaster well seen in music, to instruct Bianca, that so may, by this device at least, have leave and leisure to make love to her and unsuspected court her by herself.” (Act 1:Scene 2 Lines 131-138)

In this quote Hortensio is conjuring up a plan where he gets Petruchio to recommend Hortensio as a music instructor to Baptista for Bianca. Hortensio wants to use this tactic to get closer to Bianca. Hortensio is using the connection of other people and the knowing of Bianca’s needs for his own personal gain. The thing that he is trying to gain is Bianca’s hand in marriage.


Screenshot 2017-04-26 at 9.51.20 PM.png

Screenshot 2017-04-26 at 9.52.15 PM.png

In these two screenshots the audience is first introduced to Tucker. It is clear that by Mary saying “Pat is an architect as well.” that Pat is being introduced as an architect as well and when tucker hears this he responds with an “ Oh really?” meaning that he sees Pat as competition because he isn’t the only man that Mary knows who is an architect.

In a later scene Pat finds out that Tucker is a pizza delivery boy that is NOT crippled. So as you can see men will do just about anything to get the attention and affection that they want from the women that they desire not matter what it takes even if it means pretending to be the complete opposite of who they are. In Taming of the Shrew Baptista accepts the gift of offering a music instructor and then hears from Tranio, who, pretending to be Lucentio, presents his own gift of books and a lute, in exchange for the permission to see and woo Bianca.Screenshot 2017-04-26 at 9.55.11 PM.png


Since 1599 people have been sitting in watching Shakespeare plays. Some of these play are about to hetero sexual people who fall in love and do crazy things that take them out of their character. When people are exposed to images of love they then believe that that's what love is supposed to be like. However, that is not the case, but when someone like Shakespeare produces a play such as “Taming of the Shrew” then word gets around and the thoughts of what love should be like and what a relationship should be like spreads around and accumulates as the world goes on. Which means even carrying on to the year of 1998 which is when “There’s Something About Mary” came out. It eve carries out to today's current year, 2017. There are no original concepts of love because the entertainment industry and social media has corrupted it.


Cold Hard Love

Comparing  The Taming of the Shrew to Mean Girls

While reading the “Taming of the Shrew”, readers will notice that the book shows the use of a significant other as a status symbol. The same can also be said for a movie that aired more recently; “Mean Girls”. In both pieces the reader/viewer becomes introduced to the notion of a character needing another character romantically to be a status symbol, these characters go to great lengths to obtain the person that will boost their social status. This shows how relationships are more about increasing one's standing on the social pyramid then anything.

In the “Taming of the Shrew” the character attempting to boost their social standings is Petruchio. Petruchio wishes to become wealthy and successful and to do this he looks at the institution of marriage as his gateway into the land of prosperity and riches. To be more specific his gateway is the “shrew”, Katherine. This is best shown by Petruchio’s words in Act 1 Scene 2, when his servant Grumio explains to him the situation of Baptista and the marriage of his children.

“I come to wive it wealthy in Padua, If wealthily then happily in Padua”

(Act 1 Scene 2, 76-77)

This same mentality is also exhibited in the movie mean girls. Regina George the lead antagonist finds her social status threatened by another character Cady and her interest in Regina’s love interest, Aaron. The struggle for who will be higher on the pyramid is at it’s peak in the halloween scene. In this scene Regina shows her alpha status by kissing Aaron right in front of Cady.


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The comparison between Petruchio and Regina is extremely interesting. While Petruchio is attempting to obtain a better social status with marriage/relationship, Regina is attempting to maintain her social status. These forces that fuel the actions of these characters are enjoyable yet tie to a much bigger picture. Regina and Petruchio both feel a need to be high on the pyramid. However their positions differ therefore what the viewer learns also differs. Shakespeare has crafted a character who represents a mentality found in some countries. The mentality that a relationship is a mean to better one's own life. While in “Mean Girls” a case of a relationship being in need to, still possess ownership of your spot on the pyramid is crafted. Both pieces open the mind to the bigger question of why one must always be at the top, why is the bottom not good enough.

Another example of Shakespeare depicting the true nature of relationships is found in Act 3 Scene 2 when he describes what Kate is to him.


“I will be master of what is mine own.She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything. And here she stands, touch her whoever dare.”

(Act 3 Scene 2, 235-239)


In this scene Petruchio starts to list all the things that Katherine is to him. However looking at it in depth will show another level. Petruchio is also listing the things that he will own or acquire by obtaining Katherine. All these things add to his wealth  and can only be obtained through his relationship with Katherine. Looking at Mean girls the viewer will also scene that deals with possessions.


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“ You know Aaron really does like you. He's always talking about how unusual you are and it really pissed me off. Like this one time, I got this really expensive doll house from Germany, but I never played with it. So my mom wanted to give it to my cousin. But even though I didn't want it...

Cady: You begged your mom to let you keep it?

Regina: No. I threw it down the stairs.”


In both of these sections the characters are speaking metaphorically. Petruchio going through a list of things Katherine is to him is a nod to what Katherine is bringing him through their relationship. Regina reminiscing on the destruction of a childhood toy is a nod towards how even if she is not using Aaron she needs him to be there, and would rather destroy him then let someone take him. Both quotes may seem very different but they are focusing on the materialization of others for one's betterment. Petruchio has, figuratively and literally, added Katherine to the list of material items he is going to possess and Regina is showing how she would bring about the destruction of Aaron, her toy, so that no one else could have him and be a threat to her.


“The Taming of the Shrew’ and  “Mean Girls” are two pieces that upon first glance seem to be only for entertainment, however upon deep analysis the viewer will learn more about society. The viewer is able to see what a relationship means and in this case it is power. In both pieces two characters cling onto the person they are in a relationship with, in an attempt to maintain their social standings. This urge to remain at the top causes the characters to even materialize the person they are in a relationship with so that they’re higher social standings will be safe. Essentially “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Mean Girls” are two amazing pieces that give perfect examples of how relationships are not about love, but instead getting higher on the pyramid.


Taming of the Clueless

As the “Taming of the Shrew” proves, the idea of women changing themselves to earn male approval  has been around for centuries.  In “Shrew”, the unorthodox and bold Katherine is eventually “domesticated” by her demanding husband , Petruchio.  Similarly, in the 1995 romcom, “Clueless”,  Tai Fraiserc, a carefree, archetypal  “ugly duckling” teenager, undergoes a makeover to fit society’s standard for beauty and win over the popular boys at her school.

Though Katherine and Tai both change something central about themselves for love, the context behind their transformations differ greatly. Katherine, for one, does not willingly change to fit the mold for an “acceptable” wife, but is instead “trained” by Petruchio to do so. By contrast, Tai is influenced to change her aesthetic by her glamourous friend, Cher, who thought she had her best interest at heart.These two situations differ in many aspects, but encompass the notion of women changing in respect to the men they desire. These works reflect that the pressure society puts on women to obtain male validation has stood the test of time, and in someway, has grown more powerful as even women reinforce this sexist belief that their worth is inextricably linked to their relationship with men.

clueless
clueless
Shallow and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pyramid. She decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about her being misguided-and falls for him.
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the-taming-of-the-shrew-1967-1015526-p
In Taming of the Shrew, Baptista, a rich kind, is determined to get his oldest, often undesirable, daughter Katherine married before his youngest, most desired daughter, Bianca, is married. The "no one wanting to marry Katherine" problem is solved when Petruchio, a brash young man from Verona, arrives in Padua to find a wife. He intends to marry a rich woman, and does not care for how she acts as long as she makes him affluent. He then goes on a mission to tame Katherine, the shrew.
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Screen Shot 2017-04-23 at 8.28.20 PM
In this excerpt from “Shrew”, Petruchio extrapolates on his multi-tiered  plan to tame Katherine, which includes matching her wit. For most of her life, Katherine was the most daring person in the room, so Petruchio proves to her that he can match her verbal acuity.  Consequently, Katherine's bold personality is dimmed when she realizes that she is no match for Petruchio’s quicker wit. This is one of several techniques he uses to make her subservient and docile. This shows how Katherine changes to please her husband, who prefers a submissive wife.

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Screen Shot 2017-04-23 at 8.49.21 PM
The moment when Kate's outward transformation becomes clear is when she, Petruchio and Hortensio are on their way back to Baptista's house for Bianca's wedding celebration. Petruchio tests Kate by saying, "Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon!" (IV.v.2).  Katherine obviously sees the sun, and engages in short banter about whether or not it is the moon or the sun shining.  When Petruchio threatens to miss the feast, Kate realizes that she must aquise.  Although this may seem solely comedic, it belies a significant revelation: Katharine is becoming more passive for Petruchio. The old Katherine would have called Petruchio out on his bluff, but instead Petruchio was able to coax the new Katherine into blindly believing what he wanted by reinforcing his control in their relationship.

Unlike Kate who ditches her sassy attitude, Tai Frasier of "Clueless" ditches her converses and flannel shirts to garner the appreciation of the boys who were socially acceptable to date at her school.
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Screen Shot 2017-04-23 at 8.31.54 PM
In this scene, Cher( far left) and Dionne( far right) help Tai change her appearance to a chic sleek look after Tai attracts a "loser" ,Travis. Travis is from the long-haired, drug-smoking, lower-class skateboarder group, which Cher explains, "No respectable girl actually dates.".  Cher and Dionne thought a makeover was necessary in order to attract wanted male attention. Tai, who usually sports comfortable jeans and t-shirts, is pressured to lose weight, wear makeup, and stylish clothes in order to assimilate to higher status.
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Screen Shot 2017-04-24 at 12.12.09 AM
In this Scene, Elton, the richest, most eligible bachelor at school, puts his hand around Tai because he is suddenly attracted to her after her makeover. Tai seems content with all the attention she gets from guys who had never even looked her way before. Like Katherine, she had to change something fundamental (her sense of style), in order to be appreciated by men. Not only does she change her appearance, she is encouraged to do so by Cher and Dionne, who have succumbed to society's unrealistic expectations for girls themselves.  They try to change themselves for men, while the male characters in the movie stay true to who they are the entire time,  whether that be a weed-smoking skater or a jock with a murky understanding of consent. The men felt no pressure whatsoever to change for the women, which is emblematic of a discrepancy in society.

In conclusion,  "Shrew" and "Clueless" reflect the idea that society pressures women to change themselves for men. Specifically in Clueless, the protagonist is indoctrinated to believe that her new friend needed a new makeover in order to attract the most popular boy at school.  This goes to show that not only does patriarchal society reinforce this notion, but women also reinforce it in themselves.

Children's Voice


Play: The Taming of the Shrew

Movie: Blended


The movie Blended and the book The Taming of the Shrew share common themes on love and romance. Although they are made hundreds of years apart, they share a common ground. The movie Blended, is about two single parents getting together with the help of their children, even though at first they didn’t approve of it. In the book, Shrew, there was a father who wanted to give his daughters in marriage to the suitors that seeked them. Both the movie and the book revolves around the family’s interference on courtship. In the book, the father had was involved, but in the movie the children were involved. Therefore, in the 21st century, kids are allowed to interfere or have a say in their parent’s relationships just like how parents were interfering with their children's relationships.


“Baptista:

Gentlemen, importune me no farther,

For how I firmly am resolv'd you know;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter

Before I have a husband for the elder.

If either of you both love Katherina,

Because I know you well and love you well,

Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.”

(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 48-54)


In the book, there were many suitors who wanted the second daughter of Baptista, Bianca, because his first, Katherine, has a nasty attitude. However, Baptista said that he wants Kate to marry first and then Bianca. However, in the movie Blended, the kids has the say whether or not they approve of their parent’s new partner or not.


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(0:28:10)


In this particular scene, Lauren’s sons shows that they don’t like Jim. Her oldest son, Brendan, called his mom a liar and stormed off after he thinks that his mom likes Jim. Since Lauren was a single mom, she’s been trying to see if she can date other guys. However, her boys doesn’t approve because from time to time, they still contact their father.  Like in the Shrew, Baptista doesn’t approve of Bianca’s suitors because he hasn’t given away his first daughter. Similarly, both situations had a wall that they need to go over before they can approve. In the movie, the boys weren’t over their dad and in the book, Baptista still needs to wed his first daughter. This shows a lot of how children interfered with their parent’s relationship and it’s just considered normal. After the little dispute, when Brendan stormed off, Lauren knew that he was mad and just let him be. While in the Shrew, Baptista was the one who had a say in everything because he’s the father.

“ Baptista:

I know not what to say; but give me your hands.

God send you joy, Petruchio! 'Tis a match.” 2.1. 327-328

(Act 2, Scene 1, lines 327-328)


In Act 2 of the Shrew, Petruchio is willing to marry Kate for wealth. He knew that Kate isn’t wanted by many so he wants to make a deal with Baptista for wealth. Petruchio convinced him with the idea that he actually wants Kate because of her beauty and personality, when in reality he was just needy for money. On the contrary, in Blended, the two families coincidentally met at a family bonding retreat in Africa that made the kids realize how much of they need the other parent.

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(1:24:11)


In the scene above, Lauren’s boys, Brendan and Tyler, were in bed talking about how their day went with Jim. Since their dad didn’t really have much time for them, when Jim was there to teach them some sports, they enjoyed it. In comparison to the Shrew, both families goals were to just have fun on the trip and not worry about each other. But, since Jim’s daughters were in need of a mother figure in their life and Lauren’s sons were in need of a father figure in theirs, they were in need of each other. Those examples shows that children  can interfering with the parent’s relationships because they can have a major impact on how the parent think about the other person. In that specific scene, Lauren said that it was nice of Jim to help her sons hit the ball and boxing which can lead to have other feelings. On the other hand, a couple of hundred years ago, the dad was the only one who had the say in giving away his daughter in marriage. The dad, Baptista, was the only one who gets to marry his daughters.

According to both the movie Blended and the book Shrew, society’s  view towards love has changed over hundreds of years. The movie Blended was made in 2014 and it shows the involvement or interference children can have on courtship and dating. Despite the fact that the book Shrew was made in 1594, only the father, Baptista, interfered in the courtship and dating of his daughters during that time. Therefore, as time passed, kids now have a say in their parent’s relationships without it being considered rude.




Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2014. Print.

Blended. Dir. Frank Coraci. Warner Home Video, 2014.


The Taming of the Groundhog: Shakespearean and Modern Views of Relationships

The Taming of the Groundhog:

Shakespearean and Modern Views of Relationships

By:Jamie Polson

4/24/17

The Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew” deals with male and societal expectations in relationships.  Petruchio (one of the main characters) hears about Katherine, that she does not want to get married, and that she is a strong independent woman and is kind of like a “shrew” hence the name of the play.  Petruchio is up for the challenge of making Katherine more lady like.  He talks to Katherine's dad (Baptista) and hears that there will be a pretty large dowry involved if he marries Katherine since Katherine is already kind of old and Baptista really wants Bianca, his youngest daughter, to get married.  Lucentio who is another main male lead character goes to Padua originally to study Philosophy, but sees Bianca and wants to pursue her and stop studying philosophy.  

A more modern view of male and societal expectations in relationships is in the movie “Groundhog Day”.  Groundhog Day is a movie about a meteorologist (Phil) who works for Channel Nine News in Pittsburgh and one day he goes to Punxsutawney Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day with two colleagues of his from Channel Nine: Larry (the cameraman) and Rita (the producer).  Phil and the gang plan on leaving Punxsutawney the same night, but a blizzard hits, and they have to go back.  They stay in a nice Bed and Breakfast.  The next morning, when Phil wakes up, for some unexplained reason it is still Groundhog Day, and he is the only one who seems to notice.  This phenomenon keeps on happening hundreds of times and Phil gets the day memorized down pat and ends up changing the outcome of the day over time, using it to pursue a relationship with Rita, who is initially not at all interested.  Both texts present male and societal expectations to be mainly about power, sex, and money even though they are in very different situations.


(pg 111 act 3 scene 1 line: 33-38)

Hic ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love, Hic steterat, and that 'Lucentio' that comes a-wooing,  Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon

In this scene in the Taming of the Shrew Lucentio is telling Bianca about who he actually is, trying to win Bianca over by using mind tricks to try to get her to love him even more.  He is mainly trying to increase his chances of having sex with Bianca.

In The above Groundhog Day scene, Phil and Rita are throwing snowballs at some kids and Phil says “I wish we could do this with our own kids”.  What he is really doing there is, like Lucentio, trying to use mind tricks to fool Rita into having sex with him by being something that he isn’t.  He said that he wished he could do that with his own kids, he said this but had no intention of ever having kids or even of a real relationship with Rita.  He was trying to play into Rita’s motherly instincts as a woman so that she could try to imagine him as a dad and the only way to throw snowballs with your own kids is to have sex first.


Page #87 act ii scene 1 line 177-189 petruchio:

“And woo her with some spirit with then she comes! Say that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain She sings as sweetly as a nightingale:Say that she frown, I'll say she looks as clear As morning roses newly wash'd with dew: Say she be mute and will not speak a word; Then I'll commend her volubility, And say she uttereth piercing eloquence: If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks, As though she bid me stay by her a week: If she deny to wed, I'll crave the day When I shall ask the banns and when be married. But here she comes; and now, Petruchio, speak.

In this scene in “Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio is about to meet Katherine and is saying what he will say to her when he meets her.  His plan is to contradict whatever it is she says or thinks; for example, he says that if she wants him to leave, he will stay for a week, and if she does not wish to get married, he will say he does.  


This connects very closely to Groundhog Day in the above two scenes.  One of the scenes is when Phil is trying to get to know Rita, he doesn’t contradict her per se but he does play mind tricks.  What he did was he would ask her things that would give him information like when he was buying her drinks and she said that her favorite drink was a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist.  Phil used that information to his advantage and said the next day that his favorite drink was a sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist, to which Rita responded, “Really? Mine too!”  This connects with the Taming of the Shrew, because both Petruchio and Phil were taking advantage of the women in the situation by exercising power and control in the relationship by using the words that the women speak against them.


(pg#83 act 2 scene 1 line: 121-127 Petruchio)

Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste, And every day I cannot come to woo. You knew my father well, and in him me, Left solely heir to all his lands and goods, Which I have better'd rather than decreased: Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love, What dowry shall I have with her to wife?

In this scene in The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio has heard of Katherine and how she can be like a “Shrew” and that she is a strong independent woman.  He does not actually want to marry Katherine.  He is just marrying for the dowry that he will receive from Baptista, and as a challenge for himself to see if it is possible to change someone from being shrew like to be ladylike or a good wife.  It is basically an economic transaction, and a social experiment, for Petruchio.


 

In The above scene in Groundhog Day, Phil is super popular after having just saved the lives of a couple people and helped out countless others.  He is playing the piano for a big party in Punxsutawney.  There is then an auction event where the prizes are the bachelors in the room.  The rules are that you can do whatever you want with them, as long as it is legal.  Phil walks onto the stage, and people start yelling out numbers immediately, going up by five dollars each time, and eventually realize that they are going to run out of money, when suddenly Rita calls out from the back of the room “$339.88”.  This is obviously the highest number in the room, so Rita dances with Phil like she had been before the auction.  This scene shows how modern American society places monetary value on relationships.


In both the Taming of the Shrew and in the movie Groundhog Day the themes are very similar.  They both deal with power, control, and sex in relationships.  Both talk about how women in society have typically been used primarily for their bodies and have been seen as objects and not as people.  Both texts talk about how men try to exercise power, and control women, in relationships.  Both show how society monetizes relationships.  Both texts show male and societal expectations in relationships in very much the same way, even though they are very different situations






The Deception of the Shrew

Deception of the Shrew

Comparing “The Taming of the Shrew” to “Man Up”


"The Taming of the Shrew" is a play about a man who tames Katherine, the most harsh, outspoken woman, into a mild, obedient wife. Man Up is a movie about a woman, Nancy, who pretends to be a man's, Jack, blind date.


In both the play, “The Taming of the Shrew, ” and the movie, “Man Up,” there is a common theme of changing oneself in a relationship. In “The Taming of the Shrew” both Katherine and Lucentio go through drastic changes for their relationships. Lucentio takes a more superficial approach to this, disguising himself as a school teacher to get closer to Bianca, whom he has fallen in love with. Katherine’s transformation is much more thorough than that of Lucentio’s. She trades in her fighting and rebellious spirit for that of someone much more docile and submissive, becoming who Petruchio, her husband, wanted her to be. In “Man Up” the main character, Nancy, emanates both of Katherine and Lucentio, disguising herself as someone she is not as well as undergoing a change within.


Unlike Lucentio, Nancy does not disguise herself as someone that is of a lower class. instead her disguise made her a better prospect, in her love interest, Jack’s, eyes, than she normally would be. This meant that when her true self was revealed it was a disappointment to her love interest. Though both characters disguise themselves in order to pursue their romantic interest, in Nancy’s dawning on what would be appealing characteristics in her disguise her reveal makes her seem pathetic and untrustworthy. Lucentio, on the other hand, disguises himself as someone that has less prospects than he does normally, which made his reveal a much more positive thing, as it was a good surprise that he had money and power and land, in the end he comes out seeming like a good guy. Nancy also resembles Katherine in that they both change themselves for their love interest. The difference between the two is that throughout the entirety of “Taming of the Shrew” people are fighting to make Katharine into who they want her to be and in the end they succeed. In the movie, “Man Up,” Nancy has to shed the mask she has put up to make other’s happy and learn to just become herself, instead of someone else. These texts show that in relationships people feel the need to change themselves for their partner, but human’s outlook on this “deception” has changed overtime, once not only acceptable, but appealing in a partner, now looked down upon as two faced and insufficient.


Act I Scene I (62-66)

KATHARINA

“I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear: I wis it is not halfway to her heart; But if it were, doubt not her care should be to comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool and paint your face and use you like a fool.”


In this quote Katherine is speaking to Hortensio who had just told her that she would find no one unless she was kinder, and milder. She responds with a sharp remark, telling him that she would hit him in the head with a stool. This quote shows Katherine’s strong will in the beginning of the book and her attitude towards the idea of changing for a man.


This attitude that Katherine holds is the same that our main character in “Man Up,” Nancy, has towards people generally suggesting she change herself in order to find a relationship.


Train Scene

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Jessica

I think it’s exactly what you need

Nancy

Why is everyone always telling me what I need?

Jessica

Perhaps if they’re always telling you, you should listen.

Nancy

I think you need to shhh.

In this scene Nancy meets a woman on a train that tries to tell her that she should read a self-help book after overhearing Nancy’s phone conversation with her sister where she describes the terrible date that she had the other night. This scene shows how Nancy’s character in Man Up is like Katherine. She is abrasive and unpleasant to be around. People are constantly trying to butt into Nancy’s romantic life, telling her that she needs to be different than she is, much like Katherine in Taming of the Shrew. Nancy goes through the Katherine transformation early in the movie, deciding to change herself to please someone else, using Lucentio’s method of pretending to be someone that she is not. Throughout the rest of the movie the audience is watching her shed that disguise she had initially put on and how her love interest has to come to terms with who she really is, and how he, in fact, comes to fall in love with her true self instead of the front she had put on. This is a large contrast between the movie and the play where the entirety of the Taming of the Shrew revolved around changing Katherine’s character to be more desireable, Man Up focused on forcing other people to accept Nancy as she is, instead of having her change. This shows how, in our modern day, we believe that love comes only with honesty and the acceptance of a partner’s flaws, as opposed to attempting to erase all flaws that one may dislike about their relationship, that was more acceptable the 400 years ago that Taming of the Shrew was written.

Act 1, Scene 1 (210-215)

LUCENTIO

“I will some other be, some Florentine, some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa. 'Tis hatch'd and shall be so: Tranio, at once uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak: When Biondello comes, he waits on thee; but I will charm him first to keep his tongue.”

On seeing Bianca, Lucentio falls in love with her. After hearing of the conditions that Baptista has put his daughter under, making it so that Bianca could not be wed until her sister, Katherine, is married off, Lucentio makes a plan. He decides to disguise himself as a schoolmaster who would teach her in order to get close to her, because he was not allowed to court her.

This is the same approach that Nancy takes on meeting Jack. Because he already has a date, she is not supposed to “court him,” so instead she pretends to be his date in order to get to know him better.  

Station Scene

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Jack

Usually when in this situation, I would say something and then you’d say something back. And then we’d talk a little about what we’re gonna do and exchange ideas. You know, sort of, “Quid pro quo, Clarice.”

In the beginning of the movie we hear this same phrase when Nancy decides to stay in her hotel room instead of attend the wedding party because she is nervous about meeting the man that her friends have set her up with, and instead stays in her hotel room to watch her favorite movie, Silence of the Lambs.

Up until this point, when Nancy met Jack and was mistaken for Jessica she made a few feeble attempts at explaining that he had the wrong girl, but Jack kept talking over her and cutting her off without listening to her, which is somewhat similar to Katherine’s protests against her marriage to Petruchio. When Petruchio told Baptista of Katherine’s feelings towards him, Katherine did protest somewhat, but Petruchio would cut her off and override what she was saying with his explanation of how much affection she felt for him in private and how they were to be married.

After Jack references Nancy’s favorite movie though, Nancy stops protesting altogether and pretends to be Jessica. As soon as she found Jack worth pursuing, she was willing to lie to get him. This behavior makes her much like Lucentio, as he saw Bianca from afar for only a short time, fell in love with her, then decided to dawn a disguise in order to get closer to her. This is, essentially, the same thing that Nancy does with Jack.

Jack

As the book says, ”what are you waiting for?”

Nancy

I am waiting… for you.

Act I, Scene I (232-241)

LUCENTIO

“Sirrah, come hither. ‘Tis no time to jest, and therefore frame your manners to the time. Your fellow, Tranio here, to save my life, puts my apparel and my count’nance on, and I for my escape have put on his; for in a quarrel since I came ashore I killed a man and fear I was descried. Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes, while I make way from hence to save my life. You understand me?”

In the previous quote, Lucentio was talking to Tranio about his intent to “charm” Biondello, his other servant. In this quote we see Lucentio in action. He lies to Biondello, telling him that he must disguise himself because his life is in danger so that Biondello will keep his identity hidden. In order to keep his deception going, he needs to employ other people to help him, getting his servants in on the plan as well.

Nancy must also get other people to play along with her deception, but she is less cunning than Lucentio and, instead of lying, she has to make a deal with him so that he will keep her secret.

Bowling Alley

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Nancy

Hey, Sean, I’m out bowling with a man, a man who might actually have some potential and not in just that he’s a really good bowler type way. Do you know--hey--so don’t ruin it for me. All right? Just be cool.

Sean

Okay, I will.

Nancy

Yeah?

Sean

Uh-huh. If you give me a blow job

Nancy

You what?

Sean

Take it or leave it.

Once Nancy begins lying to Jack, it gets more and more elaborate and she needs to employ other people to help her keep up appearances. When Jack and Nancy go bowling together, Nancy runs into an old classmate of hers, Sean. To stop him from revealing her identity she has to make a deal with him, promising in the end to give him a kiss. This relates to the way that Lucentio had to include other people into his plan so that he would not be revealed when under cover. Because Nancy is not as well thought out as Lucentio, this deal she makes with Sean ultimately leads to her untimely discovery in a bathroom stall where Jack walks in on them about to kiss. In both Nancy and Lucentio’s situations, they find that they have to do more and more to keep up their appearances, but in Nancy’s case, the more elaborate the lie gets, the deeper a hole she seems to be digging for herself. This is because people today have a more negative outlook on lying to win someone’s heart, because we value honesty more than what might have been thought of as a “romantic gesture” in “The Taming of the Shrew”.




Act 5, Scene I (124-128)

BAPTISTA

“Now fair befall thee, good Petruchio! The wager thou hast won, and I will add unto their losses twenty thousand crowns, another dowry to another daughter, for she is changed as she had never been.”

In this quote Baptista, Katherine’s father, is praising Petruchio for taming Katherine. He sees this change as positive, where as now, society views the docile submissive woman as a negative attribute and a change for the worst.  

Bowling Alley (Katherine)

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Sean

It would appear that I finally have you under a barrel, Nancy Paterson. Indeed you are clearly not the girl you used to be once. Cool and confidant. Now…stealing other women’s dates from under clocks.

When Sean finds out what Nancy is doing he notices how much Nancy has changed. Nancy used to be a girl who was confidant, who said what she wanted and didn’t care about what others thought, much like Katherine in the beginning of the play. Upon meeting her again, Sean sees that she has changed from that once “cool and confident” girl and into someone who feels the need to sacrifice who she really is to win the heart of men. Sean feels superior to her because this act is seen as weak and pathetic nowadays, where it was simply expected of a wife in the play.

These portrayals show us that being deceitful in a relationship today is more frowned upon than it once was. In the play, “Taming of the Shrew,” love for a spouse or a prospective spouse could be proven by the lengths one would go to for them. Something such as lying is romantic, something such as obeying your husband is desireable. Nowadays women fight to end these social expectations put upon the female gender. Because of today’s climate towards strict gender roles, the kind of change that Katherine underwent in “Taming of the Shrew” is now something that society would think outdated and distasteful. Nowadays, disguising oneself to win the heart of a romantic interest is not seen as sweet but deceitful, as showing one’s “true” self is more valued than it once was.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York:

Washington Square Press, 1992. Print.

Man Up. Dir. Ben Palmer. Perf. Lake Bell and Simon Pegg . N.p., n.d. Web.

You Literally Can't Buy Love



   YOU LITERALLY CAN’T BUY LOVE

    Taming of the Shrew vs. Can’t Buy Me Love

The romantic relationship between a man and a woman, otherwise known as love has changed over the years. Although there are still various similarities in the expectations of men and women. We tend to look at people from more of a possession point of view and do whatever is possible to up your status. These actions may not be as extreme in present time, but they still exist.

In “The Taming of the Shrew”, Baptista’s only goal is to marry his daughter off to the richest guy he can find. The plot is almost the same for Can’t Buy Me Love. The main character Ronald just wants to date Cindy because she is the most popular girl in school and he knows that it will help him climb the social status of high school. He even gives her one thousand dollars as if he is really buying a material item. Baptista and Ronald have a lot in common in this aspect. They both look at women as items instead of seeing them as real people and remembering that they have feelings and are worth more than just an image.

“Tis deeds must win the prize, and he of both that can assure my daughter greatest dower shall have my Bianca’s love.” - Baptista pg.101

Act 2, Scene 1, line numbers 362-364

In this scene of the play Baptista is trying to marry off his youngest daughter Bianca. There are two men who are fighting for her hand in marriage, but only one can win. That is whoever has the most to offer. Baptista is not concerned about who the men really are or who Bianca has genuine feelings. He just wants her to marry whoever has the most amount of money in dowry to offer her because he is worried about her status. Throughout the whole play he treats both of his daughter like they are his possessions rather than people. Baptista also marries his eldest daughter off to a man of his choice because he thinks he has the right to. There is an almost identical scene to this play in Can’t Buy Me Love.

In Can’t Buy Me Love the main character also treats his “girlfriend” as if she a material that you can put a price on. Which is exactly what he does.

           



































Cindy is the girl of Ronald’s dreams. She has everything a guy could want except there is only one issue. She’s popular and he’s not. She never notices him because she is at the top of the high school social tower and would never notice a guy like ron. Ron’s dream is to just fit in with the popular girls and jocks so he does anything possible to achieve that goal. He realizes that Cindy is in a sticky situation where she needs $1,000 so he offers to give her the money in exchange for one thing. Her love. He asks Cindy if he can rent her knowing how crazy he sounds. In this moment he is basically purchasing Cindy. He does not take a moment to think about her or his feelings. His sole purpose from the start is to make himself look good.  Ronald uses her as a possession rather than a partner. This supports the fact that people don’t truly fall in love, but just use each other of image purposes.

“I must confess your offer is the best,... If you should die before him, where’s her dower?” - Baptista pg.103

Act 2, Scene 1, line numbers 40-411

Once again in the book, the only thing that Baptista is worried about is the money and status. He is given two offers from two men that want to marry his daughter. They are both offers that involve tons of money and items, but not the interest in his daughter. In these lines, he wants to know how soon his daughter will have access to the estates that are being given. This is very similar to the scene in Can’t Buy Me Love where Cindy realizes that Ronny has it all so she come running back to him.






-




Now that ronald has achieved “king” status without needing cindy she all of a sudden wants to hang around him again. Ronald could have had her back but instead he ignores her for a girl who is more popular than cindy at the moment so that can stay king.

These examples from both the movie and the play just a few things that show how people are only viewed as objects. Men and women are both guilty of being with someone because of who they are on the outside rather than the inside. Even if you try to convince yourself that you are with someone for who they are when nobody is around, at the end of the day you just want something to show off so that people will be proud of you in some way.


Beauty is the key to a man’s heart


Beauty is the key to a man’s heart  

Comparing “The Taming of the Shrew” to “Shallow Hal”


“The Taming of the Shrew”, was a play written by William Shakespeare. The story was about suitors trying to marry two prestigious daughters. Katherine, the eldest daughter was not fancied by many men. Most people would describe her as discourteous. Bianca the youngest daughter on the other hand was the complete opposite of her sister. There were many pursuits of marriage but Katherine was to be counted before Bianca could. This caused Petruchio, Katherine's only suitor to become interested in her. However it was for the money and assets he would obtain after the marriage. The movie “Shallow Hal” is about a middle aged man having unrealistic high standards for women. Hal only makes advances with “attractive women,” while ignoring and even shaming  the women who he feels is not the physical standard that an average woman should be.


In the movie “Shallow Hal,” the main character Hal judges women based off of their physical appearances. Beauty is a requirement for Hal in order for him to pursue a relationship. However, it blinds him from the internal beauty that a woman may have. It seems that Hal views women as a trophy or a piece of property. The play “The Taming of the Shrew,” mentions the value of women which wasn’t presented as much. Petruchio, a suitor in the play, believed that his wife Katherine was his property once they were married. Hal and Petruchio both feel that they can control women to suit their own liking. Although Hal and Petruchio have different agendas, the play and the movie show that no matter the time period women have high standards inflicted onto them from men, causing women to develop insecurities and self hate.



“And woo her with some spirit when she comes! Say that she rail, why then I’ll tell her plain She sings as sweetly as a nightingale. Say that she frown, I’ll say she looks as clear As morning roses newly washed with dew…..”

(Act 11, Scene 1, 177-181)


In this quote, Petruchio talks about his plan to “woo” Katherine, the woman who he was pursuing. He created a specific plan to make sure that he will be able to think ahead to convince her to fall for him, or at least make her have interest in him.   


This shows that no matter if a woman protests, a man will try and control her. This idea is seen throughout the play as well as the movie.

(Timestamp, 9:07)


In this scene, Hal is trying to pursue a relationship with a woman. She timidly tells him that she is not physically attracted to him because she wanted to spare his feelings. Hal tries to convince her that attraction comes later in a relationship. He speaks to her as if her opinion does not matter, because he was out to get what he wanted: her. After a long back and forth they went their separate ways. After the woman leaves Hal gives her a look as if she is disgusting. Hal was experiencing the way he treated women. The difference is Hal feels that there is something wrong with the woman and not him, which is why he gave that look at the end. What is interesting about what Hal said is that attraction coming later in a relationship only applies to men. There is a double standard for men and that is proven in both the movie and play.

“That hearing if her beauty and her wit, Her affability and bashful modesty….”

(Act ll, Scene l, 51-53)


In this scene Petruchio was talking about how much he likes Katherine. The first thing that he talks about is her beauty, which shows he prioritizes it over her other traits. When men talk about women in the book they tend to list their beauty before anything else. When women are held to very high beauty standards, it can create insecurities because they may not feel like they fulfill those standards. When it was time for marriage between Katherine and Petruchio it was difficult for the both of them adjusting to each other. Petruchio wanted to control Katherine but she was defiant, which resulted in physical restraints.


This proves that a relationship cannot only rely on beauty or it will not last. “Shallow Hal” depicts a relationship being about the inner beauty and having an understanding that each person is respected in all areas.

(Timestamp 44:06)


In this scene of the movie, Hal and Rosemary are walking together towards Hal’s apartment. When they both reach the apartment building Hal talks about what he loves and likes about Rosemary, his main interest is her body. He tells her that she is beautiful and that she is not fat, when in actuality she is. At this point in the movie Hal sees the inner beauty of women instead of just their appearance. In Rosemary’s case she is overweight and is not “attractive” in Hal’s definition. Rosemary knows that a guy like Hal doesn’t come around and she was surprised that he took a liking to her. When Hal starts to compliment her, she is not able to bear it. In Rosemary’s eyes Hal loves everything she hates. She feels like she isn't beautiful because of the pressure society puts on her. This caused her to doubt the love that Hal professed to her, because she doesn’t know what it feels like to be truly loved when she couldn’t even love herself.


Across the different time eras there are the same requirements for love and a relationship. The book and the movie show that there have been consistent pressures on women. The unrealistic expectations for women caused them to not know what love truly is, because instead of loving themselves they try to alter themselves so others can love them. The women in both pieces have shown that they were controlled by men and it has resulted in negative affects.  

The Proposal to the Shrew

The Proposal to the Shrew

“The Taming of the Shrew” and “The Proposal”

As “The Taming of the Shrew” provides an example of deceptions within relationships within the 16th century. In the play, Petruchio sets to marry Katherine and doing so tames her to become something she isn’t. In “The Proposal”, the main character, Andrew, gets forced into a marriage that was for the benefit of his boss. This caused him to take control of the fake engagement. In both stories, the participants in both relationships fall in love.

Although Petruchio and Andrew chose to tame their finances, their reason of cause are quite different. Petruchio wanted Katherine to be a good wife. When he first met her, he knew of her inappropriate demeanor. Since then, he wanted her to mature into a wife to suit his needs as a husband and also to be in control of her. Andrew’s case is different from Petruchio. Andrew was forced into a marriage by Margaret due to her being deported. Once he found out, he knew he needed to set some ground rules in the “relationship” so he can get the things he want in return. These pieces reflect on how relationships accept deception throughout centuries, and because of this, relationships are only for control of the other party.

Earlier in this scene, Margaret, the editor of a big publishing company, was notified that she was being deported for going to an event in Frankford but having limited access with her visa. She had to think of a way of getting out of it. Her assistant, Andrew, approaches her about a client and that is when she comes up with an idea. She is going to marry Andrew so she can get a green card and be able to retain her job as editor. Her bosses were concerned that the marriage wasn’t real. That’s when she said, “We are two people who were not meant to fall in love, but we did.” Unlike Lucentio who sets out to marry Bianca by misleading her and everyone with disguises, Margaret puts herself and Andrew into a legal situation.


PETRUCHIO-

Be patient, gentlemen. I choose her for myself. If she and I be pleased, what's that to you? 'Tis bargained 'twixt us twain, being alone, That she shall still be curst in company. I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate! (2,1,321-326)


Petruchio is telling everyone that he and Katherine are getting married. Katherine in this time does not know it. She never agreed to marrying Petruchio. What actually happened is that Petruchio went to Baptista, Katherine’s father to arrange the marriage. He is the one who agreed upon the two to get married. This relates to “The Proposal” by Margaret arranging their marriage purely based upon the reason of her visa being revoked and having to go back to Canada. She later tells Andrew, but it is still deception within the relationship. Relating to each other, Petruchio is taking control in the relationship by starting the relationship with Katherine and Margaret is starts to control the relationship when she notifies her boss about it. The only difference is that Andrew finds out about the relationship and he takes control of it due to being unhappy about the incident.


HORTENSIO-

I promised we would be contributors And bear his charging of wooing whatsoe'er.

GREMIO-

And so we will, provided that he win her. (1,2,218-220)


Gremio and Hortensio are suitors trying to win over Katherine for her hand in marriage. While discussing being their potential husband, the two talk among themselves about how this marriage is just a business transaction. They realized that it is a whole scheme for her father the whole time. Back in that century, the father and son-in-law made the deals about the marriage without the daughter being involved. However, knowing this information, both Gremio and Hortensio want to pursue Katherine for themselves. In today’s world, the marriage isn’t determined by the parents in most places. However, in the proposal, Margaret was getting control over Andrew by making him marry her.

She was never intending to marry Andrew but things changed once she heard about her deportation. Since her deportation was severe, she is only doing this because she gets to retain her position as an editor at a big publisher company in New York. For Margaret to get Andrew to officially marry her, she would have to give him things he always wanted. Well threaten him with those things at least. In the screenshot above, this was Margaret asking Andrew to officially marry her because it was to his request as was other many things. Margaret was the one in control of the whole relationship, until Andrew backfired at her. He did not want to partake at all in this but ended up being the one in control. Throughout the film, Andrew deceives Margaret and treats her like she is worthless in his home to teach her to become a better human since she is a terrible person.


KATHERINE

Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee tell

Whom thou lov'st best. See thou dissemble not. (2,1,8-9)

When Bianca noticed that Katherine wanted her suitors but didn’t give much of a reaction to when she told Katherine no, it is clear that Katherine did not want to partake in a marriage at all. When Katherine does end up marrying Petruchio, it is clear to the audience that the whole marriage was a scheme and that Petruchio had all the control in the relationship. Katherine became mistreated by him, but he claims it was going to be good for her in the end. This is his way of taming her. Katherine is obviously stuck in the relationship, but when she does speak her mind throughout the book while being already married, Petruchio tells everyone that she is just going a little crazy and should ignore her. Somehow, everyone believes in Petruchio and ignores what happens. Petruchio is all in control and there is nothing to hide from it. It is seen to be clear to everyone. This relates back to the film. While arriving in Andrew’s hometown, he is greeted with a welcoming party. Little does everyone know, that are “engaged”.

During the party, everyone is asking their relationship. Both Margaret and Andrew get nervous because they are not actually getting married. Andrew takes dominance in the situation and tells everyone how it all happened. When Margaret tries to tell her point of view, Andrew cuts in and changes it. Andrew is trying to control Margaret and preventing her from being herself. Andrew doesn’t like the way she acts, so to fix her up, he needs to start the process at his welcoming party. He is showing dominance in the relationship and making her do what he says. Of course there is backlash, but he tames her to not give any more. Andrew relates to Petruchio in this way and likes to show dominance. Dominance is a big factor for these characters to be in control of their relationships.

Deception in relationships have been around for centuries upon centuries. In “The Taming of the Shrew” Petruchio compares to Andrew from “The Proposal” because of their alike attributes on wanting to be in control of relationships. They both support evidence for the only reason in being a relationship is for being in control of it. Having power in relationship shows dominance and that is what they both strive for in their own ways.



The Proposal. Dir. Anne Fletcher. Perf. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Touchstone, 2009.

Shakespeare, William, G. R. Hibbard, and Margaret Jane Kidnie. The taming of the shrew. UK: Penguin , 2015. Print.


Commitment

Comparing “Taming of the Shrew” to “Trainwreck”


The book “Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare and “Trainwreck” both focuses on the idea of how love has been around for a long time but are portrayed differently. Petruchio in the “Taming of the Shrew” sets his goal on marrying Katherine no matter what it takes but in “Trainwreck” it’s the same thing but Amy sets her goal with being with Aaron, a sport doctor not exactly marrying but showing commitment even after her past history with hooking up with other people.



Petruchio and Amy both have similar tactics on getting their way but also uses different tactics and reasonings that block their road path. Petruchio could have Katherine but his only roadblock is Katherine resistance. In the movie, Amy could have Aaron but Amy ways of acting powerful prevents her from staying with Aaron which causes conflict between them and a break up. The fact that Amy's character does not have an easy time keeping the relationship together, shows the difference in attitudes that audiences have towards male suitors and female suitors. It shows that female suitors can’t be powerful like male suitors. Since Petruchio was a powerful man and when Amy acted as one, it causes problems in their relationship.



"Quote from Play"

“This burnt, and so is all the meat. What dogs are these? Where is the rascal cook? How durst you, villains bring it from the dresser And serve it thus to me that love it not? There, take it to you, trenchers, cups and all!”

(Act 4, Scene 1, 161-165)


In this quote from the Shrew, Petruchio is complaining about the food so that Katherine doesn’t eat or sleep. This is a tactic of Petruchio to get into Katherine head to make her listen and obey in a way of taming her. Petruchio already has Katherine but his goal was to tame her. Petruchio process of taming Katherine is the same way you tame a falcon, starving it and keeping it sleepless.


This is similar to Trainwreck but different because Aaron did not starve Amy but instead use the tactic of arguments which was the process of taming her.



This argument between Amy and Aaron starts when Amy left during Aaron ceremony from the speech he wrote for her but she left due to her boss phone call. Aaron catch her smoking weed outside and gets mad which resulted in him snapping at her about having her phone out even though she said she was sorry she was gonna lose her job. Amy acts powerful towards him and snap back. From this it can be seen that Amy has a harder time keeping the relationship together compared to Petruchio who already have Katherine without any worries.



"Quote from Play"

“What is she but a foul contending rebel And graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple, To offer war where they should kneel for peace or seek for rule, supremacy and sway.”

(Act 5, Scene 2, 175-180)


This quotes is from the end of the Shrew from Katherine speech. It basically shows how she is tamed and how women are dumb to betray their own husband, and that she is ashamed of how women are so foolish since they want war instead of kneeling for peace and power. She believes women are made to serve love and obey. From this it can be seen that males are seen to have it easier because Katherine was already married to him but his ultimate goal was to tamed her so she is powerless against him.


Amy did a similar act toward the end of the movie that show she has changed or has been tamed.



Unlike the Shrew where Katherine only says a speech at the end, in trainwreck, Amy did a whole cheerleader scene dance as well as a speech at the end to show that she has changed for him. She also tries to impress him with the trampoline jump even though she didn’t make the jump. With this she says to him,  “I can work hard and put myself out there, not be afraid to fail, I really wanna try with you” Basically she is able to work hard and make it work with him. This is like Amy is stepping down from being powerful and actually putting herself out there instead of pretending. It can be seen that Amy is giving up her rights with commitment.


Amy wins her man Aaron at the end, this show that a modern audience want to see women not portrayed as too powerful because that is the male job. While male have it easier. Like Petruchio, he didn’t have any worries since all he had to do was marry Katherine and do what he wanted with her. Unlike Trainwreck, female had it harder. The way female were portrayed as hooking up with other people and simply just being wild. This was a problem for Amy cause she liked Aaron and from trainwreck, it can be seen that woman suitors have a harder times than male suitors. Although, Amy ended up with Aaron at the end, it can be seen that commitment was involved that kept them two back together. The attitude from the audience of how male suitors go after women and how women suitors go after male attitude from the movie, trainwreck and the taming of the shrew are different.



Work Cited

Trainwreck. Dir. Judd Apatow. Perf. Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. 2015. Movie. 17 July 2015. Web.


Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. The Taming of the Shrew. New York :Signet Classic, 1998. Print.

Whats all the buzz about romance?

Whats all the buzz about romance?

Comparing The Bee Movie to Taming of the Shrew


In William Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”, a clear theme is the men taking the leading role of romantic relationships. They act as protectors and ones who take care of the women, as well as initiators of the relationship, which is shown through Petruchio to Katherine, and various suitors to Bianca. In the film “The Bee Movie”, this idea managed to sneak its way in as well, with Ken acting as a protector of Vanessa from various things he deems as threats. However, unlike in “Shrew”, Ken is not the full leader of the relationship, as their relationship was eventually broken off by Vanessa, something that would have been nearly impossible in the 1400s. These texts reflect that although the role of men being the leaders of a romantic relationship has shifted more towards equality for both parties, role of men as a protector has remained present through time


"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper...one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labor...whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe "

(Act 5, Scene 2, 155-160)


No characters show this relationship of men being the protectors as clearly as Petruchio and Katherine, who says the above to her sister, Bianca, and to a widow married to Hortensio during a long speech on why women ought to be obedient to their husbands. With this, she is making a point using this as evidence. It is a given at this time that the husbands are the protectors of their wives, who stay at home safely. There is no protest of this by any of the other men or women at this point in hearing her speech, showing that this was in fact the expectation of the men in relationships at the time.


In this scene, Barry is violently confronted by Ken in an attempt to protect Vanessa, his girlfriend, from a bee, who he notices as a threat. However, there was no real threat, nor was there any indication from Vanessa that the bee was any threat--in fact, Vanessa immediately attempted to stop Ken from attacking Barry as soon as she could. However, he immediately attacked it off of an instinct that his girlfriend was in danger and she needed to be protected.


"And, for that dowry, I’ll assure her of her widowhood, be it that she survive me, in all my lands and leases whatsoever. Let specialties be therefore drawn between us, that covenants may be kept on either hand."

(Act 2, Scene 1, 116-120)


This quote, spoken by Petruchio to Baptista, is in regards to negotiations being done between them so that Petruchio has Baptista’s blessing in him marrying Katherine. In order for that to be the case, Petruchio has to offer something to Baptista, and he offers that if he were to die before Katherine, all of his possessions would go to her.

The success of this offer shows that when negotiating a marriage, what the father is looking for is for there to be a promise of safety for his daughter. What Petruchio is basically saying is that Baptista has nothing to worry about, for Katherine will be “assured of her widowhood.” Baptista then agrees to the marriage because the expectation of Katherine being protected has been met.

In this scene, Ken again confronts Barry in the bathroom, but under different circumstances. Ken now understands that Barry is not a physical threat to Vanessa, as this is later in the movie and they have become acquainted, but he instead perceives him as an emotional threat, trying to manipulate Vanessa. This is clearly shown through the line he uses to instigate this fight, “I’ve just about had it with your little mind games.”

It’s clear that the relationship between Vanessa and Ken is not as male-dominated as the one between Katherine and Petruchio. Vanessa had the jurisdiction to terminate the relationship later in the story, something that would have been difficult for Katherine to do. However, that doesn’t mean that the expected role of each person in a romance has changed completely, which is clear from the protective role that Ken feels he has to play, even when there is no imminent danger.


Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, G. R. Hibbard, and Margaret Jane Kidnie. The Taming of the Shrew. UK: Penguin, 2015. Print.

DreamWorks Animation ; Columbus 81 Productions ; Pacific Data Images ; produced by Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg ; written by Jerry Seinfeld and Spike Feresten & Barry Marder & Andy Robin ; directed by Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith ; head of character animation, Fabio Lignini. Bee Movie. Hollywood, Calif. :Paramount Home Entertainment, 2008. Print.


Does Honesty in the End Truly Matter>


Play: The Taming of the Shrew

Movie: Two Weeks Notice


In the play The Taming of the Shrew there is a lot of deception throughout all of the relationships. Lucentio lied to Bianca about his identity because he wanted her to fall in love with him and Petruchio lied to Katherine about an arranged marriage because he felt like that was the best decision. In the movie Two Weeks Notice George lies to Lucy about a community center he plans to tear down because he does not want to hurt Lucy. In the movie and in the play the characters lie to their ‘partners in the relationship’ because they believe it is the right decision. In the end every single relationship ended up together even though they lied to their partners.  The similarity in all their actions shows that audiences believe deception does not have a long standing effect on a couple in love.

In the play The Taming of the Shrew honesty and deception play a big role. Throughout the entire play every single relationship had a lie but in the end everyone had a happy ending. Petruchio, a man who wanted to marry for dowry and happiness, lied to his wife Katherine. He deceived her into marriage.


Quote 2: Act 2 Scene 1, pg 95, Petruchio is talking to Katherine, line 282 “Marry, so I mean, sweet Katherine, in thy bed. And therefore, setting all this chat aside, thu sin plain terms: your father hath consented that you shall be my wife, your dowry ’greed on, and, will you, nill you, I will marry you. Now Kate, I am a husband for your turn, for by this light, whereby I see beauty, thy beauty that doth make me like thee well, 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.”


In this quote this is what Petruchio is saying to Katherine about their “arranged marriage”. He lied to her about having to be married, he only wanted to marry her because he wanted dowry and a wife. He told her that he and father made an agreement and that they will be married. This causes Katherine to believe she must marry Petruchio so she does. She obeys her father and proceeds to try and have a functioning marriage.


In Two Weeks Notice, George, the face of a company, lies to Lucy, his ex-lawyer, about a community center.


Screenshot 2017-04-21 at 1.00.41 AM.png


Here is when Lucy finds about the tearing down of the community center. The community center is where Lucy spent most of her childhood and George’s company plans on tearing it down. The community center was the deal between George and Lucy, if the community stayed unharmed then Lucy will be George’s lawyer. Because George was unable to keep his promise Lucy feels as though George just lied to her the entire time and that she got played. George did not want Lucy to find out about the community center because he did not want to hurt her. This compares to The Taming of the Shrew because in the play and in the movie the men felt that their lie was best for the relationship and their partner. In the Taming of the Shrew and Two Weeks Notice the men in the relationships told lies to protect the females in the relationship. Even though they were lied to the women stayed in the relationships.  


In The Taming of the Shrew, Lucentio, a man who fell madly in love with the beautiful girl Bianca, lied so that Bianca would fall in love with him.


Quote 3: Act 1 Scene 1, pg 47, Lucentio is talking to Tranio, line 243 “And not a jot of “Tranio” in your mouth. Tranio is changed into Lucentio.”


In this quote Lucentio is telling Tranio his plan about disguising themselves as one another.. He did this because Lucentio, dressed as Tranio, would be able to become Bianca’s school teacher. Lucentio needs to do this because of Bianca’s overprotective father. Bianca is not allowed to marry until her sister Katherine married and because Katherine was not married and had no suitors Lucentio decided to pretend to be a school teacher to get close to Bianca. Bianca and Lucentio end up falling in love but their entire relationship is a lie. Their entire relationship is a lie because Bianca does not know the true identity of Lucentio, she believe he is a school teacher when that is not the case. She does not know that the only reason he is her school teacher is to get close to her.


In this scene Lucy walks in on George and June, a woman who wants George. George and Lucy are currently undressed and under the influence of alcohol.

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Throughout the movie June seemed to be jealous of Lucy. June was the replacement for Lucy when resigned but June was very flirtatious with George knowing that Lucy and George were forming a relationship. When Lucy and George had a fight June decides to intervene and ‘comfort’ George. They end up kissing and participating in some sort of sexual activity. Lucy end up going to George’s house to resolve their issue when she sees June and George together. George lies to Lucy and tells her nothing is going on even though they are both clothesless. Once again the man in the relationship attempts to lie to protect the woman in the relationship.


In the play and in the movie every relationship has lies but it never truly mattered in the end. Society’s attitudes towards dating and relationship show that honesty and deception do not matter when the couple is in love. In The Taming of the Shrew both relationships end up happy and in Two Weeks Notice the relationship ends happy as well. The couples seem to be more in love if anything else therefore if the couples are in love it does not matter if someone lies in the relationship.




Work cited

  • The Taming of the Shrew : William shakespeare

  • Two Weeks Notice: Marc lawrence



English 3 Visual Essay


Tons of sexual fantasies at first sight

The taming of the shrew and Blue is the warmest color


“The taming of the shrew” follows the story of a group of men pursuing a women named Bianca in there own deceitful ways while another man named Petruchio tries to marry Bianca's sister. This is similar to  the movie “Blue is the Warmest color”. The movie is based around a teenage girl named Adele who struggles with her sexuality after having a lesbian encounter with a friend.


In “The taming of the shrew” One of the potential suitors name Lucentio stands out from the rest as the most devoted to getting her. The first time he see’s Bianca he is yet to have any interaction with her and claims that he will make her his wife. This is similar to a scene from the movie “Blue is the Warmest color”. A day after Adelle’s encounter with her friend she is walking down the street when she see’s Emma, a girl with blue hair who she finds very attractive. Although they have to actual interaction Adele starts having deeply sensual fantasies about Emma.  People don’t fall in love with each other but instead use love at first sight as an excuse for sexual desires people have when they first meet someone they find attractive.




”I pray sir, tell me, is it possible that love should of a sudden take such hold”

(Act 1, Scene, 1 Pg41)

This quote comes from Tranio speaking with Gremio after he first meets Bianca. He is describing to Gremio how much he believes he loves Bianca and is asking Gremio if it is possible for him to already love someone this much. Even though this is just Tranio's first time meeting her he is already convinced that he is in love. The interaction he had with Bianca herself was short and public so it isn't as if he was able to get to know her. He is basing this love on purely seeing her. Bianca is described as being beautiful and it isn't hard to imagine this love is coming from imagining himself with her sexually.


Much like Tranio's first encounter with kate Adele feels a similar feeling when she first lays eyes upon Emma

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This scene from “Blue is the warmest color” is from Adele and Emma’s first sight of each other. Emma is walking by with her current girlfriend while Adele is walking past after recently kissing one of her friends. There are no words during this scene but body language tells it all. The moment the two pass each other they lock eyes and continue to look at each other after walking passing by. They both give each other a double take after breaking eye contact as well. After seeing Emma, Adele’s mind runs rapid with extremely vivid thoughts of a potential love life with Emma. Her thoughts take a more sexual turn later in the day as her thoughts become more imaginative. This proves the point that at first sight the feelings you feel for someone are more sexual than love.

”Happily to wive and thrive, as best as I may. Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home, And so am come abroad to see the world”

(Act 1, Scene 2, Line 57-59)

This quote is from a scene where Petruchio is speaking with some of the potential suitors for Bianca. He is telling them that he is new in town and wishes to “wive and thrive” while he’s here. He asks the men if they know anyone who he could potentially attempt to wive, who also has a healthy amount of money. The men point him in the direction of katherine, Bianca's sister. Without ever even meeting katherine and being described her looks he decides that he will be the man to wive her and make her his own. This is based purely on her looks and money.


Petruchio isn't the only person who wants to marry based on looks, so does Emma in this bar scene from the movie.


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This scene is from later in the movie when Adele and Emma first actually interact with each other. They are in a lesbian bar that Emma often visits and Adele is brought there by a friend. Emma is here to look for a mate after her previous girlfriend left here. While sitting at bar Emma takes notice of Adele and begins to watch her. As time passes Adele is approached by people and put into a rough situation. Seeing this as her time to pounce Emma rushes in to save Adele after creepishly stalking her throughout the night. The stalking of adele and making a decision to bail her out of a sticky situation was based purely on Adele's looks.


Even though Adele and Emma seemed almost meant for each other in the movie and evened seemed as times to be interested in each other, their relationship still failed. Katherine and Petruchio on the other hand though end up happily married after being extremely dysfunctional for the first few days of their relationship. Both of these movies show us that at first sight there is never love no matter how much people may tell themselves it's there, but rather love develops over time.